Naughty or nice? It's Diego The Cat on the Box, and he's napping, so please do not disturb.

From NPR; MSNBC - 'Tis the Season to be ... Grating. What holiday ditty do you find most irritating?

Poor neglected Chicken Blog. Even the most recent entry was borrowed from Joe. Perhaps it's a sign that the boys and I have been ultra busy, preparing for Christmas, mastering reading, writing, and 'rithmetic , and successfully fending off the evil flu. We do have colds in varying stages of development, and I think this is due to the Cedar Fire's ash that gets kicked in to the air.

Let us begin with the Chicas: Yes, I do keep in touch with them, and they are well. Their new family informs me that the Hens finally went through their first major molt, and it's ironic that they waited until the first week that they were no longer my Chicas. It must have been a little shocking to be suddenly stuck with 3 balding birds that won't lay eggs. Fortunately, Donna fancies them very much, so the Chicas are well cared for and admired.

Last week I took William, Alex and Max back to the old neighborhood, and we stopped by The Wild Animal Park for some outdoor recreation. They have a fun nighttime program during Christmas break (remember when it was always called "Christmas break?") The highlights of this visit included seeing the many lights, the baby deer in the nursery, the wild deer that enter the park and free load, and the big hill of snow they make for brave children to sled down. The "big" of the hill reflects the fun the children have, more than the actual square footage of the area.

No one was particularly well prepared for what eventually becomes a very cold and wet experience. We did have hats, coats and gloves, which was better than some. We should have had snow pants and snow boots. As the snow is mostly like snow-cone ice, it's pretty rough on bare hands, but awesome for reckless down hilling speeds, and spinning action. William made two rides, and then took himself on a nature walk to see the mule deer and rhinoceros. Max and Alex made more trips down and up the hill than I can count. They loved it. Big love, with grins and sparkling eyes. Alex made a few backwards trips, which only added to his exhilaration. He was undetered by anything. Max had his own, well groomed lane, which was so fast he could barely be stopped at the bottom. They were wet in the seats, and Max stopped three times to dump chipped ice from his uninsulated rubber boots. These same boots sloshed with melted snow by the time they called it quits. At least the car was packed with warm, dry clothes and a few blankets.

We have done many of the activities you'd expect to do before Christmas, except for sending cards. The boys would remind me that we have not decorated cookies; there's time. The tree is decorated, thanks to Alex and Max. Shopping is complete, but I need to wrap. Our nativity is sitting in a place of honor where it inspires peaceful reflection and thankfulness.

The night before Holly, Rich and Nicholas flew to Hawaii, we went to their home and exchanged gifts, gave hugs, laughed aloud, and played together. Kristin was there too, which always ensures that there are plenty of opportunities for out-loud laughter. Not a thing went *awry!* (...shameless inside joke.) We had a very good time, and came home with fun, generous gifts. Now Nicholas is with his Tutu and Grampa Corm, and enjoying the warm Kona days.

Our stockings are tied
to our bedposts with care.
There's hope in our hearts
and a chill in the air.

We'll soon load our sleigh
and head Santa Cruz way.
We want to be with Family
on Christmas day.

May your days be bright.
May your nights be calm.
May Santa bring you airline tickets to
an Island with a tropical balm.

Christmas Around the World

When counting the number of days until Christmas, do we include this day? How about the actual day of Christmas? Should I only count up to Christmas Eve, since that's really the high peak of the nearly Christmas climax? Do we include Saturdays in the count, because those days before Christmas are often so full of Christmasness that they don't seem like the long waiting days that are Mondays and Wednesdays.

I count from tomorrow and stop at Christmas Eve, unless today is dragging and really sucky. If the day is going badly then I count it, but it might make sense to not add an extra day; a bad day is like a setback in Christmas preparedness. Counting the days until Christmas is really about two emotions: Anticipation, and Dread. Little kids and obsessively organized people are anticipating Christmas, so they look for the short count. People who dream big, but trip up at the starting gate are looking for ways to stretch the time left before the main event; there is a distinct element of dread.

Right now, I feel that there are 14 days until Christmas. And I vow: No last minute shopping on Christmas Eve or hopeless attempts to bake 12 dozen different cookie recipes. 14 days may be too few to achieve the cover of Better Homes and Gardens in my own home, and there are definitely more things to do, than are finished. Perhaps if I stop counting the number of days until Christmas, and start making the days count, then I will feel good cheer, and joy.

14 days...I really should be a little bit freaked out about this...

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

So, maybe we have a lot of responsibilities and there are always chores to be done, but squeezing in some fun is practically mandatory at this time of year. We made a quick visit to the outlet mall to see the tree that is 87' tall; taller than the baby tree at the White House, and the shrub at Rockefeller Center. The white pine came from Mt. Shasta.

It is bright and colorful, and smells wonderful.


This year we shared our family gingerbread home building tradition with Adam, Anne and Jacob, and Mike and Ian. They came last night and we assembled gingerbread houses together. Some people foolishly adhere to strict building codes, and use only royal frosting for construction; we figured out, years ago, that hot glue is the obvious choice> for speed and stability.


Anne, seen here, expertly using her glue gun, had excellent help from her son Adam. After the walls are up and the roof is in place, comes decorating.


Jacob played music for us as we applied hard candies, wrapped and unwrapped Kisses, peppermint sticks and chocolate rocks.


Adam, Anne and Jacob are seen here, preparing their home for snow drifts.


Mike and his son, Ian, made good use of the candy bricks for chimneys and a dragon lantern (Adam is seen peeking between the father and son team.) Each house is unique and representative of our extraordinary designs, themes and creativity.

Max even thoughtup a new landscaping concept:

A palm tree!


And best of all, we had a whole lot of fun in the company of good friends.


Habitat for Candy: A dazzling design by Adam, Jacob and Anne.


Nice With Spice: A contemporary dream home built by Ian and Mike.


Wintery Paradise: A frosty wonderland put together by Max, Alex, William and Geoff.

Hey, did I sound a bit stressy yesterday? No doubt I am not alone. And nothing's changed. I worked on all fronts yesterday, and today I feel as behind, and unprepared as ever. Certainly there are aspects which I cannot influence to my satisfaction, and then there are the usual chores and responsibilities that are constant too. So, when people suggest that we "don't over do" during the holidays, I always feel a little rebellious. I want to do it all; the tree and lights and nice gifts, charity and good will, caroling (or lip synching merrily,) cookies and fruit cakes, tamales, church, sledding, and poinsettias on the deck railing. I'd like to make personalized greeting cards and mail them out with a two page family letter and family portrait. And I want to have packaged gifts at the post office today. I put the pressure on, so it's no wonder I sit in a stunned slump and feel overwhelmed; not from what I am doing, but from what I imagine I would like to do, and from what I know I should do. Do do.

Officially overloaded! We must finish moving in; unpacking and organizing. Alex, Max and I are aching to decorate for Christmas, but unpacking comes first. I have been making a slide show from our trip to Tacupeto, and doing school lessons, while emptying boxes. There's always cooking, dishes and laundry, and our car needs to go in for service. This morning I initiated crafts for school, and now my domestic gains have slipped; there is a parade's worth of cut paper scattered across the office floor. I seem to recall that it's been six months since our last dental check ups. Wasn't someone supposed to schedule new appointments? Also, flu shots...is it too late? And life with Asperger's Syndrome is adding dramatically to our stress levels. We met with our favorite acupuncturist this week, in our quest for coping skills. Can Christmas really be 22 days away? I would try meditation, but I fear slipping into a deep coma.

A Quiet Morning at Ojo de Agua

Max and Misifu on my lap.
The vaqueros preparing to bring vacas from Onapa.

Ay caramba! I still feel like I am in another time zone; distinct in space and time. I sort of started unpacking and doing laundry, then I made believe that I can't finish doing laundry without fabric softener, and I can't go for supplies because who wants to be at Target on Black Friday? So domestic progress is in limbo. I did enjoy a visit from friends though. Anne, Jacob and Adam came for post Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches. We enjoyed a relaxing visit, and I got the chance to try describing our adventures in Tacupeto. Max and Anne played a game of Othello. William, Alex, Jacob and Adam immersed themselves in BIONICLE lore and then chocolate chip cake.

In Tacupeto I felt a long way away from modern living; it was liberating. We had an easy pace and made time for conversation and introspection. We got down to basics. As Geoff so observantly noted: "Tacupeto is about fire and food."


Fire and food, nurturing, warmth


and companionship. In Tacupeto, there are no souvenirs like T-shirts or postcards, but I hope I have brought home a greater appreciation for informal visits, long hikes to quiet places, watching ants, recalling times of joy, making use of ready resources...I look forward to times when friends drop by and we laugh together, share a meal, and enjoy uncalculated simplicity and genuine warmth. Well, maybe I already enjoy these pleasures, at home, and away, but I am even more grateful to recognize how much I love my life.


Fire and Food.

Vaca-ciones!

Kia's vaca, rounded up from Onapa and staying at Ojo de Agua.

We are back from our southern vacation. We had a great time, and I will be writing all about our adventures soon. I am still recovering from our 16 hour drive home. I can't resist posting a few highlights...
like riding everywhere in Gilberto's pick-up...


and the day we went to Kia's ranch, Onapa. We were at Onapa to see my Dad, Gilbertito, Tavo and Benito ride out in search of the cows and their calves.


Vaqueros en Onapa. Left to right: Gilbertito, Ismael, Tavo, and Benito.


We enjoyed relaxing days...

and clear, starry nights by the cook fire.

Little road trips

Little road trips...since last weekend's road trip to Pasadena was such a success, we feel daring enough to make another, longer journey. We'll be heading for Mexico this week! This promises to be the sort of adventure worthy of National Geographic Explorers. 16 hours of driving will land us in a faraway land where the cows roam freely, the homes are adobe, and chickens sleep in trees. The Big Blue Whale has been tuned and scrubbed, and I am packing extra memory for the camera. What else? We should probably bring tunes, snacks, water...patience, a dictionary, jumper cables. Geoff and I are both Scout dropouts, but we did catch on to the "be prepared" motto.

We'll be out of touch and off the map for awhile. We will return with new tales to tell, photos to share, and ready for a restful month at home.

Julian Charms

Always charming, Julian in the Fall.

There is evidence of the fires, from the ravaged hills and valleys, to the relief center at Town Hall, from the conversations between shop keepers, and the signs posted everywhere: "Thank you fire fighters. We love you." And there are signs of healing too. Soft green grasses are coming up from the charred, black earth. It's a small indication of nature's cycle, but very impressive. And there were a lot of visitors in town. They were shopping and strolling, enjoying the sights. People were perceptively warmer, gentle, soft spoken; like friendly acquaintances visiting someone recovering from a bad accident.

Max and Alex left toys, clothes and money at the relief center. We had lunch at the Miner's Diner, then stopped at some of our favorite shops. We were Christmas shopping for family and friends. We found great stuff at the Wandering Sage. We skipped the pie at Mom's this time, but we did enjoy some hot apple cider.


William put his arm around my shoulders and asked to hear the stories he knows I like to share. We went to find Handsome Eddie and Eileen's home, and I held my breath until I saw it there at the end of the winding road. Still cabin-red, with manzanitas growing along the ditch and the stone steps climbing to the front porch, where Eileen used to wave us in from the cold. I stopped to listen for Asco, the black lab, and to recall the smell of the garden, the cellar, the pines. Faintly, I could hear Eddie laughing and hear his jovial and stern voice, telling us of miners and their lost treasures. He expected us to be good children and he praised us sincerely, with love. Eileen's voice is in my head and guiding my aspirations, feeding my soul to do good, be nurturing, make life welcome and celebrated. I put my hand on the railing and looked at the house, quiet and alone,


but too full of memories to ever be a lonesome place for me.