It’s Boxing Day, not something we acknowledge in America so much but in Britain, home to Hubby. Traditionally, it was the day the upper classes gave gifts to their household staff. It’s also believed to be the day when people put money in alms boxes for the poor, a special offering for the Feast of St. Stephen (it’s St. Stephen’s Day). Now it’s become a popular day for shopping for sales, but Hubby and I went for a walk at Antietam Battlefield instead. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day. We walked through the fields and meadows and by Antietam Water, where young men were killed in the Civil War more than 150 years ago. In one sense it’s a solemn affair walking through these battlefields; in another sense, I’m grateful for the peaceful, preserved, places they are now. We stopped by Shepherdstown for a stroll, a sandwich, and a visit to our favorite country store: O’Hurley’s, which is fun to explore.

Talked to Mamacita this afternoon in an attempt to get the sound on her computer turned to a comfortable volume. She’s well and enjoyed her Christmas at my sister’s house. On a sadder note, my dad’s sister died Christmas night; her husband died Thursday. It’s been a year for folks passing on, and certainly many that I’ve known. Been thinking about what lies ahead in 2022 and hoping for happier times, many even a chance to see Hubby’s family in Britain.