My Christmas

Have just enjoyed reading various Christmases described on Christmas night by friends who enjoyed a wide range of activities (or non-activities) all with family, fun and relaxation the components.

As for me, I went to my sister's home on Long Island. Car picked me up at 1 for about an hour's trip. On the Long Island Expressway going there, I saw a car pulled over to the side of the road and as I was feeling sorry for anyone having car trouble, I noticed five or six flower memorials, floral crosses that people sometimes do in the case of a fatal car accident. And the car was there so the occupants could stop and pay respects. I mentioned this to Scott and Mary E when I arrived, that it was near Exit #40 and Scott said, "That must have been for Harry Chapin." Then he googled it and he was killed near Exit #40. The fatal car accident, which I have to say I don't have much memory of, took place in July, but Chapin's birthday was December 7th so I guess he still has very devoted followers and fans.

So onto Christmas. We talked and cooked and opened presents. Christmas dinner was a beautiful beef filet. Sides were those little red potatoes roasted with garlic and rosemary, corn pudding, fresh broccoli and home-made popovers which were wonderful. I hadn't had a popover in years.

For some reason, these popovers came out the biggest/tallest Scott had made. He ascribed their success perhaps to mixing the ingredients in the blender, I ate two!

For some reason, this photo is determined to be here, no matter what I do, so we'll jump to dinner with the little paper crowns and this is Clark with his father in the background. 

This is Charlie in his Christmas present sweater that he liked. Scott says Charlie actually likes wearing clothes. Later when the sweater came off, Clark wanted to see if it fit him. Of course, he couldn't get his arms through the holes but he got it over his head with the little ears which reminded his mother of when he was a baby and had a little wool hat with ears on it. 

Louisa got this very soft blanket as a gift which Charlie assumed was his for a nap. Luckily Louisa is an animal lover so she didn't mind.

Clark and me. And I'm wearing a hand-dyed scarf that Fran made and gifted me for Christmas. Really beautfiul. 

And here is Clark putting together this little kit I gave him... one was to build the Space Shuttle and one was to build the White House... he finished the Space Shuttle one and really enjoyed it.

And here's Louisa.

And later at the dinner table. That's sparkling cider in her hand, not wine!

Here's Charlotte... The little paper crown is from the Christmas crackers that each had a toned whistle inside numbered from one to seven and they gave you stickers to identify which number whistle you had and Charlotte put hers on her forehead. Later she was the conductor of the whistle orchestra and we played "Jingle Bells," "Deck the Halls" and "Good King Wenceslas" on the whistles with Charlotte pointing to us when it was time to toot. She really was a great conductor since we had random numbers and we probably looked like the special needs family with our concentration with our whistles, but we did make music and laughed a lot.