One down, one to go...

For starters...

Thanksgiving was fun and nice and now that  holiday is past and the plans and gifts for Chanukah and Christmas can begin to flow.

We've really cut back on gifts this year - -everyone is so strapped -- mostly we are just giving to the little kids and they're not so little this year.  I did most of my shopping yesterday and at the supermarket. Mine sells gift cards. Does yours?  I grabbed two for Nordstrom for my grand daughters and one for Best Buy for my grandson and a handful of Starbucks for my own kids.  The new "rule" was not to get gifts for everyone but the rule was made after I had already begun my shopping last September , and as far back as last May, too... so my own kids will all get gifts from me. Nothing high priced, but a gift or two... and I hit Amazon, too, for gifts for friends and out of town family or pals -- so basically I am done. Just waiting on Amazon to deliver the purchases here and then I can gift wrap and hit the post office to get them mailed.

My daughters will bake some of our favorite cookies, cook a family tradition casserole ( a recipe my Aunt Esther cooked for a bridal luncheon honoring me back in 1957) and my son Lee will either make his famous BBQ tri-tip or his equally famous turkey recipe.  It is the one time of the year when I get all four of my kids at the same place at the same time and, for me, that is the best gift of all. I so rarely get to see Tod or Linda-- so it is a day I am looking forward to spending with them.  I feel bad that Tod and his Wendy have to drive from the desert and thought it might be fun for all of us to go them, but that just was out of the question... three car loads plus the logistics of my grand daughter having a soft ball game that same day -- so once again we go to Lee's and he and his Valerie are good sports to have us all again. Gone are the days of me having a big house and everyone coming " home" to me. It's times like this I wish I still did have my own home.

When are we doing this gathering?  We always do it the weekend before Christmas so no one is fighting Christmas traffic. Years ago when we all met up in the desert and long before there were grandkids, we would all get dressed up on Christmas Eve and go to the restaurant Le Valluris for dinner -  it was so elegant and festive  - but first I would go through the worry of kids on the freeway in traffic. One year it took Karen and Linda six hours to make the two hour drive and Mom and I were pretty frantic with worry.  Mom? Yes, I will miss her. Keep thinking of gifts she would like, books, blouses, makeup things.  It's tough.

Moving right along...

I had such high hopes for Rosie's special variety show and my God, what was she thinking?  It was beyond dreadful, lousy writing, stupid skits -- I've seen better variety shows put on my grade school kids.  The writers should be hiding their heads in shame.

I'm ticked off with PBS and have been for months now. My regular Friday night routine is to watch PBS and my favorite BBC comedies, all old, all seen before, but they still make me laugh.  For weeks on end the shows weren't on, replaced with BeBop or what ever it is called specials , over and over and then with the you want to throw a shoe at the t.v. set ongoing pleas for pledges.  Finally, 3 weeks ago my shows were back and I settled in with my Trader Joe's popcorn to watch and be enertained.. was wonderful. Then, this week? Damn concerts back again an the nagging for pledges until I was so angry I just turned off the set and worked on reading the book, " Middlesex."

Meanwhile back here at "the home.."

The Christmas decor is up and yesterday, December 2 , some Santa showed up so people could have their picture taken with him. I debated about going downstairs, just for the chance to sit on some guy's lap, but took a pass. When they do those kinds of activities -- dress in a costume for Halloween, etc.. I feel like I am living in a kindergarden, not a senior residence.  But those old ladies who go actually enjoy it all, love the making a costume.. they really get in to it.

We've got 12 vacancies here in this 65 unit building and what does that tell you about the economy? And they have raised the rents to the point where I wonder how long I can hang in here , too.  I'm in a one bedroom but have often eyed the bigger two bedroom units - but good gawd, those two bedroom spreads are about $4,500 a month now.  Who would pay that, who can pay that??? They used to be $3100 a month but now that's what they charge for a one bedroom. The world has gone greedy nuts.

New books..

My son Lee has a new Monk book out as of yesterday. This one takes place in France and should be a fun read. My brother, Burl Barer , has a new true crime book out  , too, but I don't read those - too bloody for me, but you might like it.  Check him, and Lee, out on Amazon.

Honors..

Son Tod has been nominated for the Pushcart prize given to outstanding short stories... not his first time to be nominated, either.. so proud of him, too.

That's it for today...

Comments

[lee goldberg]

Jan wrote: "I debated about going downstairs, just for the chance to sit on some guy's lap, but took a pass."

Oh. My. God. Things really are getting desperate.

Lee

[David Zarkin]

I am sending Mike and Kim a Target gift card where they can buy groceries, underwear and detergent or whatever. I missed the Rosie Show. This is a nasty time to watch PBS. When they have the oldies concerts you know they are rattling the cup for donations. I think they need to lay a guilt trip on viewers: "Mr Rogers and Julia Child died because you didn't send in money. So there."