I went to Long Island this year to visit with Chris’s family. They go to the Bronx on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to visit extended family. Here are some pictures:
Category Archives: Christmas
Merry Christmas!
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas (though I realize not all my readers may celebrate—have a great day either way!).
Enjoy your time with family, friends, loved ones, pets, hams, etc. And remember, I always appreciate presents 
(I will be catching up on reverb10 and other interesting blog posts after the holiday. Relationships are more important than blogging.)
Me, circa 1983
My family the last time we spent Christmas together. Leslie didn’t have her boyfriend with her at the time, but it’s just as well as she has a new one now Maybe in a year or two we’ll get another group photo! (serious alert!—) It’s amazing we were all together—later that day my dad left to go up to Ohio to say his goodbyes to my Grandpa, and then the rest of us drove up the next day.
That’s Christmas for you—sad for those who are no longer with you or cannot be together, but happy to be with those whom you can.
If you want to make a donation to help fight pancreatic cancer, you can do so here. I have lost two of my grandparents to this disease, and it doesn’t get enough attention.
Christmas Memories
Feeling a wee bit maudlin this evening…
I’m not visiting my family over Christmas at all. This is the first time ever that I haven’t seen my family over Christmas at all.
I grew up in South Carolina, and my Dad’s family lived in western Ohio, and my Mom’s family in eastern Pennsylvania. We would set out for one or the other the day after school let out (usually PA first), spend a few days, drive to the other, spend a few days, drive home. In between we’d eat lunch at my great-aunt Wilma’s house near the border of Ohio and PA. She would always make us hot ham sandwiches, oyster crackers with ranch seasoning, and whatever cookies were on hand, which were often not very good.
Pennsylvania: Memories of weirdly bad cookies, playing with cousins, the apartment in the basement, lots of Amish people, church, ice, snow, “Trade hands sight unseen”, riding in the huge front seat of the car with Grandpa driving, Christmas lights, taking forever to get to the exit from the Interstate, singing in the car on the way there. Ham loaf, Grandma trying to get us to clean our plates, Mom trying to stop us from cleaning our plates, eating in the cold sunroom, playing in the backyard, that steep steep driveway, Grandma watching cable tv, the two chairs in the family room, Grandma saying “ay, ay, AY, ay, ay” and sleeping on the floor. Matching outfits, sledding, playing piano duets, scrapple, Mom wearing knee-high boots to church, Grandma trying to send sandwiches along on the trip, Grandpa’s pointy ended glasses and saying it was “Christmas Eve Eve” (that’s today, btw—and for some reason that is the memory that sticks most in my head…I believe by the following Christmas he had had his stroke).
It’s hard to believe how long it has been since I have been to my family in that area. After my grandparents passed away I really haven’t been back. I miss them…I wish I could have known them longer.
I have many more recent memories of Ohio, since I lived just 2 1/2 hours away for many years. However, I also have some memories as a child:
Ohio: Eating so many homemade cookies I threw up, playing in the snow with my cousins, PONG, ping-pong in the garage, the kitties, ice skating on the pond, singing a cappella at church, sleeping in the parlor, fancy dinners, date pudding, mince pie, the cuckoo clock, playing games, snow, wanting to play outside when it was actually 20 below zero and not understanding why, white bread toast, orange juice, “let me get my socks on!”, sitting around just visiting…I actually seem to have less specific memories of Ohio—I think it’s because we did more varied things in PA since it was more of a city-type of place, and more of the same thing repeatedly (i.e. playing with cousins) in Ohio. But I loved visiting both so much!
I will always have those memories 
HBBC: December 22: 60 minute various cardio (run, bike, elliptical): 4 points, 7 f/v: 1 point: total: 5 points. December 23: ?. December 24: ? . Week of December 18-24 total: ?.
A few pictures…
Christmas dinner that we made last night
What is that? A SARDINE???
I’d better lick it all over and roll around on it! (obviously speaking from the cat’s point of view here…)
A couple fun gifts from Leslie and Peter (not all are pictured)
Some sweet purple cross-training shoes from Chris
I also got a Garmin Forerunner 205 from Chris (a fancy watch that can track how far you run and how fast using gps), a nice apron from Leslie which I want to get a picture with it ON, and a KINDLE from my Mom (and Dad too, I think!). I am very happy with ALL of my gifts—it has been a fantastic Christmas so far.
I will be spending the holidays with Chris’s family, which is why my family sent gifts in advance.
Now I am doing errands, meeting Mike for a workout later (edited: he had to cancel so I went for a run instead), and meeting friends for a happy hour at Modesto to celebrate the “Winter Solstice.”
I will not be able to blog as much the rest of the week. Don’t be sad 
I imagine people will not have as much time to read blogs, so it will all work out.
HBBC: 3.5 mile run: 3.5 points, 7 f/v: 1 point, total: 4.5 points
First Christmas Dinner
Chris and I had a lovely dinner tonight—Ham, Corn Pudding, Parmesan-Roasted Broccoli, Smoky Cheddar Loaf, and for dessert, Egg Nog Tres Leches Cake.. I wanted to make a fancy dinner before we exchanged our gifts (we are heading out of town soon and didn’t want to bring them with).
I got some neat stuff, but I think it’s too early to share Christmas presents 
I’ll share later! Just wanted to say the menu was a great success, and I received some excellent gifts.
I also had a tough workout with Mike—I had to use the gym’s new Stairclimber machine tonight. That was super tough! Probably doing a workout today after my 8.5 or so mile run yesterday (soon to be much more precise in measurement—hint of a Christmas gift I may have received) wasn’t the best idea, but with traveling up ahead, you do what you can.
Chris and I did a tad bit of Christmas shopping today. Ordinarily I hate crowds, and today was definitely crowded. I decided to tell myself it was fine—it WOULD be crowded, and I would simply accept that as a fact. That seemed to help me keep from getting annoyed.
I’m enjoying my Christmas vacation now—I have two whole weeks to relax and not teach violin. I’m sure when I return I shall be well rested and ready to face the students again.
HBBC: 7 f/v: 1 point, 1 mile walk: 1 point, Workout with Mike: 5 points (way tougher than somedays and more high impact), total: 7 points
Christmas Vacation begins!
Today is my first day of Christmas Vacation! It’s earlier than most people’s because I opted to take over a few more days of teaching—after the concerts it didn’t make sense to have one more class.
Yesterday was very busy, but ended really fun. I ran a race (though since I messed up the tag thing there is no record of me…oh well, it wasn’t my best time, in fact was my worst), played a wedding at the Jewel Box, played my last mass at St. Mary’s in Madison, IL, and played a four hour holiday party in Sappington.
St. Mary’s
I had been dreading the 4 hour party but it ended up being quite fun! We were playing at a private home, which was super decked out for the holidays. There was a themed Christmas tree in just about every run, and nutcrackers of all sizes (tiny to human sized) displayed throughout. We were encouraged to eat and drink (yummy shrimp and sushi!) while we played, and we played tons of Christmas music, including selections from the Nutcracker (I love the holiday volume of “Music for Three” and need it for myself STAT! ) It was exhausting, but the people I played with were easy going, good musicians and the evening was very enjoyable. I should have taken some pictures of the house, but didn’t have my camera and didn’t want to be weird and creepy either. Maybe I’ll be asked to play again next year, and I”ll remember my camera and not care about weird and creepy! At the end, the host told us if we played one more rousing finale we would each get $50 cash on the spot. Well, we couldn’t’ pass that up, and played a rousing “Trepak” from the aforementioned Music for Three. FYI to other musicians: the audience really loved hearing the Nutcracker tunes.
I was utterly exhausted by the time I got home and just read a bit and went to sleep.
Today: I did my long run—8.5 miles I believe (or so) in the park. It was manageable, icy in spots but fine overall. I am loving my new running tights (though I should probably get another, slightly warmer pair, also to switch out for laundry purposes) and felt like a real runner going around the park 2 1/2 times.
Then I did the first step of the Tres Leches Eggnog cake…though I decided to just use a box mix. (First step is to make the regular cake and let it cool). I had a box mix on hand, okay? It was taking up room in the cupboard! (Second step is to pour milks/eggnog over cooled cake and let sit overnight). Besides, after I add the Tres Leches, will it really matter if the cake was from a box or homemade? NO!
Tonight we are going to a Holiday Party at a friend’s house. I am looking forward to seeing people—I haven’t seen several of my friends for a few weeks as we have all been so busy! The next few days are for relaxing, seeing friends, and preparing to go to Long Island for the holidays.
HBBC: 8.5 mile run: 8.5 points, 20 minutes stretching: 1 point, Total: 9.5 points (will edit if I eat 7 f/v)