Christmas Day

Early Christmas morn around three
I awoke to the wind and a crash
Leaping from bed in the dark, just me
Wandered about as winds continued to lash

Windows rattled, and all seemed alright
But was concerned that the sound really mattered
The patio umbrella was no longer upright
The glass patio table had been shattered!

Then, it was hard to get back to sleep
I tossed and turned as I thought
About previous hours in dreams so deep
And gifts unopened and recently bought

Dawn came and the family slowly awoke
None had heard the nights tragic noise
But sorry that the table had broke
Now, open the gifts, for both girls and boys!

Christmas Chaos

The last two weekends have been full of parties and events while at home the construction (and destruction) continue to require that three downstairs rooms remain quarantined by plastic and blue tape and Ashley's old bedroom is in disarray as a new closet is constructed and leaking patio doors repaired. There are very few places not impacted as furniture and items from the now empty rooms fill the remaining rooms to overflowing.

Two weeks ago, it was a friend's Christmas gathering where a twenty foot juniper had been chopped down and all of its 700 pounds somehow wedged through the single entry door and propped and braced in the two story living room. During halftime of the USC-UCLA game, the men mounted 12 and 16 foot ladders to hang the lights while the wives steadied the lower rungs. We all brought a few ornaments to help decorate the "larger than normal" Christmas evergreen. Then it was off to a get together of those going on the artist's cruise to Mexico in later January. While the artists got their itineraries and supply lists, the non-artistic spouses plotted excursions to be taken such as an ATV tour or zip line over the jungle.

This weekend, I spent my Saturday continuing to work on the guest bathroom stripping the remnants of the wallpaper (I have a little more to go) with a deadline to get it completed before our family comes to spend Christmas Eve. Then it was off to the company Holiday party again held at the Fairplex in Pomona. We had a good time, but the dinner serving was somewhat indicitive of the problems within the real estate industry. The salad literally had three leaves and the vegetables consisted of three string beans and one baby carrot. Good thing I like steak!

Sunday, after church, we drove up to Pasadena to visit Ashley, Bryce and Ezra. Bryce was kind enough to take us over the classic city hall where we five took a family Christmas picture although I'm not sure Ezra looked at the camera very often. Then we went to Pei Wei for an early dinner before dessert at the Hales and then home.