the blackout Christmas

Yesterday afternoon we got a completely unexpected invitation to share Christmas dinner with two of our favorite gents. We were planning to have some leftovers along with the eggplant I bought on Monday. Nothing to rave about. They, on the other hand, had cooked a turkey and all the trimmings. How could we resist? I was planning to take along the trusty camera to record the event. Then I thought about available light. We'd been having outages and brownouts all day. By 6 PM electricity still hadn't come back on. With flashlights in hand we arrived at their lovely home, overlooking the sea, in time to watch yet another spectacular sunset. Mac lit a few candles and we sat down to a really wonderful meal, finished off by a delicious pecan pie. It's good to know men who cook (I happen to live with one)! At about 9 PM the lights came back on and we could enjoy their brilliantly lit Christmas tree. We left with full tummies and hearts.

Last year was the first Christmas here without my sandbox playmate who had died the previous August. Her daughter and son-in-law were here then to close up the house, take care of all her possessions and scatter her ashes. It all went by in a blur. This year is different. There are no distractions, no tasks to perform, nothing to keep my attention focused somewhere else. I miss her very much, more this year than last. I had the same reaction when my sister died; the second Christmas was much harder. The phone call and invite were just what I needed to add some merriment to the day.

 Thank you, Mac and Juan.