It’s December first and I am once again embracing one of my favorite seasons.  My Christmas tree is decorated, I have lights on a little spruce fir on my front doorstep (which is constantly struggling to stay upright against the blustery winds) and have strung lights on bushes in my backyard.  I’m listening to A Renaissance Christmas, a recording by New York’s Ensemble for Early Music, while sipping a cup of Pike Market Orange Spice tea.  I love Christmas music, especially from the Baroque and Renaissance periods—I think it is one of the most beautiful ways to celebrate all that I love about Christmas—the sense of joy and magic, the lights and music and smells—without the pressure of commercialization or the oppression of religious dogma.  I like to take what I believe is the essence of Christ at Christmas which is really the essence of what I love about the human spirit—the sense of love and appreciation for family and friends and the celebration of the possibilities of good in humanity.  The focus on the giving and forgiving aspect of trying to relate to one another and the idea that through love and understanding and tolerance we can move closer to a peaceful and harmonious world.  Quite a litany of sweetness and light there but I do truly find these ideas heartening in spite of all the evidence to the contrary.  SO there you go—it’s December, it’s Christmas, it’s time for lights and laughter, cookies and champagne.  Cheers