The holidays are behind us once again, and I hope yours were as gratifying as mine. I spent a lovely week at my parents' place, nestled deep in the piney woods of east Texas. It was so good to be with family, just relaxing by the fire my father always keeps burning at this time of the year and enjoying my mother's wonderful homemade holiday cooking that has become a long-standing tradition in our home. My sister, her husband, and my nephew, Kevin, decorated the country place with an array of white lights that made it look and feel like Christmas should. And I entertained everyone with some old holiday standards by the stone hearth in the evenings after traversing those well-worn wooded paths of my youth by day, accompanied by the family dogs and a good book. These memories will remain in my heart forever. When I returned to Houston I checked email to find a Q&A from the Houston Chronicle in my inbox. The subject was "a glance ahead to 2006." I was asked to comment on what's to come in the new year, and here are the highlights: "I'm looking forward to a writing session in January with renowned L.A. producer, writer, and arranger Ronnie King who has worked with platinum artists Mariah Carey, Tupac, Snoop Dog, the Offspring, and others. I'll also begin pre-production on a new album with the amazing John Evans at Sugar Hill Studios. My new single release "Be My Valentine On Christmas" will be included on the LP and has already received a very positive review from Music Row in Nashville, written by "the dean of Nashville entertainment journalists" Robert K. Oermann who is the chairman of the country music category for the Grammy's and who wrote the liner notes for "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?". I'm also planning a full-on radio and press promotion of Face This World to Americana, Country and Texas Radio and press outlets. And I'm excited about the live shows that are already lining up, especially my full-band debut at the Station Museum's gallery opening for internationally-acclaimed artist, Mel Chin on January 21." Of course, there's so much more on the horizon, but I'll let all of that unfold month by month as we progress through this magical, unexplored territory that is "the future." In the meantime, I wish you the happiest of new years and look forward to corresponding with you and visiting with you when our paths cross, as they are bound to do. Y'all come.