Well, for many of us, the Christmas season is basically over. My Jewish friends have to light more candles for Hanukah and those celebrating Kwanzaa continue with their joyful and colorful traditions. For me, the holiday music starts to wind down, the tree becomes less about an ornamental display and more about a fire hazard and my "White Christmas" is now about salting the ice and shovelling the snow. The white lights outside are really my 'winter lights' to make the dreary winter bright so they get to dress the pine trees through March. Besides, with all the snow, they mark the entrance into my driveway!

Many of my friends are returning from their families and immediately leaving for New Year's trips. Now, I have never been a big fan of New Year's Eve. When I lived in California, I loved that I could watch the ball drop at 9PM PST and go to bed having seen the New Years' arrival in New York City. That was good enough for me.

For years, I would travel the world spending New Year's Eve in places such as Paris, London, Amsterdam, Rio and Africa. My favorite was Amsterdam where I developed a penchant for sending off fireworks in the town squares each year. My friends seriously considered me a candidate for rehab due to my love of fireworks - an addiction made all the more acute since they were readily available in that no-limits-city! But over time, the pain of air travel at holiday time overtook my desire to hit Moscow, Sydney and Athens at New Year's Eve. The delays, the cattle-like processions at security and the crowded planes with narrow seats just made those potential trips less attractive to me.

So I now use New Years as a time of reflecting on the past year and attempting to visualize my coming year. This spiritual path has been quite wonderful over the last couple of years. Just this week I have started to casually reflect on the last year. All in all, it was a good year filled with some challenges but also moments of pure joy. As always, the greatest gifts of each year are my friends. I just cherish and love them. They have been my strength, my joy and my reason for continuing no matter what else is happening. The time spent with them, writing to them and loving them constitute the best times in my life.

My health took center stage this year with a number of surgeries dealing with a benign massive tumor in my throat and problems with my eyes. While these events sapped at my strength they were manageable and in the end I will return to normal (whatever the hell "normal" is!). Ironically, I begin this New Year facing more eye surgery so I guess this phase is just going to continue for some time. It is fine with me since I am great at adapting.

Despite the minor health challenges, the year gave me some extraordinary moments. Being honored by GLAAD in San Francisco in May and Judith Light's amazing presentation of the award was a moment I won't soon forget. Going with my sister Patsy to Singita, Capetown and Mala Mala for three weeks was an experience filled with adventure, love and bonding. Having Steven Guy spend the year in Turkey Hollow provided one of the most caring, love-filled and fun years that I have had with another person.

Traveling with Steven to Provincetown to visit my friends Steven and Rich was made extraordinary by the best Whale Watching in my life. We saw over 40 whales surrounded by dolphins. The entire experience was overwhelming. We followed that trip with a marvelous three days at Sagamore Beach with my dear friends Marylouise Oates and Bob Shrum.

There were those pinch-me-moments in my life this past year. Being honored by Britain's First Lady Sarah Brown at 10 Downing Street at a luncheon in the official State Dining Room goes right up there with my life's greatest pinch-me-moment! That was quickly followed by being chosen to debate at the Oxford Union joining in hundreds of years of tradition. What a night of triumph for me personally. Not only did my team win the debate but we won with one of the largest margins in years at the Oxford Union.

The wildly successful November reading of Jacob's Ladder - a play co-written with my frequent collaborator, Dennis Bailey - in New York City brought both of us enormous satisfaction. Thanks to ace producers James Garbus and Jonathan Burkhart, and Geoffrey Nauffts of Naked Angels Theater Company, we are launching into a workshop version early this spring.

Finally, you, my dear readers have brought me tremendous joy. The readership of www.davidmixner.com has increased 300% this year. Your letters of support, suggestions, disagreements and thoughtfulness have been noted and cherished. Special thanks to Rhys, Jim, Steven, Dennis and Patsy who helped me with the blog this year. I promise to do better next year to earn the respect you already have shown to me.

So I have once again been blessed. Looking at the past year's challenges have been far overshadowed by last year's joys. On to 2009!

Pictures by Steven Guy