Three weeks ago our daughter Bea flew home. As she packs to return to school, I try to recall where the time has gone. The day after she arrived, we told stories at the Black Diamond History Museum for their Hometown Christmas.
The locals were very friendly! 
Black Diamond teems with local history: we found some of it for sale in a great Antique Store next to the museum.
We were treated to the best pizza in the valley at Black Diamond Pizza and Deli. The owner, Mike, told us he was passing through on a trip from Wisconsin, saw the building, originally built as a bank in 1915, and fell in love. The rest is history.
In the days that followed we enjoyed many winter walks, like this one at Green Lake.
They often entail impromptu birdwatching.
We celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas at our house.
But we love sparkle all year long, and welcome any excuse to bring more light into our lives.
More cookies too. There was a flurry of baking…
…for both holidays.
.
Then we drove out of the city…
…to find our tree.
We got a gooder!
This is how you dress for a Northwest Christmas.
We hosted parties for Bea’s NaNoWriMo pals, and the Dungeons and Dragons set. 
We visited friends……and had friends over to play.
On Christmas Eve we broke bread and made joyful music with family and friends.
On Christmas morning some lucky ducks found cool new jammies under the tree.
Very fitting, as we rang in the New Year with a sci-fi party. Our old friend Sargon served as Master of Ceremonies.
Cap’n Tommy wore gold. Rick and Sue were Red Shirts–those ill-fated crewmen doomed to die violent and expected deaths before the first commercial break of each Star Trek episode. Rick painted His ‘n’ Her phaser burns on the front of his shirt and the back of Sue’s. 
Rick and Dorota were smashing as Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman from The Hunger Games.
We came as…
Zaphod from Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, T’Pau the Queen Bitch of Vulcan from Classic Trek episode Amok Time, and Doc Brown from Back to the Future. When Back to the Future was made in 1985, the distant future to which Doc travels is set in the year 2015! Yikes! If you think three weeks goes fast, see how fast three decades will sneak up on you.
I thought about that as we toasted the New Year with the traditional Boston Cooler.
Here’s a toast to you.
May the New Year bring you twice the warmth, wisdom, joy, and sparkle!
But don’t wait for the future to come to you. Carpe Futurum, guys, before it carpes you!
All words and images copyright Naomi Baltuck
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Writing Between the Lines 