Glowing and Relaxing

Man, the State of Illinois may be crazy fucked up (December and no budget?) but I do love getting enough vacation days to take a break around the holidays (and a boss that doesn't make me feel guilty for taking them). Sunday we were left with a powerful post house concert glow from Fats and Kristi Rose and then we went to a beautiful party for our beloved friend Kent. Sadly it was a going away party but the wonderful crowd showed what a great friend he is. We will keep him in our heart until we see him next. It was nice having Owen come along. He told me, "Of COURSE I want to go, Kent and Sue are my friends."

Ernie and Kent

Mary blowing Owen's mind with a Star Wars theory:

Yesterday we proclaimed it a day of rest and laziness. We all slept late (except poor Ernie), and Ernie made biscuits with ham for breakfast (with Bloody Mary's for us). Ernie and I did a bit of last minute shopping online and that was about the last productive thing we did. We didn't even get dressed. We had a fire in the fireplace because 57 degrees or no it's CHRISTMAS! Ernie and I watched three, count 'em THREE bad Hallmark/Lifetime Christmas movies....eventually we cooked dinner and watched the Saturday Night Live Christmas special with Owen. At that point I was tv'd out so I curled up in the living room with the last of the fire until I was too sleepy for anything else.

It was lovely.

Today we have an errand or two and then we're all going to go see The Polar Express on the big screen at the Virginia. Christmas with teenagers is different, but it is utterly lovely just the same.

Uncle Mistletoe (above) continues to guard the sideboard, while my serious first grade ornament peers out of the tree below.