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.