The Citizen offices have a special guest today -- a tiny puppy named Cooper who belongs to a friend but likes to visit with his Aunt Connie.

Normally Christmas Eve is a day filled with last-minute holiday hysteria, as we realize that time has just about run out on all the things we haven't managed to do in the last month. Maybe even the last year.

Having a puppy around who insists on being held, and snuggles in for a nap pretty much all the time, has made me slow down considerably, however. There is perhaps nothing in the world so calming and peaceful as a puppy nestled under your chin. I've convinced him to trade me for a large stuffed frog while I write this blog, but his warmth remains with me.

That feeling is what all of us here at The Citizen wish for you this holiday season. Whether it is found in the candlelight of a church service, the twinkling lights of a tree in the quiet of the night, the notes of a favorite carol, the hush of newly fallen snow, or the even breathing of your children as they snuggle beneath the covers -- we hope that it is part of your holidays.

Our wish for you is for the very best of the holiday season. The staff of The Citizen will be off until Jan. 4., but you can expect us back in the New Year giving you, once again, our very best.