Winsy Winterland

One I bought the boys Christmas presents this past weekend- an Ipod docker/radio for Dakota, and an Ipod radio/connector/thingy for Ian. By thingy I mean I have no idea what this object is but know that it connects Ian's Ipod to the car radio and plays his music through the speakers and he will love it. I think we are going to get the boys an Aerosmith Guitar Hero next weekend. They love that game and Dakota is especially kick ass at it, his fingers fly like hunting birds. Mr. Curry and I are probably going to do something very inexpensive for each other since that is all we can afford.

Two We have our tree up. We buy a tree every year after Thanksgiving, all together, and then stop by a coffee shop for hot chocolates. I put up white lights on the tree and a white/silver garland, and Lola and I hung the ornaments a few days later. Hagrid (our big grey striped cat who has the best broad nose for smootching) has decided his place to sleep is under the tree, and that is where he is every evening. Mr. Curry put up our house lights this weekend, white, and we have stars hanging over our front porch, and a light up polar bear in the lawn. Mr. Curry got him for me years back and I love him. Well, I love Mr. Curry. I like the polar bear quite a bit. It's weird how I write quite a bit but rarely ever say that. It fits in writing but not off my tongue.
We also have the Christmas decor all put out, and I fiddled with the house over the weekend.
I repapered our cabinets in this really pretty light green paper with white designs on it, and then liked it so much I decided to put it on a small part of the wall in my kitchen. Yes, I put cabinet paper on my wall. A small 'winsy' (Lola's word for little, pronounced 'weansy' ) piece of wall. I'll get a picture of it to put up, it looks pretty. Not professional :) I wrapped a chair cushion in a brightly colored fabric and folded a white thin Shabby Chic tablecloth and laid it over the top of furniture in the living room.
Another December ritual we have is to head up to Ramona/Julian for the day, play in the snow, eat the famous Julian apple pie in one of the country resteraunts, buy pies from the mouth watering bakery, and do some Christmas shopping in the treasure stocked shops along the main street. Every December we also go to what is called Christmas Card Lane (about six long blocks of houses) where every house is completely decked out with lights and large picture displays in the front featuring various characters, like Mickey, The Little Mermaid, Winnie the Pooh, etc. It's like NYC in a few mile radius. We get coffees and hot chocolates, park, and walk down the streets with a hundred other people and their kids, looking at the train sets running, the lights, the glitter.

Three Ian's stepfather, Andrew, is in Iraq. Ian's mom, Michelle, has a little girl with Andrew named Eva (said like evah, short for Evangeline) and is expecting another. Could you take a moment and squinch your eyes shut (I think this helps) and say a prayer for Andrew's safe return home? Thank you.

"I am not yet a mean old man, but I am moving in that direction. I view with increasing distate those guests who can leave an inch or so of good wine in their glasses. "
- JB Priestley, in obituary in The Times 16 Aug/84

xo