Hello on Christmas day

Dear Friends,



I hope that you all had a great Christmas Eve in whatever form that you celebrated it.

We are always on the move on Christmas Eve so ours is never a quiet one at home.

We made it to two of the three parties which were on our social calendar.

The first party was the best because our son Kevin dressed up as Santa Claus. He tried to color his beard at home a few days ago, but it wasn’t quite right. He sought professional help in the Berkshires the other day to get it to a more Santa like color.

At this party, there were about 10 children! Kevin sat in one of the Culver lounge chairs, and passed out presents to everyone at the party including the adults. He really worked the crowd so well. He could make a real good Santa at the Mall, or be hired out for private parties. It is amazing to have watched our son display these talents which we never knew that he had. I can’t wait to see some of the multiple pictures which people took as Santa was doing his thing.

I have a feeling that Santa might pass out presents at a couple more parties which we will be going to today.



The party in West Stockbridge was wonderful. The food, fun, and merriment was endless. We packed up and departed for our second party around 8:30 PM. This party was one which we have been attending since our children were little. We have kept the friendship over all these years. Now our children have their own children just like their childhood friends. Kevin didn’t wear is Santa outfit at this party since many of the babies had gone home before we arrived. Actually Mike and Danielle too Isabelle home after the West Stockbridge adventure because she was really whipped. Max was wide awake. Four an almost 5 month old, I can already see that he has a tendency to party.

While at this party, I heard this toddler screaming at the top of his lungs. Kevin scared the living daylights out of this child just because of his beard, mustache, and eyebrows. It is good to see that I am not the only one who can scare little children. I did it myself at my birthday party the other evening. I said “Hello” to a one year old, and she turned her head away from me, and started crying.



Yes, we have another full day on tap for today. After a light breakfast, and opening of Christmas presents, we will be having beef tenderloin with all the fixings. I am guessing that the children and I will be taking a nap before all of us head out the door for two more parties. I am not sure which home that we will go to first.



I am the only one up right now. Max is sleeping in our room for a second night in a row. The last thing that I remember was his Mom breast feeding him in our room as I climbed into bed. I was out like a light before Max was put in his crib. When Max gets older maybe he will tuck Grandpa into bed instead of the other way around.



While at the second party, I asked one of the guests, who looked healthy, if all the body parts were working okay. The 68 year old man said that he has prostate cancer. I asked him; “What were the signs before the diagnosis?” He said that there were none. He had some blood work done, and that they found his PSA numbers were very high. I didn’t ask the guy what the next step is to fight the cancer because I felt that I should stop the conversation, and talk about something else.

This is another example of counting your blessings if your own body parts are working okay for the most part. My little self induced muscle strain is quite trivial in the scheme of things when compared to someone else’s predicament.



On a happier note, I am going to have a second cup of coffee, and read the newspaper if the there is one today.

I have a quiet assignment given to me last night by the Queen of peeling potatoes. The noisy part is when I turn on the garbage disposable to dispose of the peelings.

As a matter of fact, I am not sure that there is any activity that I can do which is totally quiet.

I am at the kitchen table composing this e-mail. I have even been accused of pounding the keys on the lap top to hard. Kevin and Kyla are sleeping in the basement right below while I pound on the keys. They are the ones who heard me putting away silverware at 4 AM the other morning.



Speaking of keys àWhile we were departing party number one last evening. Danielle took my keys and started my car up to warm it up for their daughter. All the locks on my car locked themselves as she closed the driver side door. This wasn’t Danielle fault because she didn’t know the quirks of my car. Luckily Linda had a key to my car in her pocketbook so that I could open the doors. If she didn’t, I would to have had to be driven back to Pittsfield to get a spare key, and then driven back to West Stockbridge. Do you think that it is time for us to get a new car so that things like this won’t happen?

This happened one other time while we were at the Culver’s, and Linda left her pocket book in the car. Yes, I had to be driven back and forth to Pittsfield to get a spare key. My father always told me to keep a spare key in my wallet. Why didn’t I listen to him?



Have a great Christmas Day!

The Curley’s are going to have a one too.

Talk to you soon. The Curley Lad