My greetings might sound a tad belated, but that’s okay, right? We’re still celebrating! My tree is still up. My Christmas music is still playing in my car. I still have Christmas bags and tissue paper out. We still have lots of Christmas candy sitting around (tempting me), and I still have that “vacation” feeling. My older kids are still home from college. My youngest is still home on break. So as far as I’m concerned, we’re still in the throes of celebration. Merry Christmas!

This picture is from my tree, which — incidentally — I’m SO GLAD you all talked me into putting up despite the house of destruction. I love it! Here’s how it came out:

I didn’t haul out my big box of decorations and unwrap all 100+ personal ornaments, so it might look a tad impersonal, with only balls on it. In fact, maybe it looks a bit like a tree you might see in the JCPenney women’s department or something, doesn’t it? But I’m really glad I put it up! It was pretty, and it lent a festive feeling to the whole house. Plus it would have seemed weird exchanging gifts that we all pulled from the upstairs hallway.

So anyway, the top picture is one of three new ornaments we got this year and that are now hanging amid the red, gold and pink women’s-department ball ornaments. I showed you the first one my mom reconstructed for me. The second one was a “Batman” ornament from my daughter’s friend to my daughter. (Inside joke, I guess.) And this top photo is the third: an adorable “Friendship” ornament given to me by my friend Michelle when we had a Girls Night Out of four friends earlier this month.

I particularly loved it because it really encapsulated the year for me. This year was really a year of friendship for me, with friends new and old. So many new friends I met after launching the book — I appreciate each and every one of you who write me sweet letters about the book, or visit my Facebook page and write me notes there, or who send me emails. I love all of you, and you are exactly why I love to write — I’m writing for you!

And so many old friends, too, made a reappearance this year: I think because our 30th high school reunion was in September, and it encouraged so many of us locals to reconnect before, during and after the reunion. Or many friends I didn’t see at the reunion, but they reached out outside of it and we had lunch or dinner. It was really a “reconnect” year, and made me think so much about childhood friends and what strong ties we all have to our pasts, to our old neighborhoods, to each others’ parents and siblings, to our old teachers, to our shared eras, and so many shared life experiences.

It’s been a very memorable year. And I hope 2015 continues the wonderful feeling of connectedness and friendship!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!