Today's picture is my Dad at a Christmas celebration at my in-laws' house. We no longer have to entertain with elderly parents because they are all gone. (Last one six years ago.) But the season and our lives can be busy.
So, yesterday I played tennis. Good to get to do that in spite of the holiday looming. One gal couldn't make it and got a sub and she was a lot of fun. When I got home, I started on a project to make thumbnails our of the 89 slides that I had digitized for my aunt. I didn't get too far with that because I was distracted by other things. Then I had to have some leftovers and salad for lunch. It was necessary to lay a base because we were going to be confronted with a bunch of Mexican food. We went to a memorial party at a Mexican restaurant in the early afternoon for our friend's son who recently died of a heart attack. There were margaritas (too early) and a Mexican buffet. We had water and talked to our friend and his wife, to the widow and to a few other folks. We said the things you say that don't really do any good. We came home. I might have fiddled with the jigsaw puzzle I've set up for holiday fun. (It is secondhand and, I think, missing a few pieces if trying to get the edge together is any indication.) We got the mail and there were three holiday cards. But I was winning because I'd already sent a card to each family. There was also a 'thank you' note for a gofundme donation for a dog's surgery. It had a cute dog picture on it so I put it out with the holiday cards. I might have worked a crossword puzzle. I donned a red jacket (festive) and we drove a short distance through traffic to go to a holiday party at a house where the folks put up all these lights and characters and have a personal trail of lights. We talked to friends. I drank water and had one of those iced holiday cookies. (A Christmas tree. A Jewish couple joined me in selecting the tree cookies. She said, "This is the only Christmas tree I'll have.") There was a buffet. Of Mexican food. I eschewed that. When we got home, we went to our favorite bar and I had one Manhattan and fried chicken with kale slaw. I gave myself a gold star for passing up two Mexican buffets. Have I mentioned that I have conquered food? For some reason, I find it easier than ever in the holiday season. Don't I? I hope so. The fried chicken was a smallish portion which and I shared a little bit with FFP.
And, well, our holiday continues. I have to get showered and dressed and go to the annual holiday party at our downtown club. (It is always over the noon hour on the last workday before Christmas.) There are Bloody Marys (I plan to have one) and there is a buffet that usually includes tamales, shrimp, etc. We will visit with friends and then come home and rest up for (wait for it) a Feliz Navidad party in the early evening! Yep. We will go. I am not made of stone. I'm having the buffet of, no doubt, Mexican Food. We have to drive so FFP won't drink and I probably won't either (see Bloody Mary above), but we plan to leave the party a little before the finish and come home and go to a jazz club and meet four friends. Perhaps I will have a Guinness or two at the club. Well, party, party, party. We have a big day planned for Christmas Eve, too. A music thing at noon at the Armadillo Christmas Bazaar and dinner and back to the same jazz club as tonight with some friends. The good news is we have nothing on Christmas. We plan to make a breakfast and maybe snacks later. (I'm thinking of trying a recipe for Welsh Rarebit aka cheesy toast). We might mix some drinks or open some wine. Or I might put some amaretto and Kahlua in a coffee. We will read the papers and our books and fiddle with the jigsaw. We will watch old movies on TV or some Netflix. We like to pull out 'Giant' and watch that. Christmas scene is amazing.
Well, that's sort of the plan. Maybe I won't miss writing again. And maybe I'll find time to read some more of the offerings in Holidailies.
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