Yesterday was the family Christmas party - the first ever we've hosted. It's an amazing site to see all the relatives and close, family friends, pile into our home, eat vast quantities of food, open piles of presents, share new jokes and old stories, talk a little politics, but nothing too off center, and finally pile out the door into their cars and towards their homes. Amazing, espcially since once the last family member has left, there's practically no evidence that 30+ people had been dancing about our home with wild abandon and holiday cheer.

It was wonderfully theraputic for me and my nasty cold since I totally forgot about my nasal/sinus situation last night. Of course, once everyone was gone and we were left to our quiet quintet (quiet since the kids had gone to bed) I noticed that my voice had left sometime during the previous few hours.

No forwarding address, no thank you note, no parting goodbye. My voice was just gone - MIA.

So here I lay, Christmas eve morning, notebook computer in the lap, plans for mounting a search for both voice and nose on the notepad by my side. Football looms large on the afternoon horizon. More visits from family will punctuate the day with little tidings of cheer and excitement. I may be sick and icky-feeling, but it's Christmas just the same. What a wonderful time of the year.