The requisite visits were made this morning and the gates were thrown open to the invading armies this afternoon. Now, shreds of wrapping paper litter the floor, half-empty glasses sit on the end tables, and every waste basket in the house is full to overflowing. Christmas Day, for all intents and purposes, is over. There's cleanup to be done,.. but not yet.
Andy Rooney once said, "One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." I agree. So, I'm going to sit back with some Golden Ash in an ornate meerschaum pipe and revel in the glory for a short while. I hope that you all had a Christmas to remember.