Merry Christmas!!!

Well, the big day finally arrived. Presents were wrapped, cards were written out, recovery from extraordinarily amazingly large dinner the night before was done. All that remained was to wake up and enjoy the day. Well, up we got, and as my gifts had been, oh, a plane trip to Florida, and wining and dining galore, and a surprise helicopter ride into the bargain, I really wasn't expecting anything. I had bought Mom and Wayne a set of espresso cups and saucers, which is what they wanted, and I got Tia, the Diva, errrmm...dog, a completely indestructible Santa Squeeze Toy which they promised me (at the ritzy guide-dog dog shop where I got it) she wouldn't be able to destroy. All of which goes to show you; you can still be surprised on Christmas day, especially when you least expect it.

So Mom and Wayne loved the cups, and after that was opened, I was handed a gift from Tia. An entire BOX with TWO layers of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, which has basically been a staple of my diet since I got down here. (Honestly, why don't I just buy stock in the company?) I quickly ate six of those, and then was told that Santa had left me something under the palm tree with the Christmas lights by the doorway. I went over to the doorway, and sure enough under the tree, on the vestibule, WAS something. A package of doggy-wipes. How thoughtful, considering that I don't HAVE a dog as yet, but if I ever did get one, it was nice to know that I'd be prepared for those sudden walks outside. NO, I was told suddenly, NOT THAT, the OTHER gift under the tree, the WRAPPED one. Oh. That looked a lot more promising as it was signed "From Santa". I KNEW I'd heard hoofbeats the night before....

So I picked it up, took it over to the couch, and found myself unwrapping an HD Mini/Movie/Still camera. It's amazing and the size of a cellphone. Seriously, this is one of the BEST presents I've ever received. This is going to be so much fun to use. I can make movies of people I know and places I've seen, and store them all up and kind of end up with a video library if I ever go travelling....AWESOME.

Tia then got HER present that I'd given her. It took her all of half an hour to completely disembowell Santa and scatter his squeaky innards all over the floor. Since his suit was red felt, all that shredded fuzz made it look like Charlie Manson had been celebrating Santa's arrival all over the living room floor. Still, Wayne said it was a new record; the last squeeze toy they had gotten her was made in a material that was used in bullet proof vests. She managed to tear through that in about an hour and a half. So I guess I should be flattered. She is nothing if not persistent.

Spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, finished my HECTOR book, which at least I enjoyed rather more than the Ishiguro novel. It was very charming and fun in that lovely lighthearted way the French have when they're not blowing up atomic bombs in Tahiti.

We then got ready for dinner at my Mom's cousin Patricia's, with her husband and his daughter and husband, and their adorable ten month old Gabriel, who had the most adorable ears, curliest hair, and longest lashes I've ever seen on a baby. I ended up spending most of the evening playing "Drop the Napkin on Gabriel's Head", a more sophisticated version of "Peekaboo" for those of you not in the know, and seeing if I could get the kid to try crawling. He was desperate to get somewhere, judging from the flailing of his arms and legs, but he hadn't made the necessary connection of knees to the ground yet. On the other hand, had he been in the water, he'd have given Mark Tewksbury a run for his money.

So we had a lovely supper, lots of laughs and then headed back to the ranch for a few more after-dinner desserts, and then watched that Yuletide favourite, "The Lion In Winter" with Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole. Some people watch Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed make gooey eyes at each other, oh no, not my lot. We watch Hepburn and O'Toole throw daggers at each other and plot regicide over the eggnog and presents. It's just what we do.

Then, after a lovely, satisfying day, bedtime. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!