Happily, he brought me not what I deserved, but what I wanted. My family gets me, that’s for sure. The heart of my presents this year is above: kirschwasser (cherry eau de vie) and Calvados (French apple brandy). I photographed them on my kitchen counter just now, and was amused to see a cup of chopped carrots and celery behind the kirsch. Yep, we’re cooking.

The kids gave me the things below, which speak for themselves in their appropriateness:

Julie also gave me a mononucleosis voodoo doll; she bought a mononucleosis plush toy (yes, they have them for microbes), then stuck pins in it:

There were other things, but I wanted to share these with you to let you know that I’m a happy feller this morning.

By the way, here’s a very special Christmas message from the Bishop of Louisiana that you’ll not want to miss.