Joy in My World

Well, well, well, or should I say, "ho, ho, ho" - in keeping with the holiday spirit. Christmas season, 2008 is in full swing and I'm in pretty good shape. Ok, I have the beginnings of a head cold, the major gift purchases are still vague ideas, and Nana's holiday party is tomorrow, but the cookies are baked, the food ready for tomorrow, and the few presents I need a.s.a.p. are wrapped and ready. The decorations have been up forever, since before Thanksgiving, and the photo cards have arrived, suitable for addressing, and I picked up the stamps today. The gift to California was sent when I got the stamps. I'm heading out to Ohio, on Wednesday. Celebrating with Tall One's side of the family the following Sunday. And, we wind up the festivities on Christmas Eve...end of post a la 12/12...it's now 12/20/2008!

I did indeed, survive Nana's holiday party. It's pretty much the same every year. It's pretty much the same every party. Which is ok. I know what to expect. Five times a year, Nana and I get together with the-sisters-from-Redding. Four birthdays and a Christmas. We vary the menu; pizza, subs from a shop, or home-made party tray. The key is more food than four people could eat in a lifetime. We exchange gifts. Sometimes they're worthy, sometimes they go directly into the Goodwill Box. But, it's always good to see the sisters. They are really, very, very nice...and they love Nana. Which is helpful.

I flew out to PhD's home on Wednesday. It was eventful in a bland, blase sort of way. We had a "bit of weather". Some minute amount of snow, and the first leg of my flight was delayed. As I waited in line to find out if I'd make my connection, The lady in front of me was barely surviving her altered itinerary. Thirty minutes later, it was my turn. Turned out, I'd make my second leg. "We should have an easy button", chirped the ticket agent...and he went on to tell me EVERYTHING about his kitties...as in kitty cats...as in substitute children. They are trained to come to a bell. He calls him before he leaves the house, because one of them has a tendency to "sneak out". He is an adoring, attentive master/daddy. So, I proceeded on my way.
PhD and I had a really, really, really nice visit. His new apartment is lovely. His life is happy. We did eat in an authentic Greek restaurant, that I would frequent if I lived in that city. The pitas were exactly like the ones Tall One and I salivated over in Greece.
We watched an episode of "Intervention". My life will never be the same....
The six hour drive east was thoroughly enjoyable. For me. I hope for PhD. We talked about everything and nothing. It's strangely gratifying to realize your child has grown to successful adulthood. Big sigh of releif...again....I've known for sometime that he's capable.

And tomorrow is the Tall One-side-of the-family traditional Christmas family get-together. For awhile, a couple of years, we'd assemble over a dozen pizzas. We (the children and spouses) LOVED this! MomMom did not. Three years ago, she decided to host the Christmas gathering...in her condo...and provide and prepare the entire meal. It almost killed her, it did destroy the condo. So...we're off the pizza, back to the sit-down meal of ham or turkey and all the trimmings. This year, I got a little jiggy with the menu. We're having ham loaf...complete with trimmings. I think it'll be ok.

The Christmas cards are in the mail...I swear. I might have to bake MORE cookies, but only because I want too. I've been eating them hand over fist...or head over heels, enough to worry the scale at the gym. There will probably be a separate post about the-my-side-of-the-family traditional Christmas family get-together. And, you won't want to miss THAT!

Tonight we ate Chinese. I can't tell you how tickled I was to find a box of free sushi with the order! Complete with wasabi sauce. I love wasabi. Really, I would marry it.

JOY to the world...