To bring in the New Year I'm having a little "party" tonight, as I have been doing for many many years---and of course, pictures will be posted after this wonderful new year has begun, I promise....
So, I will see you all in 2007!
And if you are going out tonight, do drive carefully, please....
And have a Wonderful New Year's Day!
And
Big Hugs To Everyone....
More To Come.....in 2007.
Here is the fabulous Maddie, (Betty's G.'s grandaughter, about to turn 11 in about two weeks), with the darling adorable "Ruby"....this was after Christmas Dinner, which was perfectly yummy...! Great meal, great company, one special evening for yours truly!Here is the beautiful tree...Much had been opened already by the time I took this picture....
There is another picture of the tree...Not a good one, at all...but, it does show the lights "on" though it is lousy focus...still, I am including it because I am funny that way....(lol)
Christmas at the Parks has always been very very special and this year---having not been there for two Christmas' due to health things....I was able to go. This is where I have spent every Christmas day for over 30 years....And now in 2006, our numbers are small enough that we can ALL sit at the dining room table....Cozy, comfy and very familial, indeed....
From this end of the table we see Garrett Parks, Betty's older son, with his wife Karen (Culliver) next to him on the right of the picture with the darling Ruby on her lap, and next to her is Katy Melody, (Betty's younger son Andy Parks' wife...).On the other side of him is a lovely wonderful young woman named Myrna Garwyn, she was Andy's very first girlfriend back in High School....and like Betty's daughter-in-laws...she is still like a daughter to Betty...
In this picture we see Myrna on the far right, (with just a glimpse of Garrett's arm....) and next to her is a very old friend of Betty's, Ginny Brown...a lovely woman who is an artist and who's husband, Phil, (just passed this year) was an actor who is probably best known by the public for his role in "Star Trek"...'And next to Ginny, is Betty's son Andy, and next to him is Michael Stefanie, a lovely man and a wonderful actor...he is with Myrna.We all had these silly hats on because they came in the "snappers" that were on the table for the first time....
And you can just see the dead snapper in the bottom middle of this picture above....That's Betty's cousin Carol Smith on the left, who flew down from San Jose....Betty---still eating---next to Carol, and then Maddie next to Betty with Michael S. on the far side of Maddie....
Here is Betty cooking in the kitchen, before the meal....if you are wondering why she is always wearing a visor it is because of her 'Macular Degeneration'....it protects her eyes from the piercing feel of light and helps her to see a bit better....
There were eleven of us at the table and it was a beautiful table with all sorts of goodies on it....including some chocolate "Christmas Trees" and "Santas" that I brought....some of the best dark chocolate I have EVER eaten...(SerendipityChocolates.com).....check it out....worth every penny!
In the hallway going from the Kitchen area to the living area Betty has some fun things hanging on the wall and Karen & Maddie put up "lights" this year to brighten it up....I love it!
They are talking about leaving it up all year round....It really brings a good amount of light to this hallway, too, besides looking so very festive...
Below is a picture of a few people around the Christmass tree haing opened more gifts there in the living room....
Katy and Andy having a bit of Christmas cheer, and in the background, Garrett, Karen and Michael, talking...you will notice that there is a kind of wonderful Black & White drawing above the 'player piano' right there in the upper center of the picture....
This is a wonderful treasure. It is a "Hirschfeld", drawn by the famous artist who did these fantastic cartoon-type (but soooo much more than that....), drawings for the New York Times Sunday Arts & Leisure section for shows and plays opening on Broadway, for years and years and years....It was quite an honor to be one of his subjects....
This particular one was Betty when she played the Irish cook in the 1989-90 production of "Meet Me In St. Louis"....(where, incidentally, Garrett met his lovely talented wife Karen, who was in the show, too....) and these are coveted and prized 'originals'. And if you were lucky enough to have been able to buy yours---which Betty was, well, as I said...it is a true treasaure! Al Hirschfeld is gone now so there will be no more of these fabulous treasures....
Here is a bit of a closer look at this wonderful drawing....not the best picture in the world, but for now, it will have to suffice....
Betty did this wonderful song and Irish Jig on the top of a rather small table! She is one game performer....! It was one of the highlights of the show....and thus, the subject of this Hirschfeld...It is absolutely the essence of Betty, wghich was what Hirschfeld's great gift was as an artist.
And one last picture of Maddie and Ruby on this Christmas Day, 2006...I think this was the feeling of everybody there on this day...much love for one another and many hugs, too....
More To Come.....
This was what was happpening in the sky this afternoon around 3:55p.m.....a dramatic sky all day, actually, with the threat of rain and horrific winds which continue as I write this....rather scary winds, I might add....I love that you can see some blue sky up in the left hand corner across the top....and sun trying to stream through the way it does sometimes.....
And then....here is the sunset....well I should say the changing sunset, a minute after 5p.m....the winds having blown out quite a lot of the heavy rain clouds that had been hovering all day.....this is looking west with the Pacific Ocean just there on the horizon....Glorious!And a close-up of those wonderful trees on the hill with the setting sun against the cloud(s) behind it.....
Peaceful and lucious, all at the same time....I love those wonderful trees on the hill more and more as time goes on....and....
More To Come......
So, Christmas is history, but the memories will linger on.....well, at least for a few days.....My Christmas was lovely...I got to go to my dear dears, The Parks, because everyone was "well"....and it was very special and great fun, too! I took some pictures but I need to lighten up a few of them and then I will post a couple....
I love all my presents that I got, but there was one very very special one that came from a very very "special" person across the pond....and here it is......
He is one cute bear! And I love that he is part of the Guards Of Buckingham Palace. His name is "George" and he is really really special too, because he is a limited edition bear...so I am thrilled to be the proud recipient of this very dear sweet person....And he has the full approval of the 'man of the house', too....Sweetie.....
I hope all of you had the most wonderful Christmas, and now, on to New Years Eve and 2007!
More To Come......
Here it is. Christmas 2006. May all your dreams come true and may you live in the warmth of loving family and friends.....And know that I wish you all everything your hearts desire.
And on that note and in the true spirit of the season.....
One of our dear blog buddies, Minerva, who lives across the pond, is struggling with the return of her cancer. Do go visit her and wish her 'well', for she needs our loving support right now...and, I promise you and I assure you, she will inspire you with her words and her heart on this special day, Christmas, 2006.
And just because I think they are a lovely addition to the spirit of the day...here are some very sweet goodies, though these are made of yarn.....
And one more lovely picture for the road, as they say....
A lovely lovely Holiday to one and all.....More To Come.....
To all who come by and visit me here on this beautiful hill of mine on a regular basis I wish each and every one of you the Happiest Of Holidays filled with the joy of Family and Friends and much good cheer....and this includes, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Ramedan and any other lovely celebration that is happening right now....I love you all with all my heart and value your friendship more than I can say....And to anyone and everyone else that may come on by....I wish you all the Great Joy Of The Season.....
This guy is almost here and my chimney is ready for him....is yours?
And this idea stolen from Terri...(I love this, a lot). Do help fill my stocking! Thanks My Darlings! (And don't worry if the gifts don't show up in the stocking immeduately...they do eventually....and the "new" gifts are posted at the top of the stocking....)
| Xmas Stocking | |||||||||
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More To Come......
Gee, I hope I didn't post this very same picture before...it's getting harder and harder to remember, people...Anyway...I think this is fantastic!
And looking at those little trees on the horizon...HERE is the most recent amazing magical view of them.....
Ooooops! No, that is not the trees....but, it is a beautiful beautiful sunset sky picture taken in the same direction as those beautiful trees.....
The view from my home, truly truly saves me....Without this view, truth be told, I would have been dead a long, long, long time ago. Believe me my dear dears.....long gone.....but, with the beauty of nature like this....well, what I can say....I am blessed....
Oh, Oh, Oh...now there are those delicate vulnerable sweet dear trees, in close up....(I am so glad I finally found where I saved this rendering...well, it is like a painting, isn't it?....). So often at this time of year there are fantastic clear skies....It has been chilly and the winds have been really really blowing.....and that cleans out all the shmutz in the so-called 'basin'....and so then we have a gorgeous sunset like this.....
This next picture is one of my favorite views....the dusky sunset seen through the Euphorbia Ingens on the side of my house, looking west, of course....I keep taking this picture on different days over a period of months....the Euphorbia Ingens seed pods are visable here in silouette....and just to the left, in this particular picture, is the Euphorbia Amak Verigated....
And here below, another shot of these Euphorbia's back around January 9th, 2006....Almost a year ago now....How did this year just fly by?
There is something about the combination of the sunset and the plants that moves me....God knows how many times I've taken similar shots...and the truth is they are never the same...they are each different and to me, quite stunning....So, here is one more with just a teeny tiny part the of the city visible, too....
This is kind of a peaceful sunset which feels very appropriate as we are now just a few days and nights away from Christmas Eve.....Lovely and Peaceful, indeed.....
More To Come.....
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