Hon Bling

I decided to give away some bling that belonged to my father this Christmas.  Joe is flashing Ken's gold watch, purchased at the Heidelberg PX when Rolexes were within financial reach of ordinary people.  Look for the unusual jade ring Ken acquired in Japan on Zoltan's pinky.  Both items had been sitting in a wood box since 1992. Now they're putting big grins on the faces of people who mean the world to me.

Christmas began with some adult time with Tom, Audrey and Zoltan in North Andover. Dagny's and Della's arrival on Saturday morning put an abrupt, noisy end to that.

Meanwhile, Tom re-upped the prescription cat food that Mr. P.--who made himself scarce as soon as the D-Girls took over the main floor of house--requires.  Moofy stoically endured a time-out for pishing on the carpeted staircase.   Not the coolest way for a pooch to mark his territory in a cathouse!

Vedder prioritizes sun even when the kids are in residence.

Don't Joe and Magda look relaxed?  That's what having grandparental child care just 45 minutes away will do for you!  They're expecting their third baby in late summer.

Dagny ended her impromptu dance recital by collapsing into giggles on the floor.  Magda reported that my holiday video kept her daughter occupied for the duration of her manicure the day before.  #grateful, she texted.

I finally had a rapt audience for my holiday photos.  At least for five minutes.

Audrey lit the Hannukah candles on Christmas Eve.  The two religious observances have been more closely in synch for the past couple of years, making it easier to find menorahs. 

Dagny and Della enjoy the best of both denominations.  In fact, Della LOVES proclaiming that she--and everybody else--is part Jewish.  If only!

Afterwards we gorged on a yummy Christmas cake that turned everybody's mouth, tongue and teeth bright green.

I always add an ornament to the tree picked up during one of my travels.  This year, it came from Scotland.  But we also lost Betty Boop--who began the tradition in the early 90s--as well as a manatee and a glass sea horse due to a funky blue fir.  

There's nothing more joyful than Christmas morning spent with children.  Would you believe that both Dagny and Della each managed to get down a bowl full of cereal before the gift-unwrapping frenzy began?

Della instantly bonded with a stuffed snow leopard.

Dagny began her cosmetology apprenticeship with a Valkyrie make-up doll that she singled out from a catalog of hundreds of gift ideas.

Zoltan was just as thrilled with a gift card to start his pub crawl at Lincoln in South Boston on St. Patrick's Day.  It was loaded with enough loot to get more than wasted, even if he's throwing back shots from the Emerald Isle Collection!

Doesn't Della look like Amelia Earhart?  I picked up her aviatrix hat on Portabello Road in October.

Moofy got a New York hoodie from Canine Styles on Broadway.

The tree and spiral staircase in North Andover provided the perfect backdrop for a three-generation portrait.  Audrey did a splendid job of hanging the family archive--which goes back two more generations--on the curved wall behind them.

Joe snapped me with the D-Girls and Moofy.  Nothing like a little soft focus to wipe away a decade or two!  Tom and I will be SEVENTY the next time we celebrate the holidays!