HAPPY
NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!
Here's hoping 2006 will be a good year for all of us.
I left here at 2:30am on Saturday, December 17, when Richard
and Liz Kirby arrived to take me to Manchester
Airport. How nice are they to get up at that hour? Needless
to say, there was no traffic, and we arrived just fine.
I entered
the airport after telling them good by, and making sure
I had my jacket, scarf and gloves on, as it was a bit cold!
I got checked in on KLM,
and off I went to the gate. We boarded our plane for the
short hop (about 45 minutes) to Amsterdam's Schiphol
Airport. The flight was fine, and we arrived on time
there, and I transferred to my KLM
flight to Houston. It was supposed to be a full flight,
but some people didn't show up, and lo and behold, there
was a totally empty row in front of me. As soon as the door
closed, I made a dash and moved up there, stretched out
and fell asleep. I slept through meal service, but when
I awoke, they arrived with my tray.
We arrived
early at Houston
Intercontinental Airport, and there was Joyce Havard
and mother to meet me. The temperature had definitely changed!
It was unseasonably warm for that time of year. In fact,
the whole time I was there, it was between 71°F (22°
C) and 83°F (28°C), and the skies were clear blue.
We went to Mother's home in Crosby,
and I got a shower and unpacked. Not that I'd brought that
much, other than Christmas presents, as I had clothes there.
The three of us then went to Hector's Mexican
Restaurant in Crosby for the first of my Mexican
food fixes! Then home to an early bed!
Next day we spent visiting, wrapping presents, talking,
etc. Another early night. I was able to catch up with some
friends on the telephone.
On Sunday afternoon I went to see my aunt and uncle in Baytown,
on the way to Kemah
to meet up with friends for an early dinner. I had a nice
visit with Aunt Marty and Uncle Curt and learned about their
trip after we had our
meal in Prague. I then drove to Kemah and met Herman
and Yvonne Gadeke and Barbara Dominy at The
Flying Dutchman Restaurant and Oyster
Bar. We dined upstairs, overlooking the channel between
Kemah and Seabrook,
and it was so nice to catch up with these dear friends.
It had been way too long. Eventually, we had to say goodby,
but what an enjoyable evening.
Tuesday found Mother and I getting decorations done in the
house, lights and decorations on the tree, more Christmas
presents wrapped, etc. I went to see Tommy Barker in Friendswood,
and we had a nice visit and a good Mexican lunch! So not
a busy day at all.
On Wednesday, December 21, I went to see my stepmother,
Laura, in Industry,
Texas. We had a nice visit and that evening we went to some
friends' home and had a bonfire and tortilla
soup to celebrate the Winter
Solstice. Back to her home for the night.
The next day I headed back to Mother's place. We had another
day of trying to get things in order, and then my sister
and her husband, Nita Vee and Larry Brown, arrived from
Alabama. Well, that went out the window! We all had a good
time visiting!
On the 23rd my stepmother arrived and thus more hustle and
bustle around the house. I was headed to dinner at Gayle
Athy's home in Houston, and what a nice time it was. She
has done wonders with her home! Maria Penn came to dinner
as well, and it was nice to see and be with these friends
and former neighbors. A good time!
On Dec. 24th I was back in Kemah by way of Baytown again,
where I stopped by my aunt and uncles again and was able
to see my cousin and his wife and children, Joel and Linda
Ball, son Aaron and daughter Carolyn, to see Dale and Jim
Brannon who had returned the day before from their cruise
from Chile to Brazil, and how they enjoyed it. We had too
little time together, but it was better than nothing. I
got back home, and we had tamales
that evening, a Texas tradition. My nephew and his wife,
David and Sherry Thomas, had arrived, and now the "joint
was really jumping"!
December 25th was a wonderful Christmas day with all there,
and neighbor Joyce. We had a good time, and a delicious
dinner. All the women were in the kitchen cooking away,
and we sat down and had a good time. Stuffed, we all just
lazed around the rest of the day.
December 26th saw Mother's house empty out. I left first
to head to Vermont, as Barbara Pick had given me a ticket
to come visit her. I got my United
flight to Washington
Dulles airport (boy, has THAT place become a dump!),
transferred to a flight to Burlington
International Airport, and all went well. We arrived
at Burlington to snow! Lovely and quite a change from Texas!
The driver took me to Barbara's home, and there to greet
me were other friends from Caracas days, Darryl and Susan
Zander and some neighbor friends of Barbara's. We had such
a good time, and Darryl had prepared a delicious dinner.
Afterwards, all departed, then Susan, Darryl, Barbara and
I got down to serious visiting!
Next morning, the Zanders were off back to New York, and
Barbara and I just enjoyed each other's company, and Neil
came over and we all had a good time together. About 3:30
Max Shapiro arrived from Lexington, MA. We had met on the
return trip from Prague. I'd told him I would be in VT for
a few days, and he came up! The three of us visited and
had a couple of drinks, and then we headed to Easy
Street Cafe and the Purple
Moon Pub for dinner, which just happens
to be owned by Barbara's daughter and son-in-law, Kathy
and Dan Perera. We had a drink in the pub then it was next
door for a delicious meal! Back home for visiting.
The following morning, Max and Barbara went off to exercise,
and I took pictures. The setting was lovely: deep snow all
around with the sun shining on it making it look like diamonds
on top, looking over at the ski runs of Sugarbush,
and when we drove into the villages, there were covered
bridges with icicles on them and snow on top, and people
skating on frozen ponds! True Currier
& Ives! Anyway, Max and I went to lunch at Easy
Street, and then it was back, and he had to
leave. Babi and I just lazed around, then we drove to get
Chinese food to take to Kathy and Dan's home in Hancock.
It was wonderful to see Kathy (we'd seen Dan at the pub,
and he was there that night!) and the boys, Wilder and Jaro.
How they have grown! Wilder entertained us on the piano
with his music!
The next day I had to return to Houston, and so Barbara
and Neil drove me to the airport. Goodbye hugs and kisses
all around, and then it was off to Houston. I got home late,
and Mother and I had a nice visit, and then it was bedtime!
On Dec. 30, we didn't do a great deal. Went to do some shopping
for things to bring back, etc. but not a lot. However, that
afternoon, Mother, Joyce and I went to Houston and did some
shopping, then on to John and Jean Heards home. They held
a dinner party for me, and it was so nice to see Frank and
Luisa Rowsey, Billie McGee and Rudy and Dorothy Gall. Others
had been invited, but were unable to attend. Jean, as always,
had prepared a delicious dinner! Dec. 31 found us finishing
the shopping, and then going to see “The
Producers”, which we thoroughly enjoyed! Back
home, and I started to pack! We celebrated the New Year
with me packing and her talking to me!!
I departed on January 1 for Manchester with the change in
Amsterdam. All went well, and I caught a train to York and
got home! It was chilly, but the snow that had been here
over Christmas had been washed away with rain.
Back to work on January 3, and nice to see familiar faces
and catch up with people. Worked and slept all week! Catching
up, I guess. Today I went to lunch with Peter Gibson and
Gareth and some other friends of theirs at the Masons
Arms, and we exchanged our presents and
caught up with each other.
WHEW!! That's the end of my saga, up to this point. I hope
all is well with all of you.
Love,
