Evening Glow

I’ve kept my promise – to myself and to my public – and there’s great satisfaction in that. When in 1990, I launched my decade-long celebration of the season with Christmas Cottage, I had no clear idea of the challenges such a monumental portfolio would present. Now, as I conclude the series with Evening Glow, I can tell you that I also had no idea of the pleasures it would provide.

In this series I’ve delighted in the festive hustle-bustle of the holidays; I’ve also savored the delicious tranquility of a winter evening. I wanted to convey both moods of the season in this concluding piece. I’ve tried to create a sense of joyous activity in the warmly lit cottage; the carefully painted footsteps announce the arrival of loved ones who’ve gathered within – perhaps to celebrate Christmas Eve.

The stream, not yet frozen for skating, murmurs its echo of the holiday cheer within. For the passerby – for us – all is hushed; the holiday suffused in a golden glow of memory. And though the series ends, a new millennium is just around the corner. Who knows what expression of hope and peace next year’s Christmas will bring?