Happy Boxing Day and what I got for Christmas...

So here it is already the day after the holiday. I did not get up this morning to be in line for the 6AM year's biggest sale at M&F. I did not have to get a new storage unit to put my presents in from yesterday. Here's what I got. I hope your Christmas was at least as good! I got to see my wife's genuine pleasure when she opened the present that had the "Mary Blue" satin pajamas... I got to laugh so hard that tears were filling my eyes this morning when I joined my Mom and Dad and Brother and two sisters and three spouses and a niece and her three little ones. We had our 'birthday breakfast' for those of us who are December kids-including Mom. And Nick and Sue and I got into this long, pointless and hilarious debate about when it was that we had moved from Beaverton to Montgomery Drive. Nick, whose birthday was yesterday, was insisting that he was one age, and Susan was telling him he was wrong.....and a good time was had by all. It was so silly! The poignancy for me, which is part of the gift, was that my Dad was holdiing court at the far end of the table and I am constantly aware that his presence today is a gift to us, and my beautiful sister was there. And she is just in the first stages of chemo fighting breast cancer. Another gift was that three of my children accompanied Mar and I to Thea & Theo's house for Christmas dinner last night, and I was so struck, again, by how wonderful and grownup and special they all are. And yesterday morning, I was given the gift of having breakfast with all of my children, and a couple of young girlfriends, at their mother's house. That Christmas breakfast, anchored by German Apple pancakes, is a wonderful moment in the year. There were other gifts as well. Alecia bragged to her grandma and others that the best coffeecake in the world was the stuff I make! Kaeli made me a wonderful little plate with a celtic pattern that matches the cotton tablecloth I have. Mary snuggled up next to me when it was time to turn out the lights on Christmas night. Oh.....and she got me a Swiss Army knife to beat all to replace the one I had to leave behind in Frankfurt. And Justin, giving me wise commentary on my paintings, gave me a lovely trio of acrylic brushes in sizes I don't have. Truly, truly, I am blessed with the best gifts anyone could ask.

I hope....for all of you....that Christmas was equally wonderful.