Unexpected delights like a lovely wreath on a frozen porta-potty offer a fitting visual metaphor for the holiday season.

The neighbors’ porta-biffy is def spiffed up for the holidays. This helps us remember that the season, while festive, has ups and downs, sacred and profane, joy and melancholy, merriment and loneliness, and—around here—warm hearts and cold air. My stocking hat goes off to the hardy workers that toil outside ‘round the calendar. To them I say: Stay warm, and keep the faith.