Season's Greetings

We've arrived at part one of our trip, and had an amazing dinner with Graduate School Friends (one of whom grew up in South Texas, hence the menu), and opened a bottle of wine Politica and I had brought back from South Australia six years ago. It aged well, and GSFs were the perfect people to share it with. Politica's dad joined us for dinner (although he ate swedish meatballs rather than tamales), and CG collected clothing from GSFs' daughter, including a fancy blue dressup dress. I love the comfort of old friendships, and I love watching our kids play together. When CG was falling asleep, she rolled over and said, "I wasn't even shy at the beginning tonight. Because, I thought, I remember this place." I'm so glad we have good friends living near here--it makes our visits to Politica's dad feel much more homey than they might otherwise.

So life is good. (Although Politica, who just returned from her father's, where she was wrapping gifts, observes that Christmas is easier when you're a kid.) I finished CG's stocking, and it's by the fireplace in our hotel room in all its pink, purple, yellow, and rose glory. What's in it? A Miss Piggy journal, some glittery kid makeup, some lotion from my last hotel stay in a really cool shaped bottle, a clementine. I hope she likes it.

Merry Christmas to those of you celebrating tomorrow.