Merry Christmas!....from the beach in Bournemouth

Ho, ho, ho....Merry Christmas!

To all my family and friends in the USA, I'm thinking of you and missing you!

Chris and I are with his parents in Bournemouth this Christmas. It's not a white one, but it's cool, crisp and sunny. In Stevens tradition, we took a walk along the beach around noon. Come cold, rain, snow....the English love their walk "along the front."

I felt kind of glamorous in my new red coat, whipped by salt and wind and buoyed by the festivities around me.....children frantically speeding along on new bikes, couples sporting santa hats, teenage boys playing ball Frisbee on the beach (Chris would have happily joined in), families walking their dogs... Spirits were running high.

Then they ran even higher when we were tipped off to free mulled wine being served by one of the cafes further along the beach. Got to love the mulled wine! And for free! Since when do you get anything for free? Talk about mixing the spirit of giving with savvy business acumen.....give and you will get in return.

I like that everyone has their Christmas traditions. We always go to my aunt or cousin's house in New York. In Australia BBQ's on the beach are rife. And in the UK, we have our winter beach walks. I wonder how Obama's family is celebrating with their new Secret Service additions? I wonder how Chris and I will forge our own traditions with time?

We all spend this day in our own special way, but there is a solidarity at large in the mutual celebration that is Christmas that I find very satisfying.

So wherever you are....with family, at the beach, in the snow, continuing tradition, trying something new.....if you are celebrating Christmas today (or even if you are not), sit back and enjoy being merry.