and I opened a present a few days late

A few weeks back I was at my BFFs house having a holiday celebration with some really great people when the UPS man pulled up and left a box on the porch. As you can imagine, Scott panicked a bit, worried that I had somehow caught a glimpse of my Christmas present as it was delivered to his house. I did not see enough of the box to determine what was inside but as as my close friends and family would attest, I asked EVERYONE what could possibly be in a box that measured about 32 inches tall by 8 inches by 6 inches.

The guesses ranged of everything from a telescope, to a camping tent.  I had a guess of a table, of a piece artwork (not a painting), some rather inappropriate guesses of intimate objects, snow shoes or other winter items.  I was very excited about this box because one of the best aspects of Christmas (and birthdays) is when you open a present and see yourself in the eyes of the gift giver.  It is like saying, 'so, you see me as a .........'

Well, believe me, I was utterly shocked to find a hand quilting frame, I would have never guessed this is what the box contained.  As I sit here and think of all the hand quilting projects I have completed on my lap with a quilting hoop on my lap over the years, I realize that this is really a great gift! Very unexpected and very much appreciated. I do not have a quilt to put on the frame (yet) so I downloaded this image of the frame from the web.

Pretty amazing, right? When I opened this gift I said, 'so you see me as a ..........quilter!' And boy did he get it right. Of all the gifts that could have been in the box, this was the best. Thank you Scott. 

Yep, I opened my present early,

but in my own defense, it was peer pressure.

Since Ashelyn is going to be out of town on Christmas, Nicolas decided we should have our celebration tonight amidst the Christmas tree, fried tacos, and 27 Dresses.  I kept changing the subject in hopes of swaying the majority - but it was no use.

Ashelyn got me an oven mitt and pot holder to replace the ones she burnt while baking cookies last week - and I got her Pinch & Pour collapsible measuring cups so she can bake more cookies.    

After a 2 to 1 vote I opened my present from Nicolas, and was amazed to find a Nikon CoolPix, as I was fumbling with the box and contents Nicolas said, 'It is a Nikon, and it is purple!' I kept thinking of how difficult it must have been for him last month to sell his brand new Nikon to fund the unexpected purchase of tires for his Mustang, knowing that the brand new Nikon he bought for me was under the tree waiting for Christmas.  He could have easily kept the CoolPix for himself and bought me slippers, I would have never known.

This year my son didn't buy me a Christmas gift, he demonstrated what a gift should be

(taken with my new purple Nikon CoolPix)

My Frosty Christmas

Now that my decorating is completed and my shopping is in order, it is time to enjoy the magical events this holiday season has to offer.


The first of many activities scheduled was a dinner and a musical performance with Scott, his children and their significant others.  Scott did an amazing job selecting a restaurant with great cuisine and proximity to concert.  In a secluded corner table, I was able to enjoy the chatter that abounds a family of accomplished and interesting individuals.  We planned to walk the three city blocks to the venue but paused briefly as we left the restaurant so Scott could take the leftovers to the car.  I watched him walk past a panhandler, then stop and turn around.  He walked back to the man and looked him in the eye as he offered him a dinner of spare ribs and corn bread.  Seeing the generosity in Scott's action was a great start to a wonderful Christmas season.


Needless to say, the evening was perfect in every way and I look forward to spending more time with him as we visit my children and various other family members these next few weeks.

BLUE MAN GROUP

Last summer my children asked me which Las Vegas show I would just LOVE to see.....the only one I could think of was Blue Man Group, but I had already bought myself two tickets to the Kingsbury Hall performance and was waiting the six months it would take for December 7th to finally arrive. (BTW: the kids and I saw Mystre in Vegas in August, amazing!)

I was very excited as the day finally arrived that I could see the Blue Men.  Scott and I drove up to the university about an hour before the performance, parked the car and decided to just 'walk around until we found a place to eat.'  It was a very clear and cold night but the walk was refreshing.  We passed on the pizza joint, the burger joint, and the bagel joint and wandered into Indochine Vietnamese Bistro.  If you are in the area I would recommend you try this place for lunch or dinner, the restaurant was very quaint and the food delicious.

I had Bun Cha Gio which is basically a salad of rice noodles, fresh vegetables, and spring rolls served with a tangy dressing.  Scott had a noodle soup made of clear beef stock, rice noodles, fresh vegetables and most importantly an array of spices (the kind that make your mouth burn), which is his favorite!

After our tasty dinner and after a short walk to Kingsbury hall we settled into our seats to enjoy a night of fun.  The Blue Men started the evening by providing some audience activities to get the crowd fired up. I was amazed at how they used the slightest face gestures and body language to convey so much.  It was as if every movement was in slow motion, allowing the audience to catch the subtlities. The light show filled the hall and the music seemed to rock the seats.  It was certainly worth the wait to see them.

Today was a good day to:

watch the morning news from the elliptical

eat ice cream for breakfast (Haagen Dazs carmel cone, right out of the carton)

have my hair colored, and my nails manicured, my eye
brows waxed and my teeth cleaned

spent 12 minutes in a turbo tanning bed

wrap Christmas presents

snuggle up on the couch and watch Castle



Merry Christmas to Me!

Yep, I opened my Christmas present!
Santa must have known that I have been good all year because
it was dinner, shopping and The Forgotten Carols with Lacie.

Wait, maybe Lacie was the one that was good all year.....

Regardless, spending the evening with my daughter helped set
the tone for a joyous holiday season yet to come.