Another Christmas In SoCal

Again this year, Carolyn and I went to Southern California to spend the Christmas holidays with Sara. Even with the experience of last year, it was hard to get in the Christmas spirit with flowers in December, palm trees and people in shorts.

Sara's neighborhood is a case in point. These folks worked very hard to create a winter wonderland atmoshpere. But somehow it didn't work for me.

Pointsettias often put me in the holiday frame of mine. But I tend to think of the potted variety not those that are 10 feet tall.

Most people spend Christmas day in front of a roaring fire. We went to the beach near Sara's. We walked out on this long rock jetty.

Along the way we saw pelicans and seals.

There were seabirds galore.

There were people fishing along the jetty. This man had just caught a starfish.

When you think of Christmas, you think of vistas of evergreen forests in snow. In Long Beach you can see Catalina Island. (Over Sara's shoulder, 24 miles away.)

I spent too many years in the midwest. I can't get use to Christmas on the beach. I guess I'll just have to keep working at it.

Ben Turns Two!

On December 6th, grandson Ben, turned two. Carolyn and I went back to Springfield for the birthday party.

There was, of course, cake and balloons ...

... and presents and all the usual stuff.

Here cousin, Jack, stands ready to lend Ben a helping hand.

Favorite presents this year included Thomas The Train, color books, markers, ...

backpacks, ...

and bright red shirts.

(When you have a new red shirt, no one notices a bad hair day.)

One good thing about a December birthday is you don't have to wait long for more presents. Ben took Grandma and Grandpa to the Mall to look for possible Christmas gifts.

He got to ride the rides.

He also got to see Santa.

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Mom and Ben. (Ben is trying out for the role of Ralphie in a remake of "A Christmas Story."

It may have been the Christmas season, but Spring Training is just around the corner.