ENTHUSIASM IN THE MIX

Strangely, there’s a car in my garage tonight. From March till now my motorcycle was there -- every night -- always enticing me to go for a long ride. The Montauk loves to be ridden. Even on the road it conjures, “Let’s go further.”

I think I’m over the angst of the change. There’s so much to get done. I cleaned the garage, swept its floor, and now my just-washed VW has a roof over its head (till next March of course).

I’ve shopped for tonight’s feast. A nice Leg of Lamb, dredged with fresh pressed garlic, awaits its destiny in the oven. Our retired Priest, who now has become a family member by time and tradition, awaits my rescuing him from his retirement home at 5. A yummy Chateau La Roque cools by the window.

Another activity I enjoyed today was the downloading (legal of course) of tons of wonderful Holiday music.

Being young at heart, I still adore Christmastime. I cried watching The Polar Express last night.

I now have a library chock full of holiday ballads from Diana Krall, Tony Bennett, Jimmy Buffet, The Blue Hawaiians, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, Celtic Woman, Boney James, The Irish Tenors, and a host of others. I’m adding Hammer Dulcimer Holiday music now.

Daylight is fading -- I long to adventure. But now my thoughts are turning to snowshoes and silent woods, an amazing place to be when the white stuff of winter covers our land with blankets of soft downy powder.

A trip to the islands would be nice too, but several things will have to come together before that. I can dream of that too. And I do.

Motorcycle adventures may be delayed a few months but they’ll still be planned, even fantasized. It’s all good. I am an optimist and enthusiast to the end.