What did you like best?

Hello everyone!

Having survived yet another Christmas, I'm borrowing the line featured in this entry's title from the movie City of Angels to appropriately redirect it to all of you and ask "What did you like best" about the holiday season, now nearly completed for another year? As for me,I'm finding it quite hard to narrow it down to just one thing.

Right off the bat, I have to say that I LOVE (yes, love) the copious amount of fluffy white stuff that has been falling, pretty much non-stop, for the past several weeks. Yes, I know it's a pain in the neck to do all that shovelling (well, I don't actually do it - I have a fella who does) but for those who do, it would be a pain. And true, the driving can be a bit challenging over all the ice and snow but as far as I'm concerned, nothing says Christmas like a White Christmas. So I'm happy - never more so than yesterday when this winter's first frost turned all the trees and bushes in the city into lacy beautiful white works of art. It's just gorgeous.

Another thing that I liked best was the time and energy I was able to devote to my family during the season - in particular my parents. With both of my brothers not in attendance this Christmas, I went all out to plan extra events, little special touches like securing our long-lost family wine from France, chauffeur them around to their various social functions and in general, work hard to ensure they had a very nice Christmas.

Like many others, I REALLY liked having some time off. Taking eleven glorious days away from the office - a chunk of time that I haven't had off in over two and a half years - enabled me to get some things done, celebrate Christmas with family as mentioned and the biggie, get some desperately needed down time for myself. I even managed to get a couple of "junk" drawers cleaned out!

But perhaps most of all, I liked my reflections on the past year as well as my aspirations for the one that lies ahead. Reviewing 2007 and looking ahead to 2008 has given me strong senses of accomplishment, gratitude, joy and hope. After some thought and relaxation, I now feel I can begin a new year on a better, more resolved foot, and despite all the great food, gifts, good times and great scenery that came my way during the holidays, acquiring enthusiasm over the future is what I liked best.