It's January, right?

As we stand on the brink of an historic inauguration, I'm a little surprised to raise my head, look around, and find myself in 2009. Not that 2008 wasn't full of surprises, fear, doubt and lots of fun. But wow...2009.

I am, as I told my friend Sue, "nearly 50!" And now, that's enough of that.

Spent the holiday, as I have for the past several years, with my brother John in Arizona. I've been in AZ every Christmas since Brendan was a baby. I told him, "It wouldn't be Christmas if I wasn't here with you guys!"

John, Stephanie and I put together our Annual Schwab Family Holiday Puzzle - a Frank Lloyd Wright stained glass artwork. As I watched John, time and time again, reach across the puzzle, from the opposite side of the table, to the pile of pieces in front of me, pluck one out and place it without hesitation into the puzzle, I wondered if this skill of "puzzle-ing" is hereditary.

For my answer, I only had to look over to Brendan on the family room floor, meticulously piecing together a huge pile of Legos, into a Star Wars spacecraft. Or to Matt, moving his Thomas the Tank Engine trains on the track, murmuring to himself, giving voice to Thomas or Bertie or Jack, as they race or haul, or whatever it is those trains do.

It was a great Christmas. A wonderful way to end 2008.

I'm glad it's over, though. Bring on 2009!