Earl and I are finally winding down after a busy, busy Christmas celebration. As I type this in our “Great Room”, arranged comfortably on the loveseat, he is lying on the couch, in his underwear with an afghan over him (the blanket, not an Afghan man) snoring away. The noise is music to my ears. He’s worked hard all day and now he deserves the rest. I’m happy that my Powerbook has a relatively quiet keyboard for me to peck at.
On Thursday night we left for suburban Philly to visit his folks for Christmas Eve. It was 60 degrees when we left (so much for the -13 degrees we had at the beginning of the week), but the temps quickly fell as darkness moved in, and it was a seasonable 25 degrees when we arrived at our destination.
We spent the night at Rick and Helen’s (Earl’s step brother’s house). Surprisingly, we both slept very well. We gave them our Christmas present to them early – our old iMac setup. When we bought the new computers, we decided not to sell the iMac and printer that we had but thought that they would enjoy them instead. So we packed up the whole thing and put a big bow on it and there you are. I know that they’re going to enjoy it very much, and at the very least it’ll provide another excuse for our to stay in touch with each other better.
We spent Christmas Eve at Earl’s dad’s house. He’s doing much better in the health department and their seemed to be an festive electricity in the air, as everyone exchanged pleasantries. I must honestly say that I had an absolutely wonderful time down there. Hugs and kisses were exchanged, warm feelings were shared and presents were passed all around. It is a beautiful thing to be accepted at the in-laws so well.
We did our usual mad dash home, leaving Philly around 8:00 to arrive at 1:00 a.m., just in time to get everything set and hit the hay. Earl and I were up early like the little kids that we are and opened presents. A lot of wonderful gifts. I’ll have to model my new clothes and Aussie jacket for the blog. Plus I’m not a proud member of the iPod society. I’m eager to get that going.
We entertained all day today. My sister and her friend, along with my Dad and his girlfriend got here around 11:00, we enjoyed brunch with them and exchanged gifts. They were off around 3:00 and my mom arrived right on their heels. More exchanging of gifts and more great food.
All in all it was a wonderful day. The holidays mean a lot of different things to different people. To me, they are about family. I am a truly blessed person to have such a loving, supportive and caring family and group of friends surrounding us. I’m honored to have my loving partner at my side. I thank Mother and Father God for their gifts every day.
This is truly the most wonderful time of the year.
Happy Holidays to all!
I’ve posted pictures from our holiday gathering.
