Family | Peaches Prattlings

{January 29, 2014} How old do I look?

Let me start by saying, I love being JJ, the grandmother role to LB, A and now LS. I inherited that job by being with DCM, who is Grandpa to all three kids, and I’m so happy to be in that role.

As I’ve told you in the past, at least I think I have, I look like my mom, more and more so as I’ve gotten older, especially when I cut my hair short and dye it red. Yes, I am admitting that I dye my hair…and proud of it!

That being said, let me tell you what happened today. I was picking up EJS from the aftercare program at school and one of the second grade after care teachers asked me….”are you her grandmother?” That kind of threw me…I know I’m in the role of a grandmother, but I didn’t think I looked like a grandmother.

Then, when I told my sister and brother in law the story, he asked who’s mother I was!

Now, please don’t get me wrong, I’m only 42 and I’ve been told I don’t look my age, DCM is a little older than me and doesn’t look it, CG, grandmother to LB, A and LS, doesn’t look like a grandmother either! To me, a “grandmother” is someone who is in their 70s, 80s or older. Like mine were when I was a kid. And I don’t “feel” like a grandmother, I’m not talking about actions or love or feelings, I’m just talking about looks.

One of the things I like to say, when it came to my kids and now my grandkids, “I have all the joys and none of the stretch marks!”

I will revel being JJ and in the grandmother role as long as they will have me, but I’m not quite ready to think I look the role!

{January 28, 2014} Saying goodbye…a sad day

Today, my sister, brother-in-law and I went to a funeral for the father of a dear friend and neighbor, COF.

Her dad, WO or Bindy as he was affectionately referred to by his grand kids, passed on January 23rd and was laid to rest today, a very nice service that we attended. He was then was interned with Military Honors, a World War II US Navy Veteran. He was a father, a grandfather and a great grandfather, isn’t that a wonderful thing that he was able to meet his great grandson?

Since my sister moved into this neighborhood, I have gotten to know this family and grown to love them very much, MF and COF are terrific parents, COF even calls me Auntie J! The girls are fun to spend time with and talk to and they all adore my sisters family, especially my nieces who think that the sun rises and sets with their daughters. COF’s parents were also very fond of my nieces, always remembers them; when we were on the receiving line, we introduced ourselves as EJS’ mother and aunt, his wife, RO knew exactly who we were!

WO was a fascinating man, he was a radio news broadcaster in the Boston area for over fifty years! Even after he retired, he reported the news on Cape Cod and was involved in the Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater, how cool is that?

He was married to RO for sixty eight years! Something that makes you think and marvel and appreciate, what a strong bond and relationship and what an incredible message for their children and grandchildren.

The eulogies today were so special and touching, there were some tears, laughter and great stories, just as a funeral should be, we celebrated his life. His son and grandson told stories that made us smile and one of his granddaughters, JF, read a poem that truly represented her grandfather, helping us to learn a lot about this man being honored today. He loved to play golf, smoke cigars, drink cheap whiskey and thought everything could be used at a later date so he wouldn’t throw anything away. (That made GES and I think about our grandmother and smile). The preacher read some scriptures that were so fitting and even some Dr Seuss, I bet there aren’t too many funeral services you could say you heard Dr Seuss!

I’m glad that I was here to share in the celebration of this amazing man.

{January 26, 2014} Another race, brunch, tea, dinner, time well spent!

I figured out how to make the insomniac sleep…wear her butt out! I was so very tired last night after only three hours sleep, a 5k and a marathon of volunteering, walking, seeing friends that I got home about 9:30, got everything ready for today, blogged to you and then at 10:00, got in bed, turned off the lights and that’s all she wrote! I woke with the alarm, seven whole hours of sleep! Wow!

(Another marathon day, so…long post)

The alarm went off at 5:00, I did snooze four times, I didn’t realize I had done that, well, the fourth time anyway! I got up, dressed and out the door in six minutes, see…packing my bag the night before was smart! Only happens every other Saturday! Luckily there are very few people on the road at 5:30am on a Sunday. I met CKM at the Decatur parking deck, MB showed up a few minutes later and we piled in CKM’s SUV and we were off! It was so much easier this year! We came in from a different direction, that may have helped. We found a spot in the parking lot, sat for a while and a little after 7:00, headed out to the start, very layered up! It had gotten up to 29, wow! CKM said it was even colder when she got up at four! Brrrr

We lined up with all our 30,000 friends! We were doing the Hot Chocolate 5k, the 15k started a little later. National Anthem, very nice, then corral A, B, C, D, each spaced about three minutes apart, give people time to go and then E! We were off! It’s nice to have people to do the runs with, friends to talk to, keep pace with, laugh, CKM and I always have a good time and it was fun to have MB with us. We took some pictures before the run, ran across the start, then ran across the finish and then it was over! We headed to get our giant mug of chocolate. I asked for a “non chocolate” mug, that meant no dipping chocolate, still had dipping stuff (banana, marshmallow, yum) found a spot and enjoyed our treat and people watched.

I think they’re getting smarter, learning from past races, traffic coming in and leaving was better, the start was better, they had bags for everyone to put their cups in, we agreed it seemed to be smoother. People seemed to have a lot of fun! There were runners and walkers of all ages, always fun to see.

I think I said it earlier, but thank you again to CKM for getting the parking pass and driving us!

We headed back to Decatur to meet everyone for brunch, we had some time to kill so we went to Starbucks, enjoyed some warm beverages and picked the perfect time to leave when the guy next to us was talking to someone on the phone about someone else going to prison…exit stage left!

We walked to the restaurant and BG and his son, JAG, were waiting for us, we went in, got settled in and ordered some biscuits while we waited for everyone else, gotta have some biscuits! Soon after JC, CC and their son, MC arrived, he’s about 2.5, what a doll baby! I got to spend some time at thanksgiving with him, so we got to know each other better.

AB arrived next, great to see her, as always, then, just after went ordered, JB, AL and their son, E, arrived, we were complete! The food came and we ate, drank and were very merry! I was so happy that everyone who could came out and I got to spend time with them! It’s funny, I think I’ve said this before, there are some people I see more since I’ve moved, whatever works! I looked around the table and except for JB and AL, I had worked with each person at the table, that’s how I met most of them, the world is very small.

After brunch, everyone headed their own way, I went to meet TS for a cup of tea and some one on one time. We only had about an hour, but it was good to catch up and see each other in person. And she always tells me it feels like we talk more often, since she reads my blog, it’s like we’re sitting across from each other. The cool thing is that on my drive home, I called TS and we talked the entire way home and then some, almost two hours, not too shabby! A good visit!

(TS…go to the window, open it up…ha ha, inside joke, I hope you got it!)

After tea time, I headed to meet SDL, her sister Donna and “the pickle” Miss A, oh how I love that little one! Luckily, LK was available to meet us, along with her youngest, KK, and oh how I love that little one too! She’s a little bigger than Miss A, but she’s the youngest of her sisters, so, she’s still the little one, although, if she keeps growing, I’m toast!

I’ve talked about both of them and their kids to each other, I thought it would be great to introduce them, more one on one time with each of them, LK and KK had to get home, so the rest of us hung out and chatted a little while longer, then it was time to part company they left, I left and here I am.

I am packed for tomorrow, showered and ready to get to Boston to see my family! My dad is going to be there too, it’s going to be great.

{January 25, 2014} What a day! I can’t believe you’re still awake!

The day started waaayyyy too early, the alarm went off at six am! What? It’s Saturday! Is that what today was?

I got up that early and snoozed a few times, I knew there would be very little traffic on the road at 6:30am. I took a lighting quick shower to wake up, got dressed then headed out the door. Luckily, I arranged what I needed last night for the day, just like I just now, for tomorrow. Let me go back and tell you that I didn’t fall asleep until about 2:30 or 3:00 this morning, partly because I wasn’t very tired and partly because my body still thinks it’s two hours behind!

I got up that early because I was participating in the Atlanta Mission 5k, a run to help end homelessness. I made it downtown in plenty of time, checked in and got my number, then walked around a lot to warm up and I mean a lot, mostly because it was about twenty degrees out and I had to stay warm! I had three layers on top, a hat, gloves and neck thingy to keep my face and neck warm, yes, thingy is a technical term!

I’m not sure why, but the race started late, they kept delaying and delaying, I know a lot of people were enjoying the group dancing, but I was ready to go. We started about twenty minutes late, but I was happy with my time, 46:06, mot bad for not having run a race in a while and it was my first run of 2014. This was the fourth year for this run and they started with 300 participants, today 3000! Wow!

The main reason I was a little annoyed was the next thing on the schedule, I was meeting CKM to volunteer at the Hot Chocolate Race Expo. I was a little late getting here, but when I did, we checked in and got set up giving out race numbers, just like we do for the Peachtree Race, this was more techno savvy, we scanned their confirmations, the PC would tell us what corral they were in, then scan their race bib, it printed out a label with their names, we directed them where to go and off they went. It was fun, met a lot of nice people and THREE people with the same name as me ! What are the odds? One woman and I had the exact same birthday, year and everything! I’ve never met anyone else with my name and today, I meet three! Wow!

After our shift was over, 9:45-2:30, we got our numbers and goody bags, walked around the expo and headed our separate ways, well, walked about a mile from the expo to the entrance! We all said it would have been a little easier on our feet and backs if they had those cushioned mats for us to stand on, let me tell you, my feet loathe me right now, if they could, they’d leave me!

After I left the Georgia World Congress Center, I went to see my dear friend RJS, who’s birthday is tomorrow. She was kind enough to let me take a quick shower at her place. We would have had some tea there, but she’s having the floors redone, so the living room was in the kitchen, kind of inconvenient for tea time. So, we headed out to Choco-late for some tea and girl talk. I gave her her birthday present, a really cute cross stich, I’ll show you some time. We each had a limited amount of time, just enough to catch up and enjoy some tea and the company.

RJS headed to pick up her honey and head to Eddie’s Attic for some good music and a good time and I headed to meet some dear friends for dinner, which was a good thing, I hadn’t eaten all day, save half a granola bar, a few Cheetos and an orange! Needless to say, I was staving!

I headed to Taco Mac at the Perimeter, I know that won’t mean a lot to some of you, but other people will know where I went. I was meeting one of my oldest and dearest friends, LGR, who I met about a year after I moved to Georgia, so almost twenty years! The awesome thing about our relationship, is that even though we don’t see or talk to each other very often, the bond is there, we love each other very much and are never far from the other’s thoughts, sometimes it’s like no time has passed, aren’t those friendships wonderful!

I was meeting LGR and her husband, MR and their adorable daughter CR. We had a great time catching up,sharing stories and our lives, laughing and having a great time. We vowed to try to talk more often, I hope we do, but if we don’t, I’m not worried, I know the love is still there! (Thank you again!)

I hopped in the car, headed to the house and sat down to write to you because I know how tired you must be from reading all that! I know I’m tired and hoping to get some sleep very soon because the alarm is going off at way to early am! I am meeting CKM and MB to go down to a Turner Field to participate in the Hot Chocolate 5k, the one we were volunteering for today.

So…that was my day, how was yours?

{January 13, 2014} Do we have to watch that again? Life with a wee tot!

Can we watch minions again? Can we watch minions again? Can we watch minions again? (Just for clarification, this is referring to Despicable Me 2, which my nieces discovered and loved.

They also have it on DVD, but discovered I have it on my iPad, so it’s “Auntie J, can I/we watch minions, or sometimes it’s ‘spicable me’ on your iPad? Yesterday, EJS went to swimming lessons, my sister and MGS watched it on the big TV, the minute EJS got home, she wanted to watch it on the big TV…agh! I’ve been here since Wednesday and I’ve probably seen the entire movie or parts of it at least 10, maybe 15 times!

It’s true, when you have a wee tot, ie toddler, grade schooler, there will be a movie or a show that captures their attention and they can’t get enough of it, can watch it over and over and over again, in a row! It’s a little different when it’s a TV show, sometimes, if you’re lucky, the episode will be different, but a movie is just that it’s the same every time!

I’m sure each of you who has or has had a small child in your home can sympathize and knows exactly what I mean! For a time it was Barney…aaaaccckkk! I’ve heard about The Little Mermaid, just to name another, enough that dads know it enough to make a video! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zwSn5ObK8-g

I’ve had movies that I’ve watched over and over, not usually right after it finishes, although my sister and I would watch Cinderella and The Court Jester over and over, but we did it together, didn’t subject our parents to that!

It’s amazing what captures their attention at that age! And what they keep going back to over and over again! I feel for my sister and brother-in-law, especially since I’m going home tomorrow and I have a feeling it will be a while before I watch “The Minions” any time soon!

PS…the minions have their own movie coming out next year!
And..just for fun, here are a few links for the minions, I couldn’t choose and you’re not burnt out yet, right? You weren’t here with me all week, right?
They are cute! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lnvy1gpZa7M

{January 12, 2014} We got flocked!

Saturday morning, we got up and discovered we’d been flocked!

For those of you not “in the know”, flocking refers to the act of putting a flock of flamingos on someone’s lawn. It is generally done as a fundraiser and in some cases you would pay it forward. It’s done for a birthday, a pick me up, a way to make the recipient smile and we did!

This is a common practice in the south, at least I’d seen it a bunch in Atlanta, apparently, not so much in the north, in particular, Boston, as that’s where I am right now.

Since you have to put the flamingos, plastic pink bird bodies on metal post/stick legs, when the ground is soft, it’s better. As we’ve had snow and freezing temperatures over the last few days, guess what the ground isn’t! As the ground was hard as a rock, or frozen, as it were, a little difficult for the person installing the flamingos to get the stakes in the ground, so at 10/10:30 pm Friday night, she is hammering something into the the ground to be able to get the flamingos in there! My sister and brother-in-law thought it was me! Wondering what I might be doing, now, I might be creative, but I’m not going to do anything that noisy that late! I was in my room wondering what the noise was! Next, my brother-in-law goes outside to see what the ruckus was and there was a woman, with a hammer, finger to her lips giving the shhhh motion!

This flocking was care of fantastic neighbor, CF, too awesome!

http://www.ehow.com/about_6677646_flamingo-flocking_.html

{January 8, 2014} What a day! Tantrums, hugs, reunions, kisses

I’m in Boston this week visiting my sister and her family, got here last night, so great to hug and kiss everyone.

Today, my sister and brother-in-law had an appointment, so it was my job to get the girls off to school. As they left for the appointment, I was helping EJS with her homework, she was tired and not that interested and while she was expressing herself, her little sister, MGS, came in the kitchen to tell her, “EJS, if you finish your homework, you can come and watch TV with me” and that was that, it worked.

A few minutes before that, MGS was having her little meltdown since mommy and daddy were gone, I gave her her “special necklace” and she was fine. About 8:15, the school bus arrived and EJS put her shoes on and was out the door. I told MGS that I was going to take a shower and in 15 minutes we would get her dressed and head to school, ok? Ok. Yeah right!

When it was time to go, someone was not having it! I had experienced this with EJS when she was younger, so it was MGS’ turn! Someone just didn’t want to go to school with me, wanted mommy and daddy, understandable. As I tried to get her pajama top off, she kept trying to get it back on! Then, when I tried to get her shirt on, she kept trying to take it off, awesome!

We are dressed and ready to go…nope! What can I do for you? What would you like? I had to call mommy and daddy for advice, they were very understanding, thankfully! Then I heard among the tears, “I want to wear mommy’s scarf!” Ok, find the scarf! About this time, Aunt A and Uncle J showed up and tried to help find the scarf, guess where it was…with mommy at her appointment!

After a few minutes, she agreed to get a different to scarf and as soon as she grabbed it, she was ready to go to school! We bundled up, got in the car, iPad in hand and it was smooth sailing. Got to school, checked her in, went to her classroom and she put her stuff away and pushed me out the door (gives her control on when I left).

After school, I went back to the house, hung with Aunt A for a bit, then headed out to meet a good friend of mine from high school for lunch.

It was great to catch up with Dr CC, yes, I said doctor! His speciality is Physical Therapy, what an accomplishment! So impressed and proud of him. He has a very cool job, he heads the internship program for physical therapy for Northeastern University, about 150 interns participating in the program, a lot of responsibility but incredibly rewarding! And to hear him talk about what he does is inspiring, he’s incredibly passionate, it comes through without question, something that’s wonderful to see.

We caught up about our families and kids, it was terrific. We’ve seen each other a few times over the years and it’s been great to see him when our schedules mesh when I’m in Boston, Facebook conversations are great, but in person is even better! I do appreciate him having the time to get together.

After lunch, I headed towards MGS’ school to pick her up, getting a little turned around along the way, but found my way there. I had some time to kill so I stopped in a Home Goods store, I had never been to one before and wow! I can’t wait to go when I get back to Denver!

Then it was time to get MGS, went into her class, she played shy for about a minute, then it she was ready to go! We were stopping at Dunkin Donuts on the way home, yes, I bribed her this morning and proud of it! It worked! After Dunkin, as the girls affectionately call it, we headed home, she was happy as a lark, got in the house and it was play and relax, then dinner, movies, stories and night night.

One of the greatest feelings…when she sits on my lap or touches my arm and says “I like you” I like you too, then a random hug or pat on the shoulder, sigh.

It’s finally time for bed, stories with EJS, talking with the lights off, rubbing her back, MGS coming in to say good night, kisses and hugs, then telling them both, like our parents did with us…”Sleep well, get up well, I love you” how wonderful is that?

Catching up with my sister and brother-in-law for a bit, watch some silly TV and then upstairs to talk to you guys!

Time for night nights! Goodnight!

{January 4, 2014} Crazy weather and catching up

Today was intended to be a lazy day and it was.

First, the weather. Get this…yesterday, yes yesterday, it was 61degrees out, yes I said 61! I had the top down on the car, scarf and hat on, heat and seat warmers and it was fantastic! No haters, please because sometime in the night it started snowing and I don’t think it’s stopped yet. It looks so nice out, all covered in white, so staying in and being lazy was on the agenda, worked out for me.

Next, catching up. DCM had to get some work done this weekend, so he worked and watched football and I watched movies and knitted. At one point I was chatting with one of my best friends from high school CGS via Facebook, any means of communication is a good means! We caught up a little, which was nice, I really need to find some time to visit. NYC.

As I mentioned, a lazy day, so lazy in fact and the movie I was watching so not entertaining, that I dozed off. I have to say I was confused when I woke up, I thought it was later or the next day! And in truth, I was asleep about ten minutes! Just after I woke up the phone rang and it was LTA, one of my other best friends from high school, youth group in fact. We had been trading messages on Facebook the other day and deciding when we could chat and found out that today worked for both of us. It was great, we talked for about two hours.

You know those relationships that you have with some people that you might not talk to but once or twice a year and it’s as if no time has passed, well, these women are two of them and I absolutely love that about us. We catch up and pick up as if we just spoke last week. I’ll take that any day!

Very low key and enjoyable day. Talked to great friends and watched the snow, what could be better?

{December 29, 2013} What a week!

Here it is, the end of a terrific week and tomorrow we head back to Colorado.

(Settle in, get a cup of coffee or cocoa, this is going to be a long one!)

We got here late on Saturday, you know that fun adventure, I don’t need to rehash that! Sunday after lunch, DCM headed out to see the kids and I hung back, to finish a few Christmas presents and wrap gifts, I was a busy bee! The cool part was that I wrapped almost every single gift with one roll of Muppets holiday paper! I found the paper last year and finally got to use it! Don’t you love that?

Monday came and after lunch, I headed out to meet JT for our annual shopping trip, to find gifts for his family. It’s something we started about five or six years ago and it’s become a tradition that I enjoy and value, I know he does too. Luckily for me, everything he bought was relatively small, so a carrying everything wasn’t too bad; I started bringing a rolling cart to carry everything, there have been some big items!

The fun thing is to talk about what everyone might like, I jokingly told him he should put from JT and JJ on the gift tags, I really do enjoy watching everyone open the gifts and flip over them and how much they appreciate what JT thought about for them. I think I already told you my other job is to show up early on Christmas Eve and wrap gifts, which I really enjoy. I’ve always enjoyed wrapping gifts from childhood, it was my job to wrap the gifts my sister and I would give, I en thought about getting a seasonal job wrapping gifts.

While we were at the mall, we ran into his dad and brother and after shopping joined them at Pappadeaux for lunch, which is always a good time. After lunch, I headed out to take care of a few things and then went to meet BG, JCT and her mom for dinner at one of our favorite places What The Pho, yum! It was so great to see JCT as I haven’t gotten to see her much this last year with her travel schedule and moving to Colorado. It was great to see her mom, a master at crochet, let’s just say, last year, I wasn’t the best student, but we laughed a lot!

Tuesday came and we hung out at the house until it was time to head to JTs for Christmas Eve. A good time was had by all!

Wednesday morning, as you might recall we went to KABs house to see her, JB and Baby A! That was so much fun! After, DCM headed to see the kids and I headed to SDLs to cook and eat and enjoy. So much fun!

Thursday was a treat, CKM was able to carve some time out for me in her way too busy schedule! We went to Moe’s, yum! It was great to catch up in person and relax and laugh, you know, the usual! After lunch, she had to do laundry, so I went along to keep her company and while the clothes were in, we sat in the car and watched Red 2!

After we parted company I went to see my friend BG and his son, JAG and his new apartment. We had some dinner and then played Mario Brothers in the Wii, let’s just say someone way shorter than me kicked my butt in the game, but I held my own and had a great time! Who knows maybe I’ll start to get into some of these games they keep talking about!

Friday, after breakfast I had some time, so I put all my movies into sleeves for transporting back to Colorado, boxed up some things that were still in the garage and took them to the Salvation Army on my way downtown to meet TS and her daughter KS at the High Museum of Art for their three exhibits: The Art of the Louvre’s Tuileries Gardens, Go West: The Art of the American Frontier and Witness: The Art of Jerry Pickney. All terrific! It’s always enjoyable to go to a museum with people who enjoy what they see and to discuss what we think and feel about it.

We caught up, talked, laughed, which was great because I haven’t seen KS in a long time and haven’t seen TS one on one for a while, we’re usually out with a group. After the museum we went to a cute little Italian restaurant, Pasta Da Pulcinella, for some yummy food, exchanged gifts and birthday presents, and then we decided to go catch a movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and you know how that was. What a great day/night!

Saturday was no less busy! Up before DCM, headed out to SDL’s to join her and Miss A for a drive out to Alpharetta for her hippo therapy, working with horses. This was the first time I got to see it and it was great! She loves the horses, especially Poppysead, who she works with most often. Hearing that laugh when she’s trotting around is like nothing else! After therapy, we headed to The Forum for lunch at Jason’s Deli, a nice treat to sit and eat and watch the place fill up.

After lunch, we headed our separate ways, I was meeting JCT for a movie, but first, I went to BG’s to pick up my iPad that I had left the other night. Turns out JT was there playing video games, Lego Marvel. I invited them to join us for the movies, we went to the Venture Cinema, which has gone from $2 to $3 per ticket! We watched Last Vegas, very funny the second time, check out my review!

After the movie, I took the boys back to BG’s for fun and games and headed to Starbucks to hang with JCT for a few hours. It was great! We talk about once a week, but we haven’t seen each other in about a year, so this was much needed!

This morning after I did a load of laundry, we had Waffle House, gotta get it in…we don’t have one that close to us in Colorado. Then DCM went to see the kids, I headed to SDL’s to help her get some stuff done around the house, the girl is amazing with a drill and some glue! I got to play with Miss A, while still getting things done.

Her parents got back from visiting grandpa in Florida and we headed out to SDL’s favorite Mexican restaurant, Agavero Cantina. JCT and her mom met us there for dinner. SDL hasn’t seen JCT or her mom in over a year, so it was time and you know they love Miss A! SDL’s mom and JCT’s mom could talk yarn as they both crochet and knit. Everyone admiring everyone else’s hand crafted scarves and hats!

After one last hug and kiss for everyone, we all headed out in our own directions, mine was home to write to you and wait for DCM so we could catch up on our days.

So, tomorrow we will take care of a few things and then head back to Colorado and get back into the swing of things, work, thereapy, life. I sit here writing to you telling you about my week which was wonderful and bittersweet, mostly bittersweet because it’s always hard to leave your friends, especially the wee tots who you adore. But I know it won’t be too long before I see them again, gotta love FaceTime!

I hope you had a wonderful week, great holidays, if you celebrated and I hope you have a terrific Monday! Happy almost 2014!

{December 25, 2013} Christmas, Christmas Eve, family, traditions

Well, it’s that time of year…I want to talk about Christmas Eve, Christmas, Family and Traditions…as promised.

Here is it Christmas night, I’ve just gotten home, I have music from The Nutcracker Suite playing and I am smiling, both happy and a little bit sad and feeling wonderfully nostalgic. I am smiling and feeling nostalgic because going to see The Nutcracker performed by the City Company at Lincoln Center in New York City was something my family did every year around Christmas, I don’t remember, but we may have even gone on Christmas Eve. It was an annual family Chanukah present. (One year we got a Commodore 64, we were in the big time!).

Smiling, because it was something we did as a family; got dressed up, dinner and performance, it was wonderful. The sad part, it makes me miss my mom and right now the famous “Pas de Deux” is on and it is my dad’s favorite piece and one of my mom’s, the other was “Coffee” so I am sitting here smiling and sad at the same time.

That was a tradition we had, along with sometimes going to “The B’s” house to decorate the tree or have Christmas dinner, I think their tree was the first I ever helped to decorate. They always decorated so wonderfully for the holiday, the tree, lights, they have a huge bay window, always so warm and welcoming, the home as well as the family.

Everyone has different traditions and that one was a huge one from my childhood and as I’ve gotten older, there have been new traditions I have been privileged to be a part of.

The first, every Christmas Eve for the last five or six years, I celebrate with JT’s family. Well, the first tradition is that I go with JT shopping and help him choose some gifts for the family, I’ve gotten to know them quite well, so it’s fun to find things for them we know they are going to love. That tradition is usually Thanksgiving week/end or in November, this year it didn’t quite work out that way, so we went on the 23rd, it wasn’t bad at all! We ended up meeting his dad and brother and went out for lunch, it was fun.

Next, I show up about an hour or so early at his house to make a vegetarian lasagna and wrap the gifts he bought, everyone knows and loves to tease him, but it’s something we’ve been doing for years and I can’t imagine not doing it.

Then the festivities begin, everyone shows up, the drinks come out, the laughter and love and then it’s time to eat and they’re an Italian family, so it’s mange, mange! Usually lasagne, mine and a meat, Italian sausages, meatballs, salad, bread and wonderful desserts. After dinner we get settled in for an experience, opening presents. Due to ALL the people, which some years is more, there is almost no room to sit because of all the presents! I should have taken a picture!

Everyone’s name goes into a hat and the first person who opens presents, picks the next persons name and so on. Everyone has brought something for everyone and so you have at least six to ten presents each! All depending on who bought who what. The first year you are there, not everyone knows you, but ST, JT’s mom, makes sure to have something for you, she’s a fantastic hostess! Year after year, as you come back, you exchange more and more gifts and it really feels great, you are no longer a guest, you’re family.

The great thing is that even though not everyone is related, we’re all family and we treat each other that way, even if it’s your first time!

One of the special treats is DG’s cookies! Every year she makes about a gazillion cookies and every family gets a tin of cookies, yum! The catch: if you don’t give back the tin, you don’t get cookies the next year! Apparently a lot of people don’t give her back the tins, so she sends D to get more! One year it took me almost an entire year to get the tin back to her, I always tried to get it to her at the Super Bowl party. This year…she made it easy on us, we got a travel carton, no pressure!

We opened presents, thanked each other profusely, gave hugs and drove home, it was another wonderful and successful Christmas Eve.

Today was Christmas and we started off the day going to see KAB, JB and Baby A! We got to play and open presents and Grandpa, also known as DCM, got to put his car together and blow up his bounce house! see…useful as well as ornamental! They gave us a great picture they had blown up and modge-podged to a canvas, it was beautiful Baby A, awe. It was nice to spend some time with them.

Then it was off to see the rest of the kids for DCM and I was off to SDL’s house for my next tradition, Christmas with SDL, her sister, parents and of course Miss A! SDL used to go home to PA for the holidays, but since bringing Miss A home, Christmas has been at her house and her parents come down south. The first year was funny because she invited me, and my response was absolutely, but it wouldn’t have mattered, I was going to invite myself! Any opportunity with Miss A is a must!

I asked if she wanted me to being anything, without taking a breath, corn soufflé, did I really need to ask? I got there, made the soufflé, popped it in the oven and it was play time and time to catch up with the family. Her dad calls me Auntie G and so does her mom, you have no idea how much I love that! Everyone was in the kitchen playing and talking and laughing, is there anything better?

We sat down to eat to a feast! “Mom-mom” makes a pot roast, carrots and green beans, they are great to ensure that I have enough to eat, as the resident veg head! SDL made her famous mashed potatoes, she and her mom collaborated on the sweet potato with marshmallow dish, there was cranberry dressing, salad, crescent rolls (enough that we didn’t have to fight over the last one!) and for dessert…home made cheese cake and peach pie! Oh my!

Let’s just say after dinner, there was no room for dessert, just yet anyway! So we cleaned up and headed into the den with a nice fire going to get down to the business of opening presents. I’ll give you just one guess who had the most presents! There is always something hand knitted or crocheted from Mom-mom, and I’m in on it, so I am thrilled!

The absolute bestest present…the calendar that SDL makes every year of Miss A and her family and friends, it’s such a treat and honor to be a part of it, our birthdays are part of the calendar too! She didn’t want one of us to open that present without the others, so we had to wait until we had the go-ahead and then we went! We waited for each other to open it, then delved in, wow! I was laughing and crying at the same time, it was awesome! Thank you thank you thank you!

After all the presents were opened, it was bath time, for Miss A, of course! and then time for me to head out and go home, smiling the whole way with my wonderful treats in my bag.

Thank you to everyone who has made this holiday wonderful so far! But…it’s not over! I still get to see more friends this week, which is gift enough for me.

So, as Tiny Tim says “g-d bless us, everyone” and to you I say…”Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!”

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