Dear Catherine: Thank you for your touching, bittersweet Christmas story. JT lyrics from another song go: "The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time...the secret of live is in opening up your heart." I can see you're managing to do both in sometimes difficult times. Do I detect issues with the ex though? You're among friends here, darlin', don't sugar-coat it...give it to us straight. :-) I pray the saints will allow all our troubles to be over someday soon. And I do mean in this lifetime. Until then, well, you know...
In any event, may I please eat at your table next Christmas, Catherine? Your menu sounds delicious! The carrots with fresh mint is a nice touch...and my knees get weak at the mere thought of good home-made cranberry sauce. I just know your mocha cake was moist and delicious. Post the recipes, why don't cha? This Christmas has been a blessed one for me. Some faithful friends who are dear to me were near to me, once more. I'm not worthy of some of the thoughtful gifts. And I got to spend some quality time on Christmas with my best friend's children, 11, 7 and two-and-a-half years old, who I've known since all their births. There is little so heartwarming as children's joy on Christmas Day. Andre, the adorable 2-year-old, has just learned to say my name, and we played ball with an under-inflated basketball he produced from a closet for quite a while. He was happy as could be. These are the sweet moments and simple pleasures of life I am touched so touched by and will never forget. I'll tell Andre reminiscences of this Christmas as he grows up. And maybe I'll retell them to his kids someday. Such is the circle of life. Lucas, my godson, the 7 year-old, feigned being bummed 'cause Toys R Us ran out of the Harry Potter game for Sony Playstation before I could get there, so it wasn't under the tree as I had hinted it might be. But it *was* in the mail from Amazon.com to him, I 'splained. I tried to steer conversation toward his new gear bike, how bad-ass it was. Even attempted to placate him a with a copy of _Harry and the Helicopter Rescue_ , a word-learning book with movable parts! He ripped the wrapping off, gave it a cursory examination, then looked at me and whined, "This sucks." It's mean, but I couldn't help but giggle at his little reversal of expectation. It's in the mail, Luke, you'll see... I gave Heather, the 12 year old, Tolkien's book _The Hobbit_, which she's excited about. She's read all the Harry Potters and likes the genre. I think she's ready. If she likes it, she'll never forget who introduced her to it. But that probably works conversely as well. Life is a series of taking such chances. I do hope everyone has a happy and highly hopeful holiday season. -Julius ----- Original Message ----- From: "Catherine McKay" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2001 7:49 PM Subject: Re: Christmas 2001 (njc) > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > <<I'd settle for just the single, or maybe Bob can > > burn > > it for me somehow on my next Joni bootleg or covers > > request? >> > > > > You know I'd do it too, Rose...we'll figure > > something out. > > > > I just downloaded it off Musiccity.com. Can you > (meaning I) send these things (mp3s) as attachments? > I mean, I know you *can* - I tested it by sending one > to myself, but I got some kind of warning from my ISP > about clearing out my mailbox (it may have been that I > was sending it from my sympatico account to the same > account which may have confused things) I can send it > to people if this is something that can be done > without screwing things up and will do so if you ask > (but not without your permission, of course, and can't > send to the list, > (I don't think this thing supports attachments does > it?) Or can burn a CDR for you, if you like, and send > it by regular post (but I'm stingy and wouldn't want > to send only one 3-1/2 minute song!) > > Can someone who *gets* this stuff please let me know > before I start making promises I can't keep? > Otherwise, downloading the morpheus software from > Musiccity.com is quite easy - after all, I was able to > do it, so there you go. > > Anyhow, I know what you mean about Christmas being a > sentimental time. There are years (and this is one of > them) where I'd prefer to run away from it all. I > imagine a cabin in the woods. It's surrounded by > snow. I have no idea how I got there - there are no > footprints or tracks of any kind anywhere. There's a > roaring fire in the fireplace. There aren't a lot of > people there, and not one who pisses me off > (therefore, the father of my children isn't there, now > that's my idea of paradise, but I digress ;] ) > > It's two years ago this very day that I saw my father > alive for the last time. He died January 25, 2000, so > of course I think of him at Christmas. And my Mum who > died a few years earlier, but once Dad was gone, that > was it - I was forced to become a grownup and believe > me, it ain't all it's cracked up to be. I miss the > Christmases my whole family would get together at my > parents' place and the turkey and the whole bit. At > Christmas 1999, because my Dad and my stepmother had > spent Christmas Day itself with my stepmum's family, > we did the McKay family Christmas on Boxing Day. > Usually Dad acted as Santa and, after dinner, he would > call out the kids' names and they'd come and collect > their presents - they'd always be antsy as hell and > wired on sugar and they couldn't wait a minute longer, > or they'd probably burst from excitement. > > That last Christmas, Dad had gotten quite shaky from > the Parkinsons' and he couldn't manage very well > picking things up, and his voice had gotten quite > weak, so I moved up over beside him and helped him > out. > > This Christmas was a very quiet one. I had the ex > over - after all, he is the father of my children and, > as long as he doesn't hang around too long, I can > handle him without wanting to smack him one. I cooked > a turkey and mashed potatoes, home-made cranberry > sauce, stuffing, gravy, green beans and carrots with > fresh mint; mocha cake for dessert. It was a pretty > spare Christmas gift-wise, because there's not a lot > of money around right now (thanks to a certain jobless > bum who will remain nameless but if I don't help him > out, I may have to take him back - and I'd rather walk > off a cliff), but I wanted the dinner to be a good one > and the kids to be happy, and I think they were (if a > bit disappointed in the few gifts they got this year, > but they had been warned they probably wouldn't be > getting too much this year.) > > I appreciate the fact that JT uses the "until then, > we'll have to muddle through somehow" line rather than > the "Hang a shining/shiny star upon the highest bough" > that almost everyone else sings. I prefer the > muddling bit, because it's much more realistic and far > less saccharine than the shiny star. > > > > ______________________________________________________ > Send your holiday cheer with http://greetings.yahoo.ca
