Christmas Eve with Heather, David and the kids...

As we've done for several years now, we had Christmas Eve dinner with Heather and her family last night. The kids were trying to be patient while we ate! Once the table was cleared, they were able to open the gifts from Grandpa and "Grandma M" - a book about animals and a puzzle for Jonathan, an American Girl Baking Table (with "treats") for Sophia, and scooters and helmets for the two little guys. They all seemed to be thrilled with their gifts, and we so enjoyed spending a lovely evening with the whole family.

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" Bells...

Christmas - a magical time when new memories are made and old ones are bought to mind.

When Margaret's mother was still alive and hosting a Christmas Day gathering in her home, one of the traditions was for the family to sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas". This tradition included the ringing of twelve bell ornaments (one for each day) by the owner of that bell at the appropriate place in the music. (The bells had all been gifts to us from Mom.) Aunt Anne heard about this tradition from Lee and asked to see a picture of one of the bells. Here it is, hanging on our tree as it has for many years.

The Christmas table is taking shape...

Christmas dinner will be served here very soon! And, now we have the perfect centerpiece - a Christmas bouquet sent to Margaret for her birthday by her dear Aunt Anne and Uncle Byron! The new plaid tablecloth is comfy, winter casual. We think it will be a nice background for the Christmas dishes.

More Christmas lights in Newport and Balboa...

For Margaret's birthday on Tuesday night, we returned to Newport Beach for dinner at a lovely restaurant near the water. After dinner we drove onto Balboa Peninsula saw we could ride the ferry from the peninsula to Balboa Island. (Confusing, we know! It's a tiny island, reached by either ferry or bridge.) The ferry ride is short, just about five minutes, but it gave us a wonderful vantage of the lights on both sides. Once on the island, we drove through some of the residential streets and saw some beautiful home Christmas displays. The building outlined in lights seen twice in the distance is the historic Balboa Pavilion.

Margaret's Birthday Guardian Angel...

Margaret's big birthday surprise, a Guardian Angel made by two lady artists we discovered in Santa Barbara a few years ago. The horse head is painted from a photo Larry sent them of Belle! They did an amazing job of capturing her expression.

Christmas puppies...

Nica and Sassy peeking out from the stairs behind the Christmas tree.

The Newport Beach Boat Parade...

We've talked about going to watch the Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade for years, but never thought to make reservations anywhere soon enough. (Or felt like braving cold breezes off the water to watch it from outside!) This year we remembered to call for a restaurant reservation in October and had a front row seat for the first of the five night parade of forty or more boats.

Please remember that these pictures were taken through the restaurant window and, of course, without a flash. We're not posting them because we think they are great pictures! (And there were many, many more too blurred to even bother uploading!) But, we thought you might enjoy seeing how elaborate some of the displays are. And, by the way, we have NO idea what the glowing red orbs are in many of these pictures.

Christmas Tree 2011...

It's funny how much our new artificial tree looks like the one we just retired. The shape is very similar, but this tree seems to have a bit more ornament space. (The better to keep buying ornaments!) We wish we could get our Christmas tree out of the "dining" area" and into the living room proper, but that would mean giving up a comfy chair that comes in handy with holiday guests!

No matter. We love our tree and how warm and festive it makes our home feel.

New bows to "deck the halls"...

The burgundy bows that have hung from our stair-railing during Christmas for years had finally given out. We think these plaid bows are a fun new look! (And that they practically match the new winter holiday table cloth bought a couple of weeks later was a nice bit of serendipity!)

Holiday decorating Southern California style...

Lots of people decorate the trunks of palm trees in these parts, but you don't often see the lights up into the palm fronds. Part of the decorations in a local strip mall!

Beautiful holiday lights...

En route to a barn Christmas party last night, we went in search of a home Christmas light display that had made the local newspaper. It was impressive - in a gawdy, not very Christmasy sort of way. (Also impossible to photograph well because it all flashed!) Still we were glad we had come to this particular neighborhood because many of the homes were beautifully decorated. We especially liked these two. (Apologies for the blurriness of the lights on that massive gate!)

Holiday "critters" in the neighborhood...

Drove once around the pool when we got home last night to check out our neighbors' Christmas lights. We saw Eyore, a Teddy Bear, and a Reindeer!

Isaac is two...

Got this photo from Heather. Here's Isaac enjoying his two year old birthday cupcake on Tuesday!

Sophia playing handbells...

...and singing with the choir.

Jonathan "preparing"...

...and singing in the chorus.

Sophia's Solo...

...actually part of her duet with a little boy out of camera range. The camera operator sends her apologies for the shaky camera work - her arm got tired!

Jonathan and Sophia's Christmas Pageant...

Jonathan and Sophia's Home School group presented their annual Christmas Pageant last night and both of them participated. Jonathan (wearing the argyle sweater) is still a bit shy about performing, but he joined in as part of the choir. On the other hand, Sophia (in the red dress) is very enthusiastic about appearing on stage and was one of the night's soloists. The show was adorable and all the kids were great.

Joshua and Isaac did a admirable job of sitting through the nearly hour long program. We were able to get a picture of Joshua, but Isaac, who turns two today(!) wasn't in the mood to be photographed. The good news is that he loved his new birthday tennis shoes that he got to open after the performance last night. We'll be seeing them all again, very soon, on Christmas Eve. Of course there will be lots more pictures.

Winter Sawdust Festival...

We made our first ever visit to the Winter Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach this morning. Artists in so many different medias sell their pieces there, it's almost too much to take in! The grounds are decorated for the season, and Santa is in his workshop for the kids to visit. Despite the fact that the winds are still mighty chilly, we certainly enjoyed our time there today just as much as when we went over the summer. And, we got a bit of shopping done, too!

A new tradition...

Last year we went to the Lighting of the Bay (the Back Bay in Newport Beach) Ceremony for the first time and had such a good time that we put it on our calendar for this year. Always the first Friday night in December, it's such a festive way to kick off the holiday. Despite the chilly "breezes" coming across the bay, this year's event was very well attended, and just as much fun as we remembered from last year. Big steaming cups of hot chocolate helped fight the chill. Hot dogs, chili and chowder were also available.

The first group of kids performing, OC Song and Dance, is made up of adolescents and younger teens who do just what the name says - sing and dance. They are adorable. They were followed by a local high school choir who did a short set of traditional Christmas carols quite beautifully. Then Santa arrived in a decked out red jeep to throw the switch and light up the bay. New (we think) this year was the inclusion of a Menorah and Star of David on one of the lighted floats in the bay. Something for everyone!

Our Thanksgiving table...

Belated Thanksgiving Greetings from our house! We spent another lovely holiday at home, sharing our Thanksgiving dinner with our dear friends, Chuck and Christine Sweeney. Once again, the holiday table was a mix of Margaret's cherished hunt china, the family silver, and seasonally colored decorations. In lieu of flowers in the center this year, we made use of two wine glasses we got while tasting wine in Temecula last April as part of our anniversary get-away. Little did we know when we got them - they are too tall for any cupboard in our kitchen. They'd been sitting on the kitchen table for months when it occurred to Margaret that they'd make good floating candle holders. The cranberries in the glasses had been in the freezer since last year! They were certainly too old to eat, but not too old to become part of our centerpiece.

Autumn florals...

...in preparation for Thanksgiving.

"In The Groove"...

Years ago Sassy decided that the pillow or pillows on the end of the couch were hers. When it became obvious to us that she would spend a good part of each day there, we decided that a cover over the pillows would keep them cleaner and smelling better. Despite being Christmasy, that flannel throw covers the pillows all the time now except when company is expected. Sassy sometimes snuggles herself between the pillows and the arm of the couch as you can see here - that's when she's prepared to do some really serious napping!

Earlier holiday blooms...

Some days ago we posted a picture of the first flowers on our winter Camellia "Noel". Decided we just had to post another as it looks now - much more bloomed out. It's doubtful that there will be much color left by Christmas, but it's still exciting to see the most buds and blossoms ever on that pretty little shrub.











The Christmas Cactus seem to want to be "Thanksgiving Cactus" this year, as well. And that's okay, too! Means that the seasonal color of the gourds and mini-pumpkins we've scattered around the front steps tie it all together.

Lunch to celebrate Jonathan's...

...eighth birthday! Jonathan and his family celebrated on his birthday last Friday with a trip to the LA Zoo. Today, we joined Heather and the four kids for lunch out and our chance to congratulate our big-boy on being eight years old. He seems to be quite thrilled with the "Heelies" his mom said he'd been wanting.

Fall fun...

Just received from Heather - the kids at a Pumpkin Patch, and all dressed for Halloween as characters from "The Wizard of Oz".

A beautiful Sunday on the Queen Mary...

A sunny Sunday in late October just begs for an outing! Neither of us had been on the Queen Mary in more years than we could count, so off to Long Beach we headed. Visitors can choose between self and guided tours of the ship; we decided to tour on our own and were pleased that we did. We spent a few hours walking through the historical displays, dining in the Grand Salon, and walking the decks. What a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!

Beginning the tour...

As we purchased our Self-tour tickets it was suggested that we begin at the aft of the ship in the area that has been converted into a multi-level museum. Historical facts cover the walls of this level, large pieces of equipment are displayed, as well as Queen Mary/Cunard posters.

The Queen Mary retired from service in 1967 and was purchased by the City of Long Beach. It has been operated as a hotel and entertainment venue for more than forty years.

Submerged..

A circular staircase takes you down to another level filled with exhibits. For both of us, one of the most profound images we saw was that of one of the ship's giant "screws" still underwater.

Glimpsing the past...

The exhibit includes a number of recreations of cabins, small dining and music rooms, the beauty salon, and even the print shop.

Reminders of the war years...

Miserably small bunks, a machine gun and search light, and a sign all serve as reminders that the Queen Mary became a troop carrier during the war. In fact, she carried over 800,00 troops, and traveled more than 600,000 miles during the war years, earning the affectionate nickname, "The Grey Ghost".

The Engine Room...

When you see the engine room it doesn't really seem possible that it could have held everything necessary to power an enormous ship.

Sunday Brunch in the Grand Salon...

By the time we finished touring through the historical displays, it was time for a bite to eat. There are a number of restaurants and lounges on board, but we decided to partake in the Queen's Sunday Champagne Brunch. The Grand Salon is huge, nine thousand square feet, and it can seat up to seven hundred people. For the Sunday Brunch there are several buffet tables set up, with complete breakfast and dinner foods available. While the food was "brunch predictable", the ambiance more than made up for it.