Stocking stuffer smiles

‘Tis the season to be thankful after a challenging 2008. Following are a couple things that brought cheer to my life this week:

- celebrating the 36th birthday of one of my dearest Belgian friends for the first time in years along with her family (with LOTS of champagne).

- delivering an assortment of homemade ‘American Christmas cookies’ and a bag of fresh Georgia pecans to the Brussels chef and his staff that shared their culinary secrets with me. (The Rice Krispie bears were such a hit, they may as well have been Michelin star quality!) This week’s press coverage about the chef and ‘the marche matinal‘ (coincidence or not) was an added bonus.

For KO: precious 'Frosty' front and centre on our Christmas tree

- The overnight success of our village family-run pizzeria, Di Miceli. Two years after its Italian-Belgian owners had the foresight to open an Italian restaurant in our tiny village in the heart of Wallonie, the restaurant has tripled in size and moved two blocks down the street.  No small feat after the son (and manager) resolved to open the new restaurant before the holidays, only to slip and fall three stories from the roof six weeks ago. Miraculously, he only suffered a broken arm and large cut on his temple. Looking around the aubergine and white interiour design with black and white photos of the village in the 1930s, you would think you were in a posh, hip and trendy Brussels restaurant. In the proud words of the 80-year-old farmer sitting at the table next to us, ”C’est magnifique!” 

- Madacascar 2 Christmas Eve afternoon with my godson, his two sisters and my Belgian brother in the peace of the cinema avoiding the last minute Christmas shopping rush. Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria’s’ ‘movin’ adventures are just as entertaining in French!

- The arrival gate at the airport: watching a family of 25 of every generation break into a chorus of cheers and applause at first sight of a new addition to their family tree: an adopted one-year baby girl in the proud arms of her new parents. Big brown eyes calmly taking in the smiles, flashes and video cameras around her as if to say, ‘what’s the big deal?’ A Christmas present to remember.  

- My Mom as a Christmas present on Christmas Day after she literally got the last plane out of Seattle, WA on the heels of a winter snowstorm. Her luggage may have arrived a day later but it was a minor inconvenience compared to the thousands of others sadly stranded in airports across the United States.

- Christmas Eve and Boxing Day dinners with family, good friends, homemade tiramisu and egg nog.

- The “Merry Christmas” text messages, cards, phonecalls, emails – sometimes from the most surprising of sources – that continue to brighten each day.

- AND finding out those plastic wrap and aluminum foil boxes in your kitchen drawer have little cardboard tabs you push in on each end of the box to hold the roll in place. Now how many of you knew THAT?! (Run to your kitchen and check now!)  

Other smiles from your week to share?