Christmas Greetings to All

Maryann and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our celebration was as quiet as we expected it to be. As you can see by the photo, we will be warm this winter, and we should eat quite well too.

I place all of our gifts together to be able to get a better photo. After lunch I came back into the den to look for Hazel, our dear cat. She had decided that all of that neat stuff made a very nice, comfortable sleeping area. If you can't find a lap, do the next best thing, make a nest in some new stuff.

We got each other new, warm robes for winter. We also received other articles of clothing, i.e., shirts, sports coats, etc. There were also gifts from our girls. It was a very nice day.

We had arranged to do an instant message chat with the kids. One lives in the Los Angeles area and the other in Portland, Oregon. Before we made that connection our friends in Marsanny le Bois (just North of Dijon), France began instant messaging with us. While "talking" with them our girls came on line. There were five of us in the US on at the same time. Unfortunately we had to call the French connection off a little sooner than we had wanted to.

With the girls we had a very spirited discussion. It is very difficult trying to keep up with everyone and everything that is being said. We did our best and hope to do it again soon. Only the next time I promise not to be such a smart ass and try to one up the others.

After that chat, Julianne and I played a couple of games of Literati. It is a word game like Scrabble. I think I beat her both games. She is really good and it wasn''t easy. Perhaps wc will do that more often.

Well, it is time to rest up or write some more of my book. I am having some difficulty with Chapter Fifteen. You can find it at Things I've Stumbled Across Along the Way.

I wish you well.