The holidays were…fantastic.

I don’t know that I’ve ever thought, spoken or written that particular combination of those four words before. But this year was something special with family visiting and a proper American Thanksgiving and a gaggle of young kids at Christmas.

It wasn’t perfect. With family come the inevitable spats and the predictable dramas. And there are still bad days and sometimes it’s too hot and you’re too tired. And there was the thing at Carrickalinga.

But you take the bad with the good and you get on with wringing joy out of life wherever you can and when the hell did I become such a Pollyanna?

At any rate, I just wanted to pop up and wish you all a Happy New Year and post a couple of holiday themed slideshows for those of you that know me well enough to want to see endless family photos.

First, my family’s visit to Oz at Thanksgiving….

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

and second, Christmas with Dr. O’C’s family…

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

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Nancy Wilson’s cover of the Frank Loesser holiday standard is available on “A Nancy Wilson Christmas” .