Merry Christmas

Ten days since I posted. Busy with the holidays. This year celebrating like in the old days. Well not quite but more than the last three years since Gregory passed.

First a long weekend with Mark and Colleen from Augusta, MI.

Next, five days with JD and Lindsey, Great Nephew and his girlfriend from Fort Worth, TX.

Then, for coffee and Christmas cookies, friend Susan from Point Reyes Station, CA.

After the 25th, looking forward to "Jewish Christmas," a time when friends Jan, Jake, Cheryl, and Larry and their kids, Isaac & Jessie, Whitney and Nick, and Emily got to enjoy "Gregory and Michael's Christmas." Also, we order out Chinese!

After the 1st, looking forward to friends, former tenants at 2635 Poplar, Patricia and Ken and their family Janie, Henry, Trishie, and Randy for dinner.

Friend Pat will be in town for us to celebrate the holidays sometime early in January.

Year one after Gregory passed, I did not decorate for the holidays. Grief won out that year.

Year two after Gregory passed I avoided taking down our decorations from the top shelves in the laundry closet. Instead, I purchased a live 3-foot tree, already in a watering tray and stand, from Home Depot. New ornaments and tinsel from Michael's Hobby and a few new strings of Italian lights decorated the Charlie Brown-esk tree. After the holiday, I gave all the "trimmings" away. A few weeks later I left for Mexico for a month.

Year three after Gregory passed, the Christmas boxes once again stayed put in the laundry closet.

Instead, I purchased a lifelong dream by getting a "Z" Scale model train. This is the smallest one made and can fit in a briefcase. I set it up on my desk creating a little Christmas village with newly purchased brush trees and an assortment of little buildings I had sitting around the house.

I also couldn't pass up buying a Victorian Era style miniature Christmas tree. It is about 6 inches high, decorated with teeny tiny ornaments and red ribbons, and surrounded by little gifts and things. I placed it on a revolving pedestal.

That year, a few weeks later, I again went to spend a month in Mexico.

This year, with all the visitors and for some reason feeling joyous with the season approaching I decided to resurrect Christmas and down came the boxes. Used maybe half of the decorations but the house looks quite festive and I am enjoying the season. The train and Victorian tree are out also.

I baked cookies: Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip Walnut, Peanut Butter, Snicker Doodle, Adeline's Walnut, and Great Grandma Barbara's German Spice. I went to TAGs bakery and got red and green butter cookies and date nut bars.

This year no Mexico, am content to hold up in Chicago, in the condo, in the cold weather and snow! So Joy to the World, Peace on Earth, and Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Joyous Kwanza, Happy Winter Solstice, Merry Festival of Pretty Lights, and Happy New Year.