Well Darlings,
Christmas is almost here. The last few gifts are wrapped and boxed and ready to go.
Juanita has joined her daughter and son-in-law and already she’s called me so happy that she forgot that my Spanish is limited. But her brother and sister and their families that she has not seen in over 5 years have arrived, her daughter’s house is over flowing she is just sooo happy and I am happy for her.
For myself well in about an hour I am having some friends over for drinks and little munchies, all very pot luck, already I have the radio playing Christmas music. Koit is such a wonderful station.
Yesterday Bill, Irma, Kevin and I went to Dunsmuir house for the last of the holiday tours, I just love it, so Victorian Christmassy, then we had an early Dinner at this restaurant that none of us have tired before but we heard it was good, Jojo’s in Piedmont, divinely well worth the excellent marks it’s been receiving.
All right Darlings I’ll tell you what we had; now I have to confess I’ve always had a good appetite so I can still burn off the calories, but I do exercise as well—don’t want to be flabby.
It has been so chilly that we all started off with the Butternut squash soup. I had the grilled tuna and Irma had the scallops in a clan and bacon stew. The men as men do had the flat iron steak, of course we all had to sample what the other was having, and darlings, do make reservations. They are on the web so you will have an idea of their menu and prices. For dessert I had the sorbet, and Irma dived into the pear and vanilla profiterole, the men had the cheese selection and stole bits of our desserts.
For drinks the men had beer, and Irma and I had the Chablis. Delightful.
Then we drove around and looked at the Christmas lights in the areas’ that have been marked as Christmas lanes’ with Koit playing on the radio. Everyone was doing that so a great deal of attention had to be paid to on the pedestrians. We finished at Bill and Irma’s home for coffee and cookies what a lovely evening, then Kevin took me home and then….. Well Darlings that would be telling.
And I treasure Juanita so; she had everything ready in the Refrigerator with instructions for me how to heat everything. Well we did do a trade off----I helped her wrap her grandchildren’s presents , so much ribbon and paper and we were laughing because we knew the children would just rip it all off and poor little Princess she got so excited that she started running around the house with scraps of Christmas wrap in her mouth and just growling.
But now the house is lighted with candles, and decorations in red, green and gold, the smells of cinnamon and vanilla and hot cider flow through the house, it’s sort of a house warming as well, because many of my friends have not seen it yet, so this will be an experience for them.
Now for my little Diva lesson, Darlings if you want to throw a party, you can get wonderful platters from your Deli section at your supermarket, or at Cost Co. and all kinds of paper goods as well there. For beverages, Beverages and More has an excellent selection and I recommend inexpensive wine glasses, if it breaks you don’t cry, and you can store it until the next time---restaurant supplies houses offer them. And always make sure that your home has a dishwasher---it’s such a life saver.
And even better have it pot luck with a white elephant gift exchange, things in good shape one doesn’t want or even silly things that one sees can be exchanged at this little game. For the last 4 years a strange looking plastic statue has been circulating around among us, I wonder who will get it this year. Everyone comes up with an unusual way to disguise it.
Tomorrow Constance and her oldest Daughter will come by to help with the clean up and putting away of things, but I don’t want to keep her away from her family too long, so with the three of us it should go quickly. Constance offered because I’m giving her mother a nice long holiday vacation with pay, it’s only fair. Darlings remember, if you have staff that do well for you, treat them well, they can be life savers.
Then Princess and I go off to my brothers in San Francisco, I’ll be staying at his home for the next few days, We’ll be going to Mid-night Mass and a late snack, and then the children and grandchildren (my nieces and nephews) will invade for Christmas Day dinner, then to recover my sister-in-law and I are going to pamper ourselves at this Spa that she’s discovered for the next few days after Christmas and we may see if there is any special sales we can find at Saks or Tiffany’s.
And then on to New Years!! Kevin wants to dress up 1940’s and dance the evening away on the U.S.S. Hornet he’s bought the Admirals seating tickets and the buffet dinner reservations---who am I so say ‘no’.
Romance Darlings, Romance!!
Must go my guests will be here any minute.
Until Anon Darlings, Merry Christmas and Many More.
