Eggs and an early departure. I will miss Wave for the next few days. Quiet house. I walk to the river and call a friend. Still the fog, the low ceiling of clouds, the remaining patches of snow, the air warming. I have another call, a chance to say a long hello to my dear friend who is in Belgium. She is always here for Christmas and New Year’s Eve & is away, so it’s nice to make a connection long distance. I swim then work on my poem. Is it ready for group? It has to be. Workshop tomorrow and I must send it off. In the mid-afternoon I get up from my desk and start to prep for hosting my Charles River Writers for our annual holiday gathering. And I have a lot of energy, and it feels good to be looking forward to hosting again. And it’s a pot luck. Everyone will add to the festivity. Frank helps and the event comes together brilliantly. Just wonderfully. We start at 4:00 pm dusk, and everyone stays until 8:30! We talk and eat and read and talk and eat. I am so relaxed and not overtired at all and I realize I am having a wonderful time. There’s no future pressure––no holiday to prepare for. Wonderful conversation and friendship. Easy clean up. We are missing some of our members, but the gathering feels quite satisfying. It’s such a lovely night.