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Today was the day when I finally had enough nerve to open my boxes that have been in storage for 2 years. When you have no recollection of what is in the boxes, do you really need it? Even though prior to every move I get rid of so many things, there are always some things that seem to follow me. I found my personalized German stein with a naked lady on the bottom that was a welcome gift from the unit I was in as a 2LT. It will soon be mailed to Australia to become the property of Karl Hillbrick, the only person in the world who would want such a garish thing. I have always been too embarrassed to donate it and unwilling for some unknown reason to toss it in the rubbish. Josiah was thrilled to uncover the farside comic books and promptly went up to his room to read them. Abby was excited to find an old phone that she plugged in her room. Somehow she managed to get the one other bedroom with a phone jack. Amazing, isn’t it? Gabe found Dale’s fur hat and promptly put it on his head. Zeke wandered around picking up every breakable thing just for the fun of it. I got down to the final box and soon discovered the one thing that I move from place to place but never use. In 1991, I purchased Christmas stoneware dishes from Waechtersbach, Germany. I didn’t just purchase a small amount. I bought 12 large plates, twelve small plates, twelve mugs, a teapot, creamer, sugar, dessert plates, large bowls, small bowls, star bowls, etc. I told myself that it would be terrific to pull them out every year after my birthday and use them throughout the month of December. No matter where we lived, we would always have the Christmas plates to make it familiar. It is painful to admit that was 16 years ago. For the majority of those 16 years, those dishes have sat in a box in the basement, garage, or closet. There may have been a few years when I pulled out some of them, but never most of them, and certainly not all of them. The fact that I would not give up these dishes was used against me often by my husband when I was busy throwing his things out. So, I hereby declare that for penance I will use my Christmas dishes for the next 16 months to make up for the 16 Decembers that have gone by with only occasional sightings of Christmas dishes. So, if you come visit, you’ll eat off a Christmas tree plate and drink out of a snowman mug whether it be March, July, or October. So, it’s “Holly Jolly!” all year long at the Manry home where we have Christmas every day.