I am so excited about the holidays! This is the first year in a long time, I have felt I could celebrate. I was SO ill for about three years. After going from one doctor to another, with many diagnoses, I finally found a common sense doc who said it was just bad allergies. I am on a ton of allergy meds, but they have kept the pneumonias and bacterial infections away, and I am improving. My father died almost 4 years ago, of Parkinson's and Alhzeimer's. It broke my heart to see this SO active man, my war hero, my spiritual rock, to be slowly eaten away. It was difficult to celebrate watching him slowly being destroyed. Then he died, and I emotionally and spiritually almost died, too. I missed him so, and still do. But, I WILL celebrate this year. I may not have another year to do this, so "the game is on". I have arranged to take my little nephew to see: the BIG Christmas pageant, complete with elephants, donkeys, etc on stage; the Nutcracker; and the ZooLights. I will attend the Messiah! My gifts are out about to be wrapped. My Christmas Letter is already written. My brother will come over and help me decorate the outside of my house. I will buy a tree and ask my mother to help me decorate. The Christmas music is out! It is just TOO cool! And as I said, you never know what the future will bring, so I will celebrate while I can. And be grateful for what I have now!