Today is what?!

I'm having some trouble figuring out what day it is. If my calendar is right, it's Tuesday already. How did that happen? Last time I turned around to look, it was last Tuesday, and now it's this Tuesday, and that's pretty disconcerting. I'm behind on just about everything: laundry, exercise, sleep, getting over this head cold, knitting, reading blogs, writing blog posts, email. You name it, and it's not done.

But it's been a great week.

My parents and my aunt arrived last Monday, and we had a lovely visit with them. They admired our tree.
(That tin foil star on top? Rick made it for our very first tree in our very first apartment together, lo these many years ago, when we only had enough money for a teeny-tiny tree, one string of lights, and a box of red ornaments. I love it, and we're never replacing it.)

We had our Christmas eve party, and it was declared a success by all, even those who don't like pickled herring. Of course, we also had aqavit, glug, pork pies, pickled cabbage, cucumber salad, ham, cheese, bread, and rod grod for dessert. Mmm...

Christmas went equally well. The girls got the things that they most wanted (walkie-talkies for their expeditions into the ditch which is the open space between all of the yards in this part of our neighborhood, plus lots and lots of books), as did I. I'll share pictures of everything later, but for now can I just say Golding spindle, roving, and yarn?

On Friday night, we went to the Wild Animal Park for the festival of lights, which was great fun. The lions were in quite a mood just at dusk, making all kinds of deep throaty huffing noises, to our shivery delight (we all admitted that we really liked the look of the inch-thick pane of glass between us and them). We took the bus tour, which is fun to do in the dark, as the animals do all kinds of different things than they do during the day. It was cold, but I'd warned my parents and aunt to bring warm coats, so that was no problem at all (and it was not cold, I am absolutely sure, by the standards of those of you living in more easterly and northerly directions than I). I forgot the camera, so no pictures, but it's not like you can get very good pictures of animals at night in any case.

On Saturday, they all left, and we flipped the house in a couple of hours to get ready for a visit from one of my very best friends who is out here this week from Hawai'i. She thought it was really cold, which made me laugh in the same way that all of you northern and eastern people laugh when I say it's cold here. We had a wonderful time -- her girls and ours get along really well, which makes it even more fun to be together. We went to the zoo on Sunday, where I handed the camera off to Older Daughter who is much better about remembering to take pictures than I am. Of course, it's sometimes hard to tell what she's taking a picture of... (a warthog?)
But she got some great shots of the pandas.
And the polar bears.
(There are better ones of his face, but I am terribly entertained that he lies there just like Tilly does when she's chewing on a bone.)
And the mountain lions.
And her sister.
And her dad in his new sweater.
Yesterday, I had brunch with another dear friend in La Jolla while our friends from Hawai'i went to Legoland, and this morning, we saw them off to Disneyland for the rest of their trip. The house seems very empty...

So, the girls are weeding the garden (they've suddenly decided that they want to grow their own herbs and vegetables, and Older Daughter spent hours last night researching what should be planted this time of year, so who am I to discourage this behavior?), and I am going to start some laundry and sit down to spin a bit. Then I'll work some more on my kimono (I'm twelve inches into the back). Then I think it'll be time for a nap. I can't kick this cold (of course, some people -- coughRickcough -- would argue that I haven't been trying too hard, what with all the activity and late nights and all), so I think that some rest is in order over the next few days.

I hope that you all have had as wonderful a holiday as I have, filled with much love and laughter and friendship and joy.