Oh so close and all oh so wrong!! Noel is from the Old French noël or naël, itself ultimately from the Latin nÃÂtÃÂlis (dias), "(day) of birth". I thought this was sooo easy - I am sorry. Nativity, Latin nÃÂtëvitÃÂs - all the origins of the word. Maybe Canadian crosswords are different from American ones - I was going for the word 'nee' meaning birth, born as. Well it's Christmas, so you all get a star anyway!! May the peace and joy of the Season fill your homes and your hearts. I'll 'see' you all next week!! Thanks for playing. Nancy/ Here is a link that might be useful: Santa Claus and his old lady

NH Suzanne - Happy belated Birthday! I hope it was a great one - you deserve only the best. Thanks for sharing your animal stories with us and the most gorgeous photos throughout the year. I will toast you and all the new and exciting things coming your way. Tikanis - The lake is going to be cold that time of year, but the instructor assured me there would be no falling in the lake. They can only accommodate 10 women, so if you really want to do it, let me know and I will hold a spot for you. They may include a 2nd class if it fills up quickly. Before any of you make reservations at the hotel talk to me. There are several lodging options and I will speak to the hotel directly and see what they can offer. I may be able to get a condo that would sleep 5-6 - of course we may have to pull straws to see who get's the pullout sofa LOL. Dee - we eat brussels sprouts like that often, except you first cook up some chopped pancetta, add garlic and then the brussels sprouts, finish them off with some cream. That was one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes this year. Patti - hope you are feeling better. CarolynTX - hope all went smooth with the apartment. Maddie - thanks for doing the list again. Please send me your address when you get a chance. I don't think I have the correct one.

Happy SUNDAY! We have about 4 inches of a lovely mixture of sleet/ice outside. We were supposed to meet our fellow Snow Village clubmembers at Boscobel up in NY State near West Point. Well, that has been cancelled formally, even though DH did not want to make the trip this weekend. Looks like it's wrapping gifts for me now because I forgot to take out my cookie dough from the freezer last night! After wrapping, I will make a batch of almond shortbread and raspberry/hazelnut shortbread bars, so it should be productive. Oh, between that, I will punish myself by watching the JETS/Patriots game. Ohhhhhh, the humanity!!!!!!! LOL Patti/Dave, hope you are enjoying yourselves. I told DH yesterday that if you two are anywhere within a 3-hour range, we are all meeting up, even for a cup of coffee!! Marci, you are a tower of strength with those sweets, girlfriend. Sometimes when I'm tempted I think about how easy it seems for you to avoid the junk. I don't always win, but you have been so successful, that I have a 50/50 chance of victory! [[[[[[[[Suzanne]]]]]]]]], I know how you feel with that "DUH" moment. It happened to me a few times with my keys and the car. As the door slammed shut, I would see those shiny keys sneering at me from the front seat! Glad you are safely back in. Suzanne, DH is trying to think of a way to help you unfreeze that hydrant, but he tells me you will crack it if you pour warm water over it (my suggestion!). He said whatever you do, it has to be a slow process, but I told him "it's too cold for her out there!" Sorry I'm no help, but I've got broad shoulders. Good luck! BJ, we are all waiting to hear from you this week. Hope all is well out there. Jen, I'll bet you are tied up in the season and that the girls are so excited. Check in to say hello! Hello and best wishes to Gretchen, Joanne, Zig, Besh, Amy, John, Maddie (where are the pictures Maddie?). Please check in when you get the chance; you are missed! Gotta run and get dressed; it's 10:27am and I'm still in my nightgown. TAKE CARE, EAT HEALTHFULLY, AND NEVER NEVER GIVE UP! DeeMarie

I know this may be difficult for most of you to believe, but I think that BJ may have outdone herself with this Christmas exchange. Top of the package had a card with an endowed lady riding a stationary bike "Merry Christmas"; inside read "And a Snappy New REAR" Ahhhh, yesÂthe fun begins! First up --Fridge MagnetÂWashington State License Plate "Got Rain?" The rest of the gifts are wrapped in gold paper with handwritten notes to give me a hint as to what is inside. "For the Best Sticky Chix!" Â Rub With Love Tom Douglas Chicken Rub w/ Roasted Chicken recipe (Maddie, you are invited over for this!) "ItÂs a Mariner Kind of Day" Â Scottish Christmas Ultimate Sports Ornament "The Pasta You Get Here, The Better" Â Space Noodles (yummy, cannot wait to boil these babies upÂ.maybe do a pasta salad to go with the Sticky Chicken!) "Stay Healthy" Â World Famous Farm Breakfast Oatmeal Snoqualmie Falls Lodge (DH loves itÂit will be part of our Christmas Eve breakfast, Beege, and we shall raise our spoons in a toast to you!) "For When things are too Hot to Handle" Â Two large Seattle oven mitts. Too cool, and they even protect my arms from burns (which I often get in my oven!) Will be prominently displayed on Christmas Day when bringing the food to the table! "Hee, Hee, Hee" Â Two more fridge magnets which boldly state: #1 Fan (Seattle Mariners) Donna "CAUTION! Tacky Ornament Inside" Â (not!) A space needle! Really cute, and now I wonÂt have to buy one upon my visit to Seattle. (ItÂs a tradition that we buy an ornament wherever we travel). "The OfficeÂA Serious business place..____________.." OMG! 50 Hilarious Prank Notes (Office Memo Stickers) Absolutely adore them! For those who donÂt know, BJ has been sending me drop-down funny note pads for years. They always brighten my day, and the housekeeper gets a kick out of my notes to her which feature a woman leaning over the stove to state "Does this turkey make my butt look fat", etc. "Wait a minuteÂsomethingÂs fishy around hereÂ" A box of Wild Alaskan Smoked Sockeye Salmon!! Pass the bagels and cream cheeseÂ.itÂs gonna be a breakfast orgie!!!!! BJ, you are one amazing person. So inventive and so thoughtful. Again, I must tell you how impressed I am with your energy and spirit. Thank you so very much for making this holiday special and fun for all of us. Everyone is invited over for Christmas breakfastÂ.h*ll, stay for dinner too!