Happy Holidays! We are certainly in the midst of it or as he put it that “best week of the year.” I could not agree more. There is something special about the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. His posse of six plans to head up I-94 on Thursday to check into the Alexandria Hampton Inn for a “toast to 2012” getaway break. He asked me, “How do you like living next to all those great lakes?

Despite the lack of measurable snow cover (which actually many people are delighted with! Sorry snow lovers…), Alexandria is looking a lot like Christmas. Just start in the historic downtown district and take the drive down Broadway Street once the moon is out. We did just that last night. It was a twinkling electric fairyland blinking at us like something out of a movie. After motoring up the entire way, I begged my favorite elf to park the car. “Let’s go window shopping,” I said, “It’s a perfect night.” And, it was especially given the unseasonably warm temperature.

Are you breathing? I am serious. When is the last time you actually took a deep breath? We are in the midst of that time of year when many of us are actually not breathing. Okay, not literally, but you know what I mean: life on auto pilot. Each and every move programmed by the long list of holiday must dos added to all of the other stuff you do week in and week out. So get ready, I have the perfect present, the thing you really want most…here is my gift to you. PAUSE. Pull the tissue back. Take a long look. That’s right; your gift is a pause.

Fahrenheit 32. That is the temperature at which water freezes, but not the temperature at which the lakes freeze. I just learned there is an art to how a lake freezes. Well, actually more than art, it is part science and part plain old-fashioned luck. We can have a week of below freezing temperatures that work on the retained heat in the water which when combined with wind keeps the cold air moving to cool the lake down faster.

If your house is like ours, this past holiday weekend with its turkey overload has triggered an explosion that deposited plastic and cardboard boxes all across your family room. Boxes labeled “Aunt Beth’s ornaments” and “pine garlands” form a tower of fun. Plastic crates stuffed with strings of twinkle lights – some working, some not. Cartons of wreaths and red berries with rolled up lengths of velvet ribbon. This amazing decorative explosion at our house is always accompanied by music and movies.