Well, as my fellow Scrooge Lizzie has duly noted, that “most wonderful time of the year…” is upon us.
Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa…  Malls, online shopping, a thousand catalogs in the mail and special offers pouring into …

I am staring through a stepladder at 1,800 points of light—a profusion of clear mini-lights strung perfectly around our 12-foot Douglas fir.  My kitchen counter is lined with Costco-sized bottles of vanilla extract and molasses, …