A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.

This is the quiet after the storm of Christmas visiting and visitors. Can you hear it? Can you hear the sound of silence? I DO!
One week ago I was eating Cioppino on Christmas Eve.

The Prospector made it. It was sooo good. I can't begin to tell you how good it was... and all I had to do was slice some bread.

Christmas morning we opened presents from Santa, Carl and Cutter. I packed my bags for a two day visit to my sister's to see the family and spread good cheer...that would be presents, a homemade peach trifle and Adult Chocolate Milk (Look it up if you don't know what Adult Chocolate Milk is. You're missing one of life's pleasures if you don't.). The Prospector stayed home with the dogs and the chickens but it was OK with him. It's how we live here. It's how we deal with family that doesn't live down the street or around the corner from us. 

It was a wonderful Christmas day. The house was decorated with Sis's gorgeous holiday loveliness.

Dinner was delicious.
I forgot to take pictures of the dinner... Yes, I was eating the food, not photographing it...
but take my word for it.
It was GOOD.

After dinner we opened some presents. One of mine was a bag of Nonni's cookies... what else.

There were important conversations.

between young and old, about religion and politics...
And funny stories... laughter...

and good coffee.

The Beans found more gifts to open and the alien forces appeared.

Being able to see at night and behind them at the same time.
Amazing little space people from the future... with Camo shirts and a vast knowledge of electronic equipment.

Four handed monsters with computer skills. Scary!

Where did my grandchildren go and where did these alien beings come from?

Everyone relaxed...

That was the kind of Christmas Day it was.

I know this smile.  It's beautiful isn't it?

This is my lovely daughter in law relaxing and enjoying the day... knowing she has the rest of the year off and that Noni is driving back up to the mountain with her little Alien beings for a few days. It's that contented smile of a busy mom who won't know what to do with four or five days of doing anything she wants to do.

On Friday, I packed myself up, picked up the Beans. Off we drove... over the Delta, across the big Central Valley of California, up into the Foothills and up a steep, dirt road... to spend a long weekend with Carl, Cutter and the chickens, in the little farmhouse on the mountain.

Will Noni and the Prospector survive... Stay tuned.