The Christmas holidays are in full swing, we have had our first snow, the kids are back to school and now it’s time to thrust ourselves into full gear to prepare for the end of 2008.

Well, it is the day after Thanksgiving and I hope everyone is enjoying the infamous day-after turkey sandwich with lots of mayo and a little salt. I must admit the day after is always my favorite. It seems when you are the cook the food just tastes better the next day.

While covering stories for my column, I have come to look forward to the ceremonies our village offers to honor their citizens, which have richly rewarded me and become an annual tradition in my life.

Oct. 28 was a day of celebration for many people associated with the new 119-room hotel Crowne Plaza Glen Ellyn-Lombard. Located at 1250 Roosevelt Road, just west of Finley Road, this site was the home of the Holiday Inn for a number of years.

Members of the Lombard Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry showcased their business expertise during the 12th annual Business Expo on Oct. 23 at the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center.

You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. That’s the motto of Poised for Success.

Last weekend I had a great time visiting my daughter Rosie at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. I have found that whenever I need my kid fix, I find an excuse to visit her. This time was to bring warm clothes to her along with warmer bedding. And of course it doesn’t hurt to leave behind a bit of home with a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies and Irish soda bread.

Last Sunday, I decided to take my own advice and attend a lecture on Native American heritage given at the Helen Plum Memorial Library. This program was hosted by the Lombard Historical Society and presented by past municipal village clerk Lorraine Gerhardt, who is one-quarter Cherokee Indian.

A chill is in the air. The leaves are turning incredible colors and tumbling down. Gardeners are harvesting and canning their crops. I’m baking apple pies. Front porches are popping up decorated with pumpkins and gourds. So, it must be my favorite time of the year — autumn.

Four years have past and it’s time again to listen, educate yourself, and vote in an upcoming election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. This year should be exciting considering we have Barack Obama running to be the first African-American president and Sarah Palin running to be the first female vice president.

The rain has stopped, the sun is shining and my spirits are lifting. But I must confess my spirits were actually lifted from leaving Lombard for the day. My sister Maureen and I took off for downtown Chicago last week to see one of the best Broadway plays I have ever seen.

After taking two weeks off and surviving last weekend’s rain, I am sitting here writing, trying to get back into the groove of this column. For the first time since I started this column, I took time off. It was not for a vacation though — my mother, Dorothy McBride, passed away Aug. 25 at the ripe young age of 90.

Summer is winding down, kids are going back to school this week and the weather is absolutely beautiful in Lombard. I must say the climate we have enjoyed for a good portion of the summer has been wonderful. I have used my air conditioner for only a couple of weeks, which is a true bonus with the cost of electricity these days. I hope it stays this way.

On my quest to find you, my readers, businesses in our community who have great customer service, I am always on the lookout for a business that is reasonably priced. So let me tell you about Kelly Nails at 1125H S. Main St., just around the corner from Enchanted Castle.

Last Saturday was a day frozen in time as I experienced a full-circle moment as I sat and watched my next-door neighbor of 20 years, Jason Lahr, marry his college sweetheart Erin O’Connor, whom he courted for more than seven years.