MERRY CHRISTMAS!

For me, Christmas is all about nostalgia. Some is sweet, some is bittersweet. I shed more tears around the holiday season than any other time of the year, but most of those tears are simply shed in remembrance of things past. My childhood Christmases were nothing short of magical. My parents were really into it in a big way and they made it extraordinarily fun for me, their spoiled child. There were many gifts, but I really don't remember those . Instead, my Christmas memories are made up of little vignettes, as short and sparkling as the tinsel on the tree. One of the most memorable is the large, life-sized cardboard cutout of the Coca Cola Santa which we had somehow acquired and which sat in our living room at the foot of the stairs every Christmas. Ironically, I had never tasted a Coke in my life at that point. My parents were adamantly opposed to the drinking of any carbonated beverages, and I've still barely sampled any to this day. But in our home the unpacking of Coke Santa was the signal that the holidays had begun. I wish I knew where he was now. A few years ago I managed to buy a smaller, one-foot tall replica, but it's just not quite the same.

Since I won't be writing tomorrow, this is my chance to wish every one of my loyal blog readers the kind of celebration this year that affords them many years of sweet nostalgia in the future. No matter how you celebrate or what you celebrate, just remember that kindness, charity, and love are the key to this season. And, since most of my readers are passionate about Route 66, they need not be reminded that PRESERVATION -- of plants, animals, structures, and people -- is the key to happiness for future generations. As our dear, departed Bob Waldmire always reminded us, "Small is beautiful, old is beautiful, slow is beautiful, safe is beautiful."

MERRY CHRISTMAS!