Christmas was lovely. I think it's probably our last commercial-free Christmas for many years, which made it all the sweeter. Thirty-six hours later and there's still a present under our tree for our little guy. It's amusing to note that it's the same gift that he never got to on his birthday, so we just held it over to Christmas. Maybe he'll unwrap it on Valentine's Day? Time will tell.

Monstro gave me a necklace with a working compass pendant that I'd seen in a catalog, plus an extraordinary edition of Blake's The Divine Comedy — not only are the reproductions gorgeous, but all notes and captions are printed in English, Français, and Deutsch.

But I've got to admit, the Monstro present I was most excited about is the Viking Press hardcover of Finnegans Wake. I'm swooning over it every time I think of it. It's so wonderful. And so is Monstro, my sweet husband!