"Christmas Time Comes Once A Year!"

       
                              And, darlings, let me tell you, though the childhood part of me still wishes it would last forever, maybe only once a year is a good thing!!!! Yes, we are back from our Christmas Adventure, but what an adventure it was!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              It started with being on line for the bus at Port Authority, where this woman tried to push her way to the front, was hooted back by everyone in line, but, when the line began moving, cut in front of everyone, anyway!!!!!!!!!  Bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!  Then the bus ride was from Hell!!!!!!!!!  There was no ventilation, so the air was like a sauna, and with people snorting and coughing, I will be lucky if I don't get consumption!!!!!!!   Added to which, for the first part of the trip, this harridan was screaming into her cell phone about a phone of hers that was stolen????????  Then, how come she can talk???????  The people around her told her to shut up, and there was so much attitude thrown at us, plus the bus driver was either so passive, or oblivious, I am not sure he would have done anything, if gun fire had rung out!!!!!!!!   What a way to start the Holiday!!!!!!!!!

                             Somehow, things quieted down, we made it to Norristown, PA, where my sister picked us up, and drove us to her Festively-Decorated-For-Christmas House!!!!!!!!!   A relaxing evening was had by all, with me even getting in some "Law And Order!"

                               Then came Christmas Eve Day, when, after lunch, we all drove to scenic Villa St. Martha (which I am sure Sisters Simplice and Camille would LOVE!!!!!!!!), to pick up my father!  I wanted to stay, because, the library room was setting up tables and chairs for the 2PM Event--Tea With Sister Barbara!!!!!!!!!!!!  I would have loved to stay, and have tea with the girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 But I was enticed with a visit to Barnes and Noble, where you know I did not emerge empty handed.  I found two books I have been meaning to read--"The Likeness," by Tana French, her follow-up to "In The Woods," and "The Interpretation Of Murder" by Jed Harris!!!!!!!  Perfect for those cold, Winter Nights, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  We got home, settled in, had dinner, and were all set to go to our usual Christmas Eve Mass at St. Teresa's, when it began to snow at blizzard speed, coating the road with such wetness, we were all afraid to drive over those country back roads!!!!!!!!  Even my father, a super-devout Catholic, said not a word!!!!!!!!  He went farther, in fact!!!  Because, at 10 PM I began to watch the service from the National Basilica in Washington, D.C.!!!!  I am telling you, this was a revelation!!!!!!!  This was NOT "The Song Of Bernadette," girls, this was like a $100 million dollar super crowded spectacle!!!!  I never saw so many priests, for a service!!!!!!!!!!!  One looked like Philip Seymour Hoffman!  Nor have I seen so many dour looking, and well fed, nuns!!!!!!!!!!  No Sister Simplices here, loves!!!!!!!!!!   The choir looked pretty well fed, too, like they had been dining on roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, before singing!!!!!  What ever happened to the days when I sang in choirs, and we all looked ascetic????????????  It was a traditional Mass, but there were so many deviations in between, that my father got disgusted, and went up to bed!!!!!!!!!   They were going all out, because the Vatican's Representative, the Papanunziio, was there to officiate!!!!!!!!!!  I stayed for the whole thing, and when the priest was giving the Final Blessing, I looked at my watch--12:20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I couldn't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!  Santa was tapping his foot on the chimney top, just waiting to get in!!!!!!!!!!  We finally went upstairs, and gave him a chance!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Them, it was Christmas morning!!!!!!!!!!! Hooray!!!!!!!  I felt just like little Cindy Lou Who!!!!!!!!!!!!  Everyone got bounteous gifts, although where was my Manhattan pied-a terre????????????
Then came down time, while I did some reading, Monsieur did some napping (of course!!!!!!!) and we awaited the arrival of my nephew Jonathan, his wife, Mandy, and their children, Fiona and Alexander!!!!!!
They arrived, at about 2PM, and what a merry time it was!!!!!!!!!!  I saw toys and games I had never heard of, before!!!!!!!!  My sister made a lovely meal--ham, roasted potatoes, the famous broccoli casserole, string beans, Jell-O mold, and baked goods for desert!!!!!!!  A perfect holiday meal!!!!!!!!!!!!  After resting up, the others packed up, and took my father back to Villa St. Martha (Jonathan lives only ten minutes away from there!!!!!!!!!!!), and that was Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Girls, I am telling you, I was EMOTIONALLY exhausted!!!!!!!!!!  Still, with a storm on the way, we agreed to scramble for the 8:45 AM bus yesterday, which we made!  The rule of thumb always is--if the trip down is hellish, the trip back will not be!   And so it was!  We got back to NYC, at 10:50 AM, and with the R train now running, and a stopover for lunch at The Lighthouse, in our neighborhood, we walked into our apartment at 1 PM!!!!!!!!!!!!  Where we rested for the remainder of the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Now, our biggest challenge is to try and see "Les Miserables!"  We are hoping for Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     Merry Christmas, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!  I will keep you posted!!!!!!!!!!!!