Today was another good family day - Tracy's first birthday among us. I was so pleased the Jeanie and Mark, Marie and Bill, as well as Ruth and Chris went to the annual Christmas sing a long with the kids. Then everybody came back here and we sang and ate three cakes I had baked. Tray wanted German chocolate and I think it was a success, as well as a Heath bar crunch cake and a marble cake. It was so good being in our community, feeling loved. Tray loved being loved on and celebrated - and he is good at showing that, which feels good.

It's been colder than usual - a little sleety but not the kind that paralyzes traffic. I walked to the bank around noon today and was plenty warm in my coat and hoodie, but was enthralled by the ice sculptures drooping from the trees - narrow streams of water frozen into icy streams.