a few christmas pics

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.....