Our homemade Christmas wreath made from salvaged greenery and Randal's capable hands. Dear family and friends, I take my last final in an hour and a half. And then I'm on Christmas break. I cannot wait. Neither can Randal. He is eagerly waiting for this manic month to be over. It has been chaotic and hard and wonderful. I have been crazy from eating too much sugar and burst into tears when laundry didn't go well. I have presented petitions to the dean and president of the university and been interviewed by the paper. I have not cleaned one of the bathrooms since moving in. I have developed an assessment tool that will be used around the state of Maryland in local health departments. I have become inordinately fond of a 26 pound cat. I have never been aware of so many public health issues and their daunting solutions. I have stopped listening to NPR because the news is too sad. I enjoyed my final and even laughed in parts of it on Wednesday. Two tear