Christmas Eve

The annual Winter Solstice party last Saturday was a blast. Though a lot of friends were out of town, I was delighted to see people who I did not expect to make it to the gathering and had a great time with everyone, despite all of the things that were left undone by the time things started. I always seem to run out of time or get too busy with guests to do. After it all, there was still a bag of groceries and soda I had bought that were never put out for guests. Typical.

Watching "It's A Wonderful Life" on the telly. Cats and humans are fed. The old Dutch man is drinking gifted holiday beer, with Ellie cat sharing the couch with him. I am having a glass of pinot noir that is unusually rich for pinot IMHO, from a bottle someone brought to the Winter Solstice Party. 

 
Tomorrow: a low-country boil dinner with my brother's family in Powder Springs. 

Today was spent driving to Alabama for a visit with MonsterMustDie's mother and cousin Kim. Mostly, his mother sleeps these days. She nods off constantly, which is a blessing in some ways. She doesn't want to be where she is - she misses her house on the mountain - but she is being well cared for now. It is sweet to see him putting lotion on her dry hands taking care of her. His cousin Kim is the sister he never had and the sister-daughter who is there for his mother in Alabama. So, really, things are as good as they could be for her. 

 
Maurice phoned from New Jersey tonight to say Happy Christmas and to scold me for not returning his calls last week. He had two gigs today as Santa Clause. I told him it was hard to picture the malcontent I know (him) being the merry old elf. He says he does it all, including a character he created called Murray The Elf. Hah! He and Larry might be coming for a visit to Atlanta soon and it might be fun to spend some time with them.

This week, I am house-cat sitting in Buckhead again, which I enjoy tremendously, while friends are in New York visiting family. Tonight, however, I am home. I will wake up in my own bed on Christmas morning, open gifts with my housemate, and then check in on the cat house.

Stockings were hung. 

Gifts waited under the tree. 

getting my holiday on

As it turns out, we did in fact get a small tree last week and it is now decorated and has survived Ellie cat's attention with no loss of ornaments or fragile objects nearby.

Last Saturday was  spent going to B&G's Holiday Silliness party, where we celebrate the shopportunities of the most traveled couple I know. Many gifts were exchanged. No drama was reported. Everyone was in good health and spirits this year. A lot of glogg and the Mrs. signature hot "rim jobs" were consumed. (drink, drank, drunk?)

Sunday was Anya's holiday Nightmare Before Xmas party at her island of misfit toys. More glogg was served. Many Scandinavians and those of northern european decent were in attendance. The lights went out for about an hour while I was there but, fortunately, it was a house with many candles and candle holders. Anya just scattered lit votives and candelabras in every room and the house looked even more festive and warm.

This coming weekend is the annual Winter Solstice Party at el Rancho de WereMonster, where I plan to serve the usual hot spiced cider out of the enormous crock pot my mother give me. This year's menu will also feature a repeat of the roast duck we had on Thankgiving, following the instructions of Mark Bittman's book "How To Cook Everything".

Friday Night

On my way home from my part-time temp job, I thought I should try to coax MonsterMustDie to go with me to get a fresh cut tree after he got home from work, among other things. I have decided in my head that a wreath hanging indoors under the sky light is probably just as bad or worse than a tree when it comes to providing an opportunity for Chaos Cat a.k.a Ellie, our little tuxedo kitty, to cause trouble.

That did not  happen last night but that's okay.

Fortunately, MonsterMustDie had plans to go to Jennifer's shop on Highland Avenue to pick up a vase that had sold online immediately after he took it out of the house and over to her shop to include in a collection of studio ceramics he was trying to sell. The vase had been on sale for over a year with no interest and he was confident it was going nowhere in his online shop - and then it sold this week. The Universe has a sense of humor. Last night happened to be the open house at the shop, so we cleaned up and got out and he got to be in his element with other antique dealers and mid-century modern design enthusiasts.

So, as it turned out, I had a very nice Friday evening with the guys, going to City Issue and Pure Taqueria last night. I always love the way Jennifer can make everything look so good in her shop by displaying it in a way that allows people to envision how good everything can look in homes and offices. As we walked back to the car, later, I could see the shop was still open but she was finally sitting down, relaxing and chatting with a few people before closing.

Hoping today that I can get a tree to try out my first xmas cat challenge. Ellie cat has not had a tree before so I don't know how this will go. I think if B&G can have a tree with five cats, I can figure out a way to have a tree with one very active cat.