’02 the Holiday Season

Maybe this is how we all feel after Thanksgiving dinner.

We all (M,L,H,D,A,L,me) hauled up our contributions to Palm Springs for a grandly unusual Thanksgiving outing in the desert. For some unfortunate, miserable reason (why? Why?? WHY???) I didn’t take one single decent picture of our lovely dinner and evening. I knew at some point I didn’t have a picture but since we were all going to the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway on Friday I figured we’d get something good out of that. But Mom, Lona and Hartley didn’t make it to the Tramway.

Why didn’t they make it? They didn’t make it because they couldn’t get out of the parking lot. They decided that with the two or three hours available between ‘now’ and ‘then’ they would buzz over to the Outlet Mall to do a little shopping. Now there Is a picture – the Outlet Mall mid-morning of the busiest shopping day Of The Year. Mercy!

By the time they arrived at the kick-off point it was so late and anyway it was zero visibility from the tram so they bagged it and headed home. And now I don’t have a picture so how can we be sure it happened?

Down at the bottom it was in the 70s and raining. At the top it was in the 20s and snowing(!). Me, Roger, Sandy, Angela, Liz and Darryl.

What fun!

California pine forests.

a Winter Wonderland.

more.

and more.

I should mention the way-cute place we stayed and how old Joe gave/negotiated extra rooms so everyone had a bed, and how the pool was a giant spa really and everyone who wanted to enjoyed a few laps. And we played Taboo between dinner and dessert to our great hilarity and after a dozen turns the score was exactly even. But no pictures and some years from now we’ll not remember Joe’s name or the shape of the pool or the game that was so much fun.

And then the clouds opened to reveal a sky blue sky…

and bright crisp sun warmed our face and made us laugh.

This guy was entertaining the crowd with a shofar style horn concert and (of course) I just had to have a turn. At first I produced no sound At All but the sputter-poo-poo-sputter of hopeless effort. It really was just as funny as his smile allows. I did try again to slightly better effect and even if still I just bleated, enjoying his face was worth it.

Shopping in downtown Palm Springs.

We also went to a historical society museum, a tour of an original house guided by a weird fanatic, a man we decided had a super/un/natural relationship with the long dead owner, a display of Native history and artifacts, an arts-n-crafts fair etc. etc..

More fun!

We’re talking some serious palm groves here in Palm Springs.

After the kids left on Saturday afternoon Liz and I went to a movie, had a cocktail and ate a steak dinner, played video poker at the Spa Casino and all in all had a kickin’ good time.

The next morming we packed up and then went off for some desert air.

In the course of the few days in Palm Springs we learned a lot about the Native Americans here (Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla – pronounced Kaw-we-ah), like for example they are RicH. The Cahuilla attendant at one of the museums told Darryl that, yes, it is true, they are all rich. Yes, he said, they have lost their culture, which is sad, but they are rich.

They also never were so foolish as to stay in Palm Springs in the summer. In the summer they went up to where the tramway goes, where in the summer it is 110 on the valley floor and 75 up there.

Ten minutes outside Palm Springs by car you can reach many wonderful trails thorough the desert. This weekend the weather was absolutely perfect. Cool! Calm! Clear!

It was so lovely. One thing that hadn’t reached my consciousness before was that unlike Anza Borrego where prickly bits are Everywhere and you really have to always Watch Your Step, here there were dried shrub but basically nothing jumped out to attack your shoes and pants.

a Palm Tree Oasis.

Palm Canyon.

Jeannie and Ken, happily ever after. They met, they married (internet daters, there is hope!), they each sold their house and ten months after they met, they are off to a Whole New Life. And Maxine again provides The party.

That little girl just knocks me out.

Crystal’s holiday party – we dp-ers who were there in time for the pic. Robert, Bill, JZ, Greg, Kamal, Bernie, Veronika and me.

Lona holding the lamp carved by Hartley himself as a lad, treasured by Lona and now preparations are underway to pass this heirloom on to Trevor’s family. Ahhh.

You go Becky.

Me and my dear friends, the Valley Girls, gathered for our Christmas Gift Exchange – from the top and around – Alicia, Becky, Marsha, Maxine, Maryanne, me, Marija, Violet, Lourdes.

Marija and Brian at their annual Christmas Eve dinner party. All your good old friends and all the Rosie’s you can tamp down. You can start eating when you get there and if you pace yourself carefully you can maybe manage a whole cow.

Pictures to send home to Croatia.

Darryl and his fabulous new guitar, a gift from his fabulous girlfriend.

Awwww.

I will delete this as soon as Cynth-i-oli-o sees it and if she hates it, it’s outta’here.

Kum-bah-YAH.

After a glorious Christmas morning at D&A’s, Sandy and I went to spend the afternoon-night-next day in Ojai.

oooo yummy I like this one.

Cool plant.

Our B&B was covered, every possible surface, with Stuff, mostly being Christmas themed tableaux and AngelsAngelsAngels.

While strolling around behind the B&B this cat trotted along with me the whole way, not in that pant pant puppy kind of way but rather like a leopard who is escorting an honored guest through his landscape.

More from the cat’s domain.

This scene was everywhere, orange groves with orange trees full of rich bright orange oranges. Also there were pomegranate trees, persimmon trees, the soft kind and the hard kind and various crops we didn’t recognize. We said ‘bucolic’ more times than in our entire previous life.

Les and David, out for a week of visiting and Disney!land! Here we are on a stroll through Will Rodgers State Park up to Inspiration Point followed by lunch at El Cholo. Les allows as it was delicious, as good as ever. David agreed, yummy.

Tom decided to give up that pansy-assed old pot he used to use. Three gallons was a small stupid silly amount of chili to make when you Could be making Five gallons.

And if you wanted leftovers you better get there early on New Years Day because there was practically Nothing left.

Some of the New Year’s Eve early birds, from the top and around – Joanne, Dale, Nathan, Becky, Alysia, Alysia’s husband, Maryanne, Ann, Bill, Ann’s dad from N/S(?) Carolina.

I have only one teeeeeny little complaint about my camera. Just one and yet I’m about ready to think about the Next Step, which probably won’t solve the problem either but I want the Next Step anyway.

The problem is the flash – close-ups, faces, big crowds – it just doesn’t do the trick and I end up having to ‘process’ these pictures a lot. Not great stuff but in 40 years, when I’m pushing 100, I’m sure everyone here will find it fun to see just how darn cute we were.

more – Kelly, Tom, Marsha, Mary, Nicki, Nicki’s boyfriend, Becky, Gail, Brian, Marija, Lubi, and Nathan. The picture was, for lack of light, actually a very few shades of black. Sorry guys, about those ‘interstingly’ colored faces.

And now on to Nancy’s annual New Year’s Eve and Birthday fete. Can I be more fortunate? Look what Else I got to eat! Dear Nancy’s dear, sweet, intellegent and engaging mom was here this year too, and that certainly made for an emotion packed evening.

Nancy’s pic. My camera would have produced a glaring hot spot in the foreground and the dishes towards the back of the table, well forget those richly colored olives and that beautiful ribbon of fat.

Happy Birthday Nancy!

WOW-Sandy’s gone digital! Her first picture, first of many I’m sure, to be represented here on this website.

Me and Sandy’s huggle Snuggle angel girl, Sara. This Sandy I call ‘Nancy’s Sandy’ to be distinguished from the other Sandy who, when distinctions are required, I call ‘Roger’s Sandy’.

Check out those New Year’s Nails! Nancy’s pic.