...Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Season's Greetings...

My first Christmas away from home. The couple left for Suffolk, VA to visit relatives on Friday morning, leaving the whole house to myself!

Last night I was at A. and R.'s house; they were hosting Christmas dinner for the family this year. I met R.'s parents this time around, who drove up from Florida, and his sister's family [with two kids], from Minnesota. R.'s parents spend their year in three different places: Charlotte, New Bern, and Fort Lauderdale, depending on the season.

Dinner consisted of turkey, stuffing, gravy, creamed onions, green beans, cranberries, and, of course, pie! Three different varieties. I drank a little bit of white wine. I am still not a big fan of alcoholic beverages.

We watched Meet the Fockers, a gift to Mr. Bob [R.'s brother-in-law] from A. and R.. Everyone in the family received loads of presents, children and grown-ups alike. Personally, I was just happy to be around friends at this time of year.