Living in the space-time continuum between Christmas and New Year's is an art; I'm still learning to master it. Things are quiet a lot of the time, punctuated with prolonged bursts of energy, visits, more talking than I do in a month. We've laughed with friends over the past few days; today more family. Kids watching way too much television, staying up past midnight, sleeping in till noon. Me, I seek the quiet spaces inbetween, introvert again. I'm still waiting for something. But the sun's shining, the weather'll be a balmy 45 degrees today and my brothers and sisters' families are gathering.

Rilke--from one of my Merry Christmas gifts from Greg:

"What more shall I say to you?": Everything seems to me to have its just emphasis; and after all I do only want to advise you to keep growing quietly and seriously throughout your whole development ; you cannot disturb it more rudely than by looking outward and expecting from outside replies to questions that only your inmost feeling in your most hushed hour can perhaps answer."