I know it's a busy time of year, and the weather around the country has been a mess lately, at best. Please be safe as you're out shopping and traveling to visit friends and family. It's hard to believe that Christmas is just next week. I will be spending the holidays back east with all my family. I'm really looking forward to a nice, country family Christmas. Believe it or not, I've actually been baking cookies and putting together baskets for the neighbors and some elderly folks that live close to me.

For those of you that don't know, I recently purchased a new home. It's a wonderful country home with enough acreage for privacy. I have a real tree this year and lots of home-made ornaments. It's my home to remind me to get back to the basics. I do a lot of traveling and enjoy some "unconventional" and crazy things, but this is my home to unwind in and remember where I came from.

I love the idea of Christmas. The reason I say it that way is that too many people are stressed out shopping, traveling, and worrying. Let's just try to keep it simple and remember what Christmas is all about. It's not about the gifts or bouncing from one house to the next trying to cram seeing our entire families in two days. Keep it simple and enjoy your time.