Christmas At My House

One of the absolutely wonderful things about Christmas is that for a few days I have all of my Family under one roof. At Christmas we go out and buy our own gifts and wrap them. The fun is watching each other open our gifts and see what each other bought. For fun we write on the gifts of a family member who "gave" us that gift. It us most fun watching the grandchildren open their gifts. Sean is as wired as he Can be and is excited for each gift. We then have a really wonderful dinner with many traditions. One of my favorite dishes is Pomegranate salad that Kristine makes. Then the family plays a game of Shanghai Rummy which is very loud and boisterous. I politely excuse myself from this game because to me it is annoying and tedious. The rest of the family really enjoys playing the game. I had a good Christmas and enjoyed the interaction with my family.

The Cellist

 



 Marilyn and Her Cello Teacher Jamilynn at her Cello Recital.

 

 

My Daughter Marilyn who is thirty-something has had a dream of playing the Cello. One day she decided she was going to do it. She got a Cello, and went and found an excellent teacher and began her dream. Last night she gave her first recital with the assistance of her Teacher. She has only been taking the lessons seven or eight months Although very nervous, she did an excellent job. I believe this shows that it is never too late to take hold of a dream. Her Mother and I are very proud of her. She has great support because half of the audience was there to see her.

The Boys

These two beautiful creatures are my dogs Red and Rusty. Red is a Cavalier Spaniel, and Rusty is a Cocker Spaniel. Truly, these dogs are very special. They are part of Virginia's and my life the we wouldn't know what to do without. They are both very loving and gentle. They have become very bonded, and it is sad when we separate them for any reason. They cry and are very sad until they are together again. I got Red because of a very  fortunate meeting. I was walking across a parking lot and there was a girl walking this cute dog. I noticed that the dog was living in her truck. When I got into the building we happened the get on the elevator together. I mentioned to her what a cute dog he was. As she was getting off the elevator she mentioned that she had to find a good home for him because she was going through a divorce. I quickly jumped off the elevator and said "Here I Am." I told her he would have a loving home and that he would be well taken care of. After a few days she deemed that I was to have him. When she gave him to me she said, "Do you believe in fate." She was very worried about him and I was the answer to her prayers. My wife Virginia did not want another dog, but it was love at first sight and now they are best friends. Rusty came to us because my Daughter Marilyn wanted to get a dog. She was going through a bad time and wanted a dog that was hers. Virginia and I were not thrilled about the idea but joined in because we knew Marilyn needed something to take care of. She found an ad in the newspaper and wanted to go and get this dog that was for sale. We went and found that the dog was living in a crate because the owners had moved home with her mother and the home was very fancy and they did not want a dog running around. It was love at first sight for both Marilyn and I, so we purchased him and brought him home. His name was "Estelle" which we thought strange for a male dog so we changed his name to "Rusty" because of his coloring  and it went with "Red". He is now a joy in our family, and a best buddy to Red. Rusty is "Marilyn's" dog, but Virginia and I are very close to him. We have a Motor Home and they both love to go on vacation. We consider ourselves very blessed that they are both a part of our family.

The Lovely Viviene

This little cutie pie is Viviene the Daughter of my niece Allison. This is a good picture as she is full of vinegar. She has personality oozing from every pore. I like here very much, and I wish she lived closer.