Peace and Love and Living Life: Christmas 2014

Hello, and Merry Christmas.............

Yesterday, on the Eve of Christmas Eve, I worked and then gallantly and virtuously went for a run to try and run off the many, many excess calories I've been ingesting.

It was a beautiful day, balmy, about 68 degrees, and the sun was shining the way it does at the darkest time of the year in the late afternoon. It was about 4:30. I ran over to Corona high school and then ran a mile around the track for a total of about three miles.

What struck me were the wonderful hues of green and the manicured green baseball fields. The colors were magnificent and I noticed the palm trees outlined by the sun.

How lucky I am to live in this moderate temperature - and grateful.

I was thinking about what a great holiday season it has been.

My brother and his family were here for a week at Thanksgiving and then the following Saturday off I went to Indiana to spend ten days with my parents and family. I worked during the week, set up office in my old bedroom and would get so involved in my daily work that I would look up and remember where I was.... kind of surreal.

Then I would go down and join my parents for a delicious dinner my mother prepared.

What a lucky girl am I.

My parents are 90 and 87 and still live in the house they have lived in for almost fifty years.

(They have to go upstairs or downstairs to go to the bathroom - and they say that has kept them in shape.)

They are amazing. They kind of putter around all day and then meet for one of my mother's four course meals she prepares every night.

They also love a martini and they do unfortunately smoke, which they did outside while I was visiting.

The temperature outside was sometimes around 20 degrees and I felt a little bad about them smoking outside, since they ARE 87 and 90.

But not that bad.

We had a great time while I visited. We happened upon a very upscale tour of a Lily mansion where we enjoyed wine, a lovely spread of fantastic cheeses, fruits, lox and capers, and all kinds of desserts while we roamed around the mansion.

Of course we had the traditional martoonie party, dinner at my cousins, a night out with my sister, and a couple of nights out with old friends.

Then back to AZ where I scrambled to put up lights, get a tree, decorate and buy presents for my beloved grand children and family,

even took a family photo by my photographer daughter and got it mailed before Christmas.

So tonight, Christmas Eve, I am coming from Mass where my grandchildren sang in the choir, and I held baby Jude until he went to sleep in my arms - too sweet.

I only had one fit of laughter with Sarah and only one snort.

But I recovered.

What a lucky girl am I.

We had an outstanding martoonie party for the aunties. It hasn't been an easy year for them, but they seemed to really perk up and dress up and have a grand time at the martoonie party!

We drove around Indy several times looking at Christmas lights. Here we are at the Circle.

This is the sweater I wore for most of December. It is a vintage-looking sweater that my mother gave me several years ago....it always gets lots of attention.