It was still light on Christmas Eve when the dozen or so carolers, dressed in Victorian clothes with top hats and bonnets, arrived at the ladies' farmhouse. They moved slowly along Cove Road, filling the evening air with songs: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Silent Night, Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem, Jolly Old St. Nicholas, Jingle Bells, and more. The children rushed to the windows and pressed their noses against the panes, until the adults bundled them up, and they all stepped out onto the front porch to wave and express their thanks with tins of Grace's sugar-free home made cookies.

Once the carolers moved on, the ladies and friends enjoyed a roast beef and Yorkshire pudding dinner, then sat around the brightly-lit tree in the living room and opened their presents to the music of Bing Crosby's Christmas carols.

"No one should stand on their feet cooking and serving the rest of us on Christmas Day," Bob said. "We shall all relax, rest, and enjoy the holiday." Instead, Bob, Max and Mike treated all the adults to Christmas lunch at the charming Monte Vista Hotel in Black Mountain, just east of Asheville. The lobby and dining room were bright and gay with trees and lights, the buffet table was festive and laden with every conceivable holiday delight. It was indeed a wonderful, stress-free way to celebrate Christmas day.

Regret is a debilitating emotion that brings feelings of sadness or bitterness, anger or hurt. Who among us has not done or said things that we wish we had not? Who has not been the recipient of some hurtful deed? Can we change the past? No, we cannot, and regret can sour our present relationships, stop us dead in our tracks, and limit our possibilities.

How can we live our lives to the fullest if we dwell in the past, on what was or what might have been? Simply put, what was, was! It is now that matters, and what lies ahead. Regret wastes precious time and energy. Regret is the glue in which our very souls get stuck.

How can we say good bye to regret? One way is to think of the things we regret as clothes that have grown too large or too small, clothes whose color we no longer like, or whose style is old and undesirable, or clothes that we have not worn for years. Would it not be wise to dispose of them, to make room in our closets for brighter, more stylish, or better fitting clothes? We ask ourselves, would our lives benefit from new ways of thinking about the past, by replacing regrets with future plans, new ideas and goals? Can we hear that resounding YES?

If we make one New Year resolution let it be to bury the dead past and move into the light of 'now' as we plan for the future.

In response to questions about the availability of audio books, several of the Ladies of Covington novels are available from the Library of Congress and also from Talking Book Center at One Churchville St., Staunton, VA. 24401-4384. One of my friends tells me that she gets audio books from a program run by Barnes and Noble. You might want to check with your local store.

When Amelia visited Maine several years ago, she brought back a recipe that everyone in the household and all their friends love. Grace makes it regularly, though she cannot eat it -- too much sugar. It is easy to make and a wonderful side dish with ham or pork or just about anything.

Curried Fruit

Ingredients: 1 large can of each of the following: Pear halves, Peach halves, Whole apricots, Pineapple chunks-well drained.
½ cup of butter or margarine
¾ cup of brown sugar firmly packed
4 tablespoons of curry powder
To prepare: Drain all of the fruit well and pat dry. Place fruit in 9 X 11 (or thereabouts) casserole (you can turn the halves down or up) Melt butter-do not burn. Mix melted butter with brown sugar and curry powder. Turn off fire. Immediately, spoon or crumble this mixture over the fruit. Bake the fruit in an uncovered casserole at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Serve hot or warm. You can save fruit in refrigerator, once it's cooked, and reheat when needed. Makes approximately 10 servings.

Red hatters are everywhere these days, in shops and restaurants, casinos and craft fairs, on cruises, in community parades, and living in retirement villages. On December 2nd 2004, I spoke to 135 women at one of the loveliest teas I have ever attended at Arden Wood Retirement Community, south of Asheville. Clothes and hats were gorgeous, spirits were high, and the buffet table was laden with finger sandwiches, fruit, nuts, tiny cakes and cookies. Thanks to Jo Baxter for inviting me and two of my author friends, Celia Miles and Mona Miracle to this fun event.

And by the way, for those of you who are interested, my good friend, Maxine Phillipi will represent the Red Hat Society on QVC on January 27th 2005 at 10 p.m. eastern time.

Again may I wish you all the very best in 2005.