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Except for last year, I have been a consistent card sender during the holidays. Typically, my husband and I make the card together: (I’m concept and words, he’s illustrations.) I cook because I love to eat, and I send cards because I love receiving them. Instead of bills, my mail these days is full of cards and best wishes from friends and family. This year I got two cards with text that I especially enjoyed. The first one is from Barbara Lee, an art philanthropist and supporter of women in politics. The words follow:

“A snowflake is one of the most fragile creations. But look what they do when they stick together. Wishing you warmth, light, and happiness this holiday season and throughout the year.”

The second card is from Bob Gagnon, a local plumber. Here are the words to Bob’s card:

“Dashing through the snow,

In a one man Plumbing truck.

O’er the road he goes,

Hope he don’t get stuck.

Our pipes are leaking bad,

Our Boilers cold it’s sad,

When Bob gets here he’ll fix it up,

And then we’ll all be glad.

Oh! Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,

The heat is on its way.

The plumbing’s fixed; the pipes don’t leak,

Now it’s Bob we have to pay!

Today I made a wonderful breakfast of homemade blueberry-walnut waffles with Vermont maple syrup and hot coffee. Despite the obvious snub to carb-counters, I would have enjoyed my breakfast if I hadn’t decided to read the paper with it. In a few minutes, I read about a man, who was on probation for raping a five-year-old girl in August, and was now accused of raping his girlfriend’s three-year old girl during an overnight visit last weekend. (Part of the evidence collected is the girl’s pull-up diaper she wore to bed.) Then I read about a man accused of shooting an off-duty firefighter due to road rage. This man, whose father is a prominent Quincy businessman, and his family are no strangers to the courts with an uncle convicted in 2003 of negligent homicide in a friend’s death during a boating accident. The uncle got six months probation for boating while drunk, which seems excessively light although I don’t know the details of the case. The last story was about a father who is being charged with beating to death his seven-year-old son on Father’s Day. At that point, I closed the paper, noticed how chilly my kitchen felt despite the sun forcefully streaming in the windows, and realized I felt queasy, even sick to my stomach. Perhaps it was the sugary sweetness of syrup so early in the day, but I think it was the extreme dosage of hate and violence with my morning cup of coffee.

Today, I joined friends on a drive to Windblown, a x-country ski center in New Ipswich, NH, just over the Massachusetts border somewhere west of Townsend. It took us about 45 minutes to get there, but we were hopeful that the conditions would be good for our first ski-outing of the season, and we weren’t disappointed. The parking lot was full, so I was afraid that the trails would be crowded, but once we got out we rarely saw more than 2 or 3 other skiers at a time. With 25 miles of trails, there is plenty of room to spread out! It was moderately hilly, which gave us a good workout, and we enjoyed a great view of Mt. Monadnock after one of the steeper climbs. Windblown is a small, family-run business that has been in operation since 1972. They have a friendly, relaxed style; a comfortable lodge with both a woodstove and a fireplace; and plenty of space for enjoying a picnic lunch – all for $16 a person ($10 for students, children under 8 can ski free). I was left wondering why I had never heard of this place before today, but now that I’ve experienced Windblown, I’m definitely going back.

I made it to Heroes, the current offering from the Merrimack Rep, just in the nick of time as it closes tomorrow with a sold-out show. As Jackie said, it was delightful and heartwarming, although it kind of tapered off at the end. After being a subscriber for over 10 years, I miss going to the MRT, so I was glad I made it this afternoon, especially after enjoying an impromput wine tasting at Tutto Bene (I would link to them but they don’t seem to have a website) beforehand. If you are also a lapsed MRT play-goer or need a great gift for a theater-loving friend, you might check their website for some great deals on the rest of the season. I got a flex-pass for $100, which gives me 4 tickets to use anytime for any play (gift cards are also available). I used one of my tickets today to see Heroes and it was well worth it. I am looking forward to the rest of the season which includes a new Richard Dresser play (I may have to use two tickets for that one). January’s play, Fabuloso, looks zany and fun, perfect for a dull winter evening. I was reminded today of how lucky we are to have great theater right here in Lowell, minutes from home, with no parking or traffic woes!

If you happen to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow, tune in to LTC Channel 8 and you’ll catch me live on City Life with co-host George Anthes from 6-8 a.m. The show currently airs weekday mornings rather than its previous afternoon slot, with daily replays broadcast at 4 p.m. on channel 95. Frank Singleton and Christine Connolly of the Lowell Health Department will be our guests during the 7-8 segment of the show. At anytime during the broadcast, however, viewers may call in questions and comments by dialing 978-808-8200. In addition to discussing city health concerns with our guests, George and I will talk about all things Lowell and beyond—political, educational, and otherwise. And if past practice is any indication, producer John McDonough will join the conversation too, so tune in and telephone us if you’re up with the sun.

I received this email message from Avi Green of MassVote: “Today, we go to the polls to choose party nominees for the US Senate.  You have many choices: from Michael Capuano, Martha Coakley, Alan Khazei, and Steven Pagliuca in the Democratic Primary to Scott Brown and Jack E. Robinson in the Republican Primary.  Today, your vote will decide who goes on to the General Election. The ultimate winner will represent Massachusetts for years to come.

“Here is another reason to vote: the politicians are watching.  From local town councils and mayors to state representatives and state senators, right up to the Governor’s office, elected officials watch carefully to see which communities vote.  Neighborhoods that turn out are noticed—and politicians make a point of being extra responsive to their concerns.  So if you care about issues in your neighborhood, from public safety to schools to potholes to public transportation, be sure to vote today!”

With only 74 people having voted by noon at my polling location in the Highlands (the Pine Street Firehouse), it’s not looking like a huge turnout. Come on folks—this is important and takes only minutes to do!

At the monthly meeting of the City Manager’s Anti-Gang Task Force this morning, we discussed the problem of rampant abuse of prescription drugs, not only in Lowell but throughout the state, and its impact on crime and overdoses. Lowell Police Chief Ken Lavallee noted that many of the city’s recent increases in car break-ins, in particular, are due to drug abuse. (Readers may recall a community event on opiates abuse in October.) An op-ed in today’s MetroWest Daily News argues that one way to reduce opiate abuse is to support recommendations from an opiates report recently released to the legislature. The OxyContin and Heroin Commission report notes: “Between 2002 and 2007 the Commonwealth lost 78 soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the same time period, 3,265 Massachusetts residents died of opiate-related overdoses. The Commonwealth is losing men and women on its streets at a rate of 42 to 1 compared to what the state is losing in two wars overseas. Addiction is a medical disorder, and we have a public health epidemic on our hands that is larger than the flu pandemic.”

Among other things, the commission’s report calls for taking away the threat of prosecution for individuals who seek help for an overdose victim or who assist police in identifying drug sources. Likening it to the Safe Haven Law that allows parents to abandon infants without fear of prosecution and the lives saved from that initiative, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone said he could support similar legislation for drug users as long as it came “with limitations that didn’t allow drug pushers a free pass.” Leone went on to explain that lives are lost when drug-users are afraid to get help for themselves or friends because they fear prosecution. Another problem is the availability of prescription drugs on the streets and the lack of awareness: from doctors who may over prescribe these medications, and from people who don’t realize the risks of addiction and easy access due to storing these drugs without safeguards. For more information, watch replays of the Lowell community program on cable channel 22, at these times: more »

With the senate primary this Tuesday, it’s no wonder the campaign volume has risen in recent days, with increased snail mail, recorded phone calls, and emails from the candidates. Today, I spent about 15 minutes on the phone with Dan Murphy, Lowell cc-elect Patrick Murphy’s twin brother and the muscle behind many of his youtube ads. Dan called to discuss Mike Capuano’s candidacy and to ask me to help with phone banking. He’s working the media for Capuano’s campaign and somehow I made his call list. (See LiL for post about his brother’s endorsement.) I like Dan and the entire Murphy clan, and I was happy to talk politics with him. Although he made good points about Capuano: his experience, grassroots campaigning, knowledge on the issues, record of progressive votes, etc—the more we talked, the more I realized, I really want to vote for Martha Coakley. (Prior to this discussion, I thought I was undecided.) I admit, it is hugely compelling that Martha Coakley would be our first women senator from Massachusetts and I could help make it happen. (About time!) Still, I don’t see myself as a gender voter; the bottom line is always the candidate’s values, ideas, and positions on the issues. (For example, I chose Tim Murray for Lt. Governor over two qualified women because he best represented my views and values.) I like Mike, and I like that yesterday a Boston Globe op-ed noted him as the “scrappy” candidate—a plus in a world where we desperately need folks fighting for just causes. But Martha brings her own skill set: she embodies the intelligent, hardworking, ethical female candidate we need in leadership. (The same op-ed described her as “deliberative,” also important in a legislator.) Either one of them would serve my interests in Congress, albeit from different perspectives, but when Tuesday comes, I will vote for Martha Coakley. Whatever your take on the candidates, please show up on election day and vote your choice.

Last night, there were a few must-see-tv events with live broadcasts of both President Obama’s speech about sending more troops to Afghanistan and the senate candidates’ debate. Tonight also includes informational opportunities via the television: The senate candidates will debate again, from 7-8 p.m. on NECN and WBGH channel 2. This debate will be simulcast on the radio and streamed online by 90.9 FM WBUR. In addition, the Lowell School Committee will meet, beginning at 7 p.m. and broadcast on LTC, local cable channel 10. The meeting will start with a Spotlight on Excellence for 28 students from  middle schools across the city who achieved a perfect score of 280 on the MCAS test last year. The meeting will include a special presentation on the district’s results regarding the Growth Model, the state’s new way of looking at student achievement, via MCAS scores, based on individual student progress over the last three years. Also tonight, the school committee will evaluate Dr. Chris Scott’s performance in her first year as superintendent of the Lowell Public Schools.

If you’re thinking about college in the next few years, you should check out tonight’s interactive webcast at 7 p.m. from the Wall Street Journal on Campus. Join with admissions directors from eight top colleges (such as Bryn Mawr, Princeton, Univ. of Pennsylvania, and Wesleyan) as they share how admissions decisions are made, what you need to know to get accepted at top-choice schools, and ways to approach the college search process. The webcast, titled Inside the Admissions Office, explores what admissions counselors look for when reviewing applications, how important grades, class rank, and essays are for getting accepted, and what role parents should play. Tune in for information on these and other issues; you may also ask your own questions by emailing wsjoncampus@unigo.com.