Merry Christmas!

 Well, here it is - my all time favorite holiday.  Normally I would have spent the last 10 days sorting out the thousands of cookies I would have baked over the past 10 weeks.  For as long as I can remember, each year on my birthday in October, I would start baking Christmas cookies.  The routine would include making about 10 - 12 dozen each of somewhere between 20 and 25 types of cookies.  Come gift-giving time I would lay them all out all over the kitchen and beyond and start making plates, tins, boxes and more to give to friends and send to family all over the country (including my brother in Alaska).

Christmas has always been a favorite.  My mom started giving me Christmas ornaments from all around the world so many years ago - I've got hundreds of what I think are the most special ornaments you can find.  I've got Santas and angels and pagodas and dough ornaments from Guatemala to India and beyond.  I've got felt ones my aunt made and milkweed pod ones my grandmother made.  I've got lots that I myself made as gifts over the years as well.  The tradition in our family is to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving and decorate it while watching Christmas movies that evening, an activity that ranks in my absolute top ten favorites.

I love decorating all over the house and staring at lights for hours at the end of the day.  I love filling stockings and staying up to all hours organizing the gifts under the tree for the opening ritual in the morning.  When the boys were small, it was hard to get Jacob to make it to 5am before he'd come bouncing in the room ready to drag us to the tree for the big event.  And of course the rest of the day was spent with the kids playing nonstop with their new goodies while I spent the day doing one of my other favorite past-times, cooking.

My boys and their girls Xmas 2010

I knew it would be hard being away from my boys.  I know, they're 26 and 31 and you'd think I'd be over it but we've always been together with very few exceptions.  Rob's folks have spent the holidays with us as well for countless years and with Rob's dad passing two years ago and his Mom making the move back "home" to the Buffalo area where 21 family members reside . . . even more was missing.    So being just the two of us here, I find not only that I miss my boys, my inlaws, favorite parties, my decorations and more but that I've been remiss in not making sure to spend Christmas with my own mom and I'm missing her too.

The shadows are JELLYFISH!  

Okay - so let's backtrack . . . in the last few days we made our way safely in much better conditions down the coast and are officially in the keys at Coconut Grove in Biscayne Bay.  We've had a couple of beautiful sunny and warm days and the town is cute and welcoming.  We met up with two boats that we originally met on Lake Sylvia that both found their way here and we spent a fun Christmas eve with Dave and Jessica from Canada (s/v Kiandra) aboard Moonshadow. 

Sipping Christmas Cocktails

We gathered apps and beverages and enjoyed stories and finally watched a Christmas Eve tradition - Scrooged - together.  I woke up to texts arriving one after another and then calls from the boys and my Mom and sister in New Orleans.   Finally, at noon, the boys set up Skype on the big screen and they opened their presents with us long distance.

So why am I feeling so blue?!   I guess this is all part of the experience, the adventure as we keep calling it.   And it's only this year . . . the "shake down", the "first run" . . . that will help determine how to best avoid the pitfalls next time.   There will certainly be a better plan for Christmas next year!!    So I'm shakin' it all off, throwing back my shoulders and taking a deep breath . . . and then I'm going to bed early to put this one behind me and get ready for whatever this adventure seeks to bring tomorrow as we begin our trek toward Key West. 

Merry Christmas, my family and friends.  You can be assured that love and good wishes have been coming your way this day from Moonshadow and me.