I have to admit that the week between Christmas and New Year’s is one of my favorite times of the year. The mad rush to finish the Christmas shopping, decorating and baking is over; everything still looks festive; most folks have time off from work (or at least less to do) and the kids are free from school — so they’re all in a good mood; and there’s time to draw a deep breath and enjoy the time to visit with friends and family.

Earlier this week, digital media manager and fellow GT blogger Katie Skrzek posed the question, “What are you doing New Year’s Eve?” For me and my family, this wonderful, restful time is spent in a number of ways, often depending on whether we are visiting others or we have company in our home. We’ll take in some of the local attractions, wherever we are, ranging from a special museum exhibit to a few games at the neighborhood bowling alley. If the weather permits, some outdoor activities come into play, even if that just means an evening stroll around nearby streets to admire the Christmas light displays. Then there are the cozy-around-the-fire opportunities to catch up with news and tease each other over memories of other holidays past. We always have a slew of illustrated children’s Christmas stories that even our adult daughters still delve into in the glow of the Christmas tree lights. A card table in a corner of the family room holds a jigsaw puzzle for those who get bored watching a lopsided bowl game on T.V., and at least once or twice (or more?) during the week, a carload of us head to the multiplex to take in the big holiday releases and share a box of popcorn.

And we always try to put together a gathering of our food-and-wine aficionado friends, as we did last night. In this instance, my brother-in-law, John, shared with us a vertical tasting of Walla Walla, Washington‘s Woodward Canyon‘s Artist Series Cabernets, ranging from 1997 to 2004 (with a few white wines to start the evening and a few special dessert selections to wrap up the night). I’ll just summarize the evening with an enormous “YUM!” (all of the wines were delectable, but my favorite was the 2000 vintage), and also note that it provided me with what is best about this wonderful season. Friends who’ve known each other for decades and perhaps haven’t seen each other for months, if not years, swapped stories and shared the latest news of jobs, parents, kids and the joys and challenges of the past twelve months.

I hope you are enjoying this week leading up to the start of a new year and find it to be a time of rejuvenation and joy.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor