“There's many a slip 'tween the cup and the lip.” So goes the old saw. It holds true today as it did in days of old. I wrote a column for this week that ended up in the waste basket in spite of the fact that it was okay. I wrote at length about the Women's Club Crock Pot Cookoff and what a great event the first one was. It was an early deadline week and for a change I didn't wait till the last minute – I was two days early! Then guess what, the event was cancelled! No participants! “So here I sit, head in hand, ready to pound the keys again.” I'm sure Michelle Bush feels the let down at lack of response even more than I do. Maybe a calmer time of year would make a difference in public response. I hope the Women's Club members will try the event again. I just pulled the wadded column out of the trash just in case.

Moving on! There is so much to enjoy during the extended holiday season. If you aren't into creating the “Merry” season, just sit back and enjoy all the fabulous merchandise being offered by retailers. You don't have to be a buyer to enjoy all the merchandise and beautiful displays being offered by retailers. Just walk the aisles of your favorite store and take a close look at all the things being offered for sale. You don't have to decorate anything to enjoy the creative efforts of those who love to give visual expression to the holidays. If you are an internet buff Pintrest has enough colorful and creative ideas to keep you occupied for hours!

Playwrite Oscar Wilde once wrote: “What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” December is a great month for reassessing our values. The stars will still light our way home, but it will take an upward glance to see which direction they are leading us.