It is two days after Christmas; four days since our eldest’s birthday; ten days since our first house guests arrived for the holidays.  The fresh snow outside etches our bare branches with a beauty and evenness no human hand could match.   Today is quiet and still, far removed from the rush of holiday activities. Just two weeks ago I was engaged in frantic preparations — painting, cleaning, hanging pictures, decorating.  Now, food eaten and presents opened, our youngest has come and gone, our eldest and husband soon to follow, like some unwanted rewind.  I am trying to savor the moment, but thoughts of “to dos” intrude, unwanted but not unbidden.  Soon, this year will be filed under past Christmases, retrievable through images and memories. For now, though, I will sit in our sunroom and watch the wind shake snow showers from the fir trees outside while I listen to the soothing sounds of conversation just a room away. The feel of our youngest daughter’s head against my shoulder is still fresh in my mind, and I pray that it all will be etched surely in my memory to prolong the joy and comfort I feel right now for a long time to come.