Monday - 2006 has begun.

Except for a few other items around the livingroom this was the extent of our decorating this year – today we packed it all away. Did not take us long. Even the outside lights are now down.

Just before I left for Calif. I put in a pic of my Amaryllis starting to flower again. As I thought, it was just about done when I came home. Elmer did take one pic with his camcorder for me of the last flowers

For those that watch or are interested, I just received a note reminding me that “The Price is Right” show that we are in is to be aired on Jan. 4th, I will be in the second row, right behind the contestants.

My next Photo Album of one of our day trips from that vacation is now ready too

Huntington Library           

I think of this week as the in-between week, where Christmas celebrations and all that led up to it are now over, and we settle down and review all that has gone by in the last year.

As the week progresses we start to let go of much that was and get ready for a whole lot of new experiences. Some of us even try to form resolutions as to what we would like to change or accomplish in the coming year, whether we keep them or not only time will tell.
For all of us who do, may they be good and within our reaches. 
Soon it will be New Years Eve and many will celebrate New Beginnings.
This is my favorite time of all. I may not go into any celebrations that are outward, but my heart soars, and I give thanks for all that has been and all that will come.

p.s. I have put the link for my new New Years Page in my heading – I do hope some of you will take a look.

Happy Boxing Day for all of you who celebrate it.
Christmas Day is done.
We had a great party at my Daughter’s house on Christmas Eve, where many of our family gathered to help celebrate the season. Angela really put herself out for this one, the first she has held since we have decided not to do it any more. It took a lot of patience and ingenuity on her part, and with the help of her husband and boys, was able to get my Mother to join us for a couple of hours. Quite a feat, as she not only had to organize taxi service and get the Cottage staff to fall in with her plans, but also had to see she was carried up the stairs in her wheelchair (they had to put her in a smaller one for us to do this). All of it well worth the stress and effort. Mom was just overwhelmed! It has been so long since she has been able to get out of the Nursing Home, as her wheelchair cannot be transported. This is also the first year that she has been well enough and cognizant enough to have this done. So very different from last year, when she was at the point of dying. I cannot get over how much she has come back to us in the last couple of months!

Angela had also let the Family know in Calif that she was to be there, and they were all thrilled to be able to phone and talk to her. What a happy face Mom had even though she had a lot of tears of happiness in the process.

Christmas Day, Angela and I joined her at the Cottage to share the special Lunch for family and residents. After this we went to daughter Sheilagh to wish them all a Merry Xmas and give my gifts to her three. It was so gratifying – those girls were thrilled with the gifts, and just kept hugging and thanking me. Then they came up with a huge bag filled with goodies for Elmer and I. Katie laughed when she saw my face “Grandma, I know, we all went a bit overboard here. Even Dad bought you something from him too” Bless them. They knew my favorite plum pants had given up, so they had searched everywhere till they found one close enough for me. I am so happy, a suede type fabric, so soft and cuddly, with the self lining of silk – WOW!  And this was only one of the packages.

Today we will be joining John and Angela once again, as they have invited us for a late Christmas dinner, theirs having to be delayed a day due to John working yesterday.

Saturday! Christmas Eve. Hope you are all set for the big day. Tonight is the night our family gets together to share goodwill amongst each other. Tomorrow is the Big Day for the children. And I will be going to my Mother at the Cottage to share her Christmas lunch with her.
We had a surprise visit yesterday from our Investor. He did phone, and I felt quite bad as he asked if he could come over and deliver a present for us. I was not expecting this, and indeed had never met him, as Elmer is the one who does all the banking, so I gave him a hard time at first until I understood who he was. Such a sweet person. He had gone out and purchased gifts personaly for some of his clients, and we recieved a beautifully boxed set of fancy teas.

Elmer just had to try some out after he left. They do look good, and he enjoyed the couple he had.

I have also completed my next album of my California trip. Enjoy my day at the

J. Paul Getty Museum

It is that time of year again where I assume everybody else, like me, is very busy trying to get organized and ready for Xmas.  A tradition that is very strong with all, including myself, even though I celebrate for reasons other than religious.

It is this very dichotomy in our home that has caused me some tormoil, this year in particular there is a lot of pressure out for everyone to understand it is a religious celebration, and this puts me into a place where I want to reject everything about it, even though I do not feel that way. Just me – I get my back up as a defense mechanism
The result of some of this is very few decorations, no tree, but I did feel happy that Elmer put up the lights outside. Just enough so we look pretty, without going overboard, even though less than half of what we have has been used. They look so pretty on all the homes around us, brightening the night up with their twinkles and colors. A joy to drive around and view. A beautiful panorama of light to combat the long dark winter nights.

Meanwhile, I am way behind on my shopping and cards. Did manage to get a lot done yesterday, and should brave the shopping crowds again later on today and see if I can complete my list. (this has shortened this year too) Not sure what to get my Mother though, this one is tough. There are so many NoNo’s as to what we can buy for her. I also have to go and decorate her room – late with this too   Just harder for me to make merry there in this respect as I am limited in what I can do in the part of the room she is in.
But we did get to her party put on by the Cottage for everyone. I was so pleased to see they had cut and set her hair for this event as I asked. Never know with them, but they pulled through for us this time. She is surprisingly alert now, and seems to be with it far more than she has been in the last couple of years.

I have been trying to also work on the album of this event, and at the same time do the next one of my vacation, which is now ready to look at.

http://www.care2.com/c2c/photos/view/449078385/A_Day_at_Venice_Beach_Calif_/

Got to thinking about me – seems I have had to re-live the past while working on the albums, try to visualize what the future needs, and still work for the now all at the same time. Do we all do that? I discovered that I have to actually re-live a memory for me to recall the emotions and events, instead of just remembering from a removed point of view. 

By the way – yes Marj, this is my latest picture – I looked at myself in some of my vacation photos and decided it was time to do something with my hair so went out and had a cut and perm. This photo was taken at Mom’s Xmas Party, and I thought it was a great one of me.

Sure takes a lot of time to organize my photos – many were for family only, which are the ones I have been working on for the most part. But now I have completed the first one where we actually started exploring the valley and places none of us had seen or ones I had not been to anyway.
After the wedding, I moved in with sister Renee as we stayed at her son’s apt. We had just over a week there while the bride and groom were on honeymoon. With the loan of Brent’s truck, and armed with a map, three grandmas were out on the town!!
Our first place to go to after Price is Right was a day exploring the La Brea Tar Pits. This is the album of what we saw. Alex was with us the following day before he left for home, and took us back again to explore the Miricale Mile and see the TUT Exhibit that was on before it closed.
While we were at the Tar Pits we met a young man who spent a lot of time with us after we left the building. Such an interesting person, who showed us a lot of what he was doing. It was he too that let us know about the exhibit, as well as many other points of interest around the area. I know we could have spent a lot more time with him, but it was quite dark by the time we broke up, and the security guard was letting us know he was not very happy with us hanging around the steps the way we were.
As we left, I tripped on a portion of the sidewalk that had moved up a bit – fell on my face, cut my temple near my eyebrow almost to the bone, and think I was on the point of just passing out – would not let myself do this, but know all I wanted to do was just lay there and let everything go away. Strange feeling. The frames of my glasses were broken , and I was just thankfull I could still use them, albeit, only one side hung on and I had to be sure to hold them to my face whenever I had to look down. They were like this for the bulk of my stay until my brother was able to glue them back together on Thanksgiving day. As for my eye/face it swelled and turned bright red for a couple of days, but never did blacken. I was so sure it would. But I have great healing, and it has not left any scars now.
Here is the album –

We had such a lovely surprise a couple of nights ago. I had been talking to daughter Angela, telling her we just could not get into the Xmas spirit at all this year. Elmer was not interested in putting up any decorations, except for a couple of outside lights. Well, a nock on the door and who should be there but her and John with a big present and card, all smiles!!!

 and it lights up too!!

Today, as we found it a place of honor, it looked so lonely we had to pull out all the other goodies they had given us over the past years, as well as a few other decorations. Our Livingroom really does look festive now. The only thing left is to go look for a smaller tree, as we do not want our big one any more, and are donating that to a school, where it will have a home.

After looking at some of the photos of me on vacation I also went out and had a perm!

Still is very tight, but a huge improvement  

Going to jump a bit in sequence to the Monday after the wedding. This pic was sent to me by Gaye, who was the only one that actually was able to get a photo of us before they let us in. Knowing we would not be allowed to take cameras into the grounds the rest of us left ours at home.

Sister Renee, friend Dot, Gaye, Myself and Alex.

Gaye and Alex are friends of the family from our childhoodays. They are the ones that sent for tickets for us to be in “The Price is Right” show on this Tues. As they had come straight from Hawaii to the wedding, they were able to bring us these Leis, Shirts and caps, especially for this event. Unfortunately, they no longer allow the leis and hats, so they had to be taken off again and put into the car.

What a day!

Alex had us all up by 4 am so that we could beat the traffic there as we had to show at the gate by 6am in order to affirm a seat. Well we made it in great time but Gaye forgot the tickets at Brent and Michelles apartment. So Alex and Renee dashed back after they had their confirmation, through the starting traffic on the freeway to get the tickets. They had to be back at 7.30am  – without them we would not have been allowed to go any further. While we were waiting for them, Gaye, Dot and I went across the road and had some coffee at a little cafe. They must make a killing in sales every time there is a show on, as this is the only place to get anything, and most of the crowd lined up like us for something to eat and drink.With the traffic now in full swing, it took two hours for them to get back, while Gaye, Dot and myself kept trying stay in line as they started to go in, till they arrived. Whew!! we were just about the last in, but we made it!

Once they confirmed we did have a ticket, we were then told we could leave, but to be back at 12pm. We had been placed for the 4.30 taping. With this time free we walked a couple of blocks to the Farmer’s Market down the street. A huge complex, filled with many food and gift stalls. I could not get over the variety of fruits and vegetables there – would have come home with armloads full if I lived there. We split for a while while we went to find something each of us would like for brunch, meeting up later with our plates to enjoy it together. (Poor Renee, she had pancakes – looked so good, but were not the right thing for her. Within a couple of hours she was throwing up, and had to go to the car just as they were about to take us inside for the taping.) I chose a wonderful fruit plate just heaped with so many pieces of every fruit imaginable. Yummy!

While we were there, who should walk into us but Nephews Kevin with Jim, thier nieces Meighan and Shelley with her baby. They had stopped off at the Chinese Theater and then the Farmers market before taking Jim to the airport. This was such a lovely surprise and so unexpected for all of us.

I was just so sorry they would not allow us to take out cameras through the gates – I could not see what harm it could do to be allowed to take some of the scenery outside, or even the crowds of us sitting (and sitting) on those cold hard benches, both in the holding pen outside and against the wall while we waited to be interviewed and sent to the next set of benches to wait to be called in . In front of us in the line up were two people married for 50 years, he was picked and won several things including a car. At least I got to meet and talk to a neat group of young people who had come from San Francisco (travelling all night and returning home again right after!) just for this show – all graduates from the Baptist Seminary, and due to take off for various Missions after they returned home. (this while waiting to go in at the last set of benches)

From 12 – 4pm we sat in order as they asigned us numbers, and they did not want us to roam around (we could of course go to a bathroom, and get something from their snack/souvenir stand) and around 3pm they interviewed us according to those numbers to see if we would be what they were looking for to be picked to go up, then sent on to the next set of benches near the Studio. I finaly did find out where smokers could go, while waiting to be interviewd, and had a quick one LOL. It was a long but interesting day!

I’m Back!

What a wondeful time I had while away! Every day there was somehting going on – lots of family to re-unite with

and these are just the ones that were in the photo. A few had not arrived yet, as this was taken while waiting to go into the Church, and many could not come to the wedding for various reasons.

It was such a beautiful one too. Over 100 people, it was held in the St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Sherman Oaks. The priest was a cousin of the Groom, who came, with his father, to officiate and join in on this happy occasion.

The Happy Couple (they really only had eyes for each other and we loved it!)

The reception was held in an historic Library, now used for occasions like this, right on the beach front at Redondo Beach – a long drive down the coast from the wedding. Of course, apart from everyone else I was thrilled to be with, I was especially happy my son and his youngster were able to make it too and spend a little time with us.

Trever was not too sure about me – he really mostly knows me as his Grandmother that talks on the phone   Still he had a great time getting to meet so many of his relatives for the first time. A bit overwhelming to say the least for the little fellow. I was just so happy to see him getting along so well with the younger group.

I took at least over 500 photos for the time I was away, and am going to take some time to get them all organized and into Albums to share with everyone. Don’t worry though – many of them are for family only, as they are not happy about having themselves and their children put on the open web (even though I could not resist putting the group one in here). But there are still plenty of the rest of my adventures to show you – and I had something going on every single day for the 3 weeks I was away  
Just taking me a bit to settle down and get back into the daily routine I had before – so very different from my BUSY, (exhausting) and great! vacation.

It seems like it was a long time ago that I started to make plans to visit the family in California but the time has finaly arrived. The main event is the wedding of Nephew Brent. And from all I have been hearing family from all over are going to be there   too – quite a momentous occasion all round as this will almost constitute a family re-union which has never occured before to this extent.
I am so excited. My bags are packed for the most part, my camera battery fully charged (and have another now too as backup). The phone lines have been just buzzing with calls and last minute instructions and updates.
The first week will be spent with brother George and family, then I am joining my Sister Renee who has let me know she has a list of places we going to explore and visit.   Hopefully I will be taking lots of photos of everything while there. (and you know me  when I say lots I mean it!)
I have no idea exactly how long I am going to be there, a minimum of two weeks, with a possibility of staying longer than that. I may or may not have access to a computer, but if I do will try to pop in and say hi, otherwise will be giving all my news when I return.
And of course all those photo albums to share when I have them ready.