The Gallerita!

Christmas Eve

I had a wonderful time Christmas Eve at my sister's, Kathleen, house. Everyone got there at around 7PM. We started with appetizers and wine and alot of lively conversation. We began eating dinner of honeybaked ham, red potatos and green beans and baked apples at 8:30. It was about 10PM when we began the white elephant gift extravaganza. Of the 31 people, I was number 29. Vaughn, Kathleen's brother-in-law was first to choose. He opened a James Avery seasons necklace. The highpoint for me was when the gift I had taken was retired because it was so coveted that it had been stolen the maximum 3 times. To me, that meant that mine was the best gift taken...which is what I was striving for. BTW, my gift was a black leather duffle and NYC calendar. I ended up with a very neat candy dispenser. It is quite the conversation piece. I really liked it because of it's uniqueness. Jennifer got the purse that Meredith brought...which was her goal when the evening began. Actually, Stepan ended up with it...so he could give it to Jenny. I cannot remember what Jenny ended up with. Meredith got a digital camera and something else that I cannot quite remember. It was alot of fun. Especially, when the gift got passed around as much as they did. Meredith and John Linger got into a heated political debate and when the "f" word started flying around we decided that it was time to go. Also, it was after 2AM. ...I slept in a queensized bed with my mother and my daughter. I was in the middle. It was not so bad. I was so sleepy, all that mattered was that I was on a bed and not cold. My mother's snoring didn't even bother me.

Christmas Day

My mother woke up and showerd and got ready for the day. She and Jen and Step were going to Mass. She completes her toilet and starts pacing around the room. I am asleep, and I am aware of her pacing. She is very noisy at it. Finally, she wants me to go downstairs and call Stepan's cell phone to see if they would start getting ready for Mass. Mother said it was almost 9AM and Mass started at 10AM. Calling the cell phone would have meant a long distance call for Margaret. So, I knocked on the door and told Jen of mother's concerns. A few minutes later she comes in and asks what the hurry was. Margaret had set the alarm clock for mother, but had not changed the time to daylight standard time. So, mother was up and ready a hour before she needed to be ready. Jenny was awake and could not go back to sleep. I was trying to go back to sleep, but mother had this need to start searching the contents of her purse while she sat on the bed next to my slumber.

We are at Tim and Felicia's house. Felicia made a wonderful dinner of beef tenderloin, scalloped potatoes and green beans. The appetizers were yummy.

I have to take Meredith to the airport at 5:30AM. Good night

Posted by Rita at December 25, 2002 07:36 PM