The dog had a GREAT Christmas!

And the rest of us made do.

We had NOT the family and friends gathering. NOT the accordion playing and dancing of my childhood past. NOT the festive table laid out with linens, china and crystal and a gathering of women bustling in the kitchen. NOT the multiple courses of smoked salmon, roast and chocolate mousse. NOT the cocktails or champagne starter, red wine and dessert liquor. NOT during COVID.

Rather … Sweats pants and dinner with WW84 (Wonder Woman released on HBO-MAX). Wonder Woman, who was not quite frankly, as wondrous as in previous film.

Holiday gifts? Reflective of our circumstances. Stockings filled with hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, N95 masks. Cartons of colorfully wrapped paper towels and toilet paper. New cookware (ie, it’s all about culinary advances en casa and not eating out). And a taser, to ward off marauding gangs in our new world order.

And of course, some exquisite wines. A luxury during stay-at-home orders.

Can I sign up for a shift for 2021? I’m hunkering for the date of my first vaccine?

So on to the clean-up. On to looking forward. Here it comes .. that well of HOPE … Here. Within reach. The optimism that is my normal psyche. My friends and family gathered together. Laughter. Sharing stories. A bottle of wine and a pile of food.

I see the future reaching outward .. and it’s looking good.