By the time you read this, My Own True Love and I will be in the Missouri Ozarks, celebrating the holiday with my family. Unlike many families, whose Christmas traditions are carved in stone, my family’s traditions have always been fluid, re-created from year to year to reflect new discoveries/ enthusiasms/family members/challenges. This year will be no exception. (One tradition I am pleased to abandon this year is my annual holiday respiratory infection. No sign of it yet.)

Our Christmas is always different, and always fundamentally the same. I am looking forward to it.

As I have for the last few years, I’m giving myself a holiday from blogging—a tradition that seems to have legs,* unlike, say, the kazoo band my parents engineered one year. I’ll be back in January with some historical stories you probably haven’t heard and some books you might enjoy.

In the meantime, have a merry/jolly/happy/blessed time as you celebrate the victory of light over the darkness in the tradition of your choice.

*At least for the moment