Not too much to report here. We�re still in post-holiday torpor. It is grey and cold and looks like it might snow again, further inducing a hibernation instinct. AJ and I made our first batch of Christmas cookies this morning. AJ kept trying to use the cookie cutters upside down, which resulted in a number of fuzzy-looking gingerbread men and some manic Christmas trees. After tomorrow�s decorating session, I am sure that they will look truly avant-garde.

We spent a good half an hour this afternoon watching in fascination as a squirrel ran up and down an intricate route crossing several trees carrying leaves, which he stuffed into a hole in the Linden tree outside our bedroom window, apparently making a cozy nest for himself to get through the current cold snap and those yet to come. His version of baking Christmas cookies, no doubt.

After AJ wakes up from his nap, we will finally venture out. I�m going to help my sister-in-law hang a new light fixture in her dining room. A few minor home repair projects have left me with a reputation as a knowledgeable electrician. Hah! But changing light fixtures is usually not a tricky job. And it�s nice to have such clear evidence of a job well done � let there be light! I can�t seem to finish any other work to my satisfaction these days, so this should make for a nice change.

And now for a short nap.

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