Hi Eddie and All: You suggested the idea, so hope you can hang in to the end! Unlike most of the nice Christmas messages, I don't have the patter of little feet visiting my house anymore. They've all grown into big, size 10-1/2 Nike feet. Nowadays, the patter of little feet has become 4-legged---big dogs, little dogs, cats, and more cats. I began the holidays by planning a little get-together for friends. Spent days making that cranberry-covered styrofoam cone. You know, the one Martha Stewart shows how easy it is to make! Now here's what I have to say--anything Martha can do, I can do. Back to the cranberry cone tree: I broke the toothpicks in half, spent hours poking cranberries into the cone and about 2/3 way up the cone, ran out of toothpicks. The cranberries were starting to get soft. Now, you tell me Martha makes her own cranberry trees and I'll tell you that she could win a personality contest. So much for Martha! My Christmas gathering was almost a disaster due to the weather conditions, but I got busy at the last minute and started calling friends who live in the same building, and several of them came to my rescue and saved the day. I still had refreshments enough for the neighborhood. My daughter lives here in town with her two girls. My son arrived Christmas day with his two sons. We drove about 85 miles and had dinner with family at my hometown. Guess who got the leftovers from my party? Except for the pumpkin bread and cranberry bread I bought at WalMart. Fortunately, no one asked if I baked the bread, because I have a real hard time with lying! Wonderful meal. About 25 arrived for dinner. I stole away with my sister's Rum Cake, the best you ever ate. Returned to Lexington, and Christmas evening my children, grandchildren and I ate party leftovers then opened gifts. The biggest surprise was that the jacket and pullover they gave me---Fit! It was fun. My daughter went home with the party meatballs, banana pudding, and a big bottle of punch. This morning my son headed back home to Indiana. He doesn't know it, but when he reaches into the little doggie bag along the way, he will find cheeseball, dips, celery/carrot sticks, and benedictine sandwiches. What a relief! My fridg is clear now and the only thing I have to throw away is the cauliflower that is starting to turn brown. All in all, Christmas was Nice! Happy New Year to everyone! Pat O'Neal, descendant of the following: Estep, Carmack, Rowlett, Campbell, Nevils, Yeary, Brooks, Moore families, all from the NC, SW VA, TN, KY neighborhoods. A few aunts, uncles, and cousins wandered off the beaten track and wound up in OK, TX, and CA.