December was a short month for posts, what with the holidays and all. I enjoyed the downtime and actually got to read a few books but didn’t write as many posts as usual.

Many of the posts Susanne and I wrote deal, as one would expect, with the holidays and all the activities associated with them.

Because of what’s been in the news, I wrote a lot about sexual harassment, assault and violence, especially in the workplace.

New England was lucky this year on the weather front. We had no earthquakes, wildfires, hurricanes, or floods. But now we are locked into the Polar Vortex once again. Unlike the last time, it’s hanging around for good.

The temperatures drop day by day and night by night, mostly in the single digits. Going up to 18º, as we are supposed to do today, feels like a heat wave. The news stations predict snow on Thursday.

We focus on keeping our houses warm and the pipes from freezing. We dress like we’re climbing Mount Everest when we go out—except for that one guy in shorts. There’s always one guy in shorts, who thinks he lives in Malibu or Key West instead of Massachusetts.

Roundup of December 2017 Posts

The work of, well, work has started up again with planning for the year, sales kickoff meeting, budget revisions, etc. But you deserve a break now and then. So, here’s your roundup of December 2017 posts. Take a break, grab some coffee and catch up on anything you might have missed while caught up in your holiday “must do” activities. You deserve it.

Boston and History

• Boston Joins the European Christmas Markets – Aline
• Remembering the Old Knight Children’s Center — Aline

Business and Technology

• Challenging News on the Human Resources Front – Aline
• Why Women Don’t Speak up: The Big Silence – Aline
• The Euphemisms That Diminish Sexual Assault – Aline
• Three Lessons About Sexual Aggression in the Workplace – Aline
• Employment News: Good, Bad and Ugly – Aline

Lifestyle and Culture

• On My Mind, December 2017 – Susanne
• Has Social Media Killed Christmas Cards? – Aline
• Back in the Polar Vortex: Not Shorts Weather — Aline

Military

• Wreaths Across America: A Volunteer Tribute – Susanne
• Two Weeks Before Christmas — 2017 — Susanne

Movies and TV

• A Month of Wonder at the Cineplex – Aline

Spiritual

• The Shortest Day — The Longest Night – Aline
• One Day After, The Work of Christmas Begins — Aline

At the New Year’s Eve party we attended, everyone was glad to see 2017 end. I wonder whether 2018 will bring the same turmoil, uncertainty, and division. Whatever happens, stay warm!

Happy New Year to us all.