We went to my parents’ house — there was some talk of going to the in-laws’, which would have been fun, but poor Lala only got Monday and Tuesday off, and that’s not enough time to get to Idaho and back…..
But it was awesome — one of those perfect holidays where no one fights (I got bratty over a game of Taboo, but that’s to be expected, right? Those rules are so VAGUE and I LOVE to win), where the turkey is perfect, and the gifts are FANTASTIC. I mean, really, I ended up with a Tiffany necklace (from sister Christy), gorgeous earrings, new computer speakers, and the Nike +iPod running device, all from Lala. (iPod running! It charts your distance, just by clipping into your shoe! Woot!) And the new Jon Katz from Clara. Talk about a thoughtful border collie. And a spinning wheel which I’ve already enjoyed, from Mom and Dad, and a bunch of other wonderful gifts that I can’t remember now that I’m tired and ready for bed. We spent the day driving up the coast, stopping once in Paso Robles to look at fancy western shirts at the Boot Barn (where a couple of Very Straight women looked at us with slightly quizzical gazes — why was I so comfortable smoothing the shirt lines along Lala’s front? Hmmm).
A short, two-day trip, made perfect by the fact that Motel 6 allows dogs and doesn’t seem to mind how many you have as long as they’re quiet, which they blessedly were (although you’re technically only supposed to have just one, the desk clerk only said "whatever" with a shrug when I mentioned she might see us with more than one dog). And out of all the people I saw coming and going out of the Motel 6 rooms, only one room didn’t appear to have a dog in tow. People with pet allergies, beware. Pet lovers, take heart.
And who would want to leave Harriet behind, anyway? Not us, that’s who.
Lala would like me to add that this is not what her hair normally looks like — the camera distorts things, friends. Better coif-representation can be found elsewhere on the blog.
I got my wife one of the most un-romantic gifts EVER, a spice rack. But she had been begging for one for Christmas, and she was DEEELIGHTED to receive it. Magnetic, and everything! She actually said that I would have been in trouble had she NOT received it. And here I was feeling stupid about getting something so prosaic. She loved it, taking it out of the box immediately and playing with the lids like she was six and they were tinker-toys. Cute as hell.
I also did well with sister Christy:
I gave her a shiv. Yep, a knife. A wooden one, carved by one of the guys from the Old Crow Medicine Show. He carved it backstage when they were playing in Tahoe with Lala’s band, and while her bandmate Camilla had her hands on it for a while, it was headed for the trash when I lifted it at the end of the night. It was meant for Christy. I loved her reaction.
Bethany is getting a stereo for her truck from all of us:
And the little Mama is getting a dryer from us kids. For the first time in her WHOLE LIFE, my mother will use a dryer to dry her clothes. She is pretty happy about it, as she, ahem, hasn’t gotten any taller, although I will not say out loud that she has shrunk a tiny bit, and the clothesline that Dad put up in the backyard fifteen years ago, well, those trees are quite a bit taller now, ain’t they? Yes, they could lower the clothesline. No, we don’t like that solution and approve of Mom staying indoors in the inclement weather. Yay!
And she got socks:
Please ignore Miss Idaho in her party dress, trying to steal the limelight away from the possum/merino socks that the little Mama got for Xmas (patten: generic toe-up, with a lace rose-leaf panel thrown in once the toe is done). Soft, soft, soft, and just what Mom needs — she had darned the last pair I made until they were screaming for mercy. Just pathetic, for the mother of a Knitter.
And then, of course, we had to go for a Beach Walk. It was a lovely sixty-eight degrees in Pismo Beach, and the dogs were happy to feel the sand between their toes, although they were sad to have to wear their leashes (stupid laws. Whatever).
The sisters were there, too:
Of course, a better, more accurate picture of the proceedings can be seen HERE.
Lala found a quarter! Hooray!
Okay, we’re home now, and I’m listening to my FABULOUS new Joan Osborne CD, Pretty Little Stranger. No, really, go check it out. Besides that unfortunate God song that was so unreasonably popular, she has an AMAZING voice, and this is her country/Americana album, produced by Dolly Parton’s guy, with backups done by Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, and Dan Tyminski. It’s really great stuff — old-country sounding, with the warmth and strength of her voice at the front. It’s awesome. Another gift.
Yay for Christmas and family and holidays and drives with dogs, especially long drives with small dogs who keep your lap warm. Enjoy the rest of the week, won’t you?
Oh man. Now I might not be able to live without a magnetic spice rack. Off to find one on the internets…
You are all just too cute!
Can I adopt your whole family?!?!
ah.. sounds truly wonderful. Glad you had such a good time. With doggies everything is better!
PS. I love reading your blog b’c if my boss pops by I can say WOW.. look at this, dog pictures! ooh! And she momentarily forgets I am not working.
Happy holidays to you and Lala! And the dogs. And cats. And everyone else. 🙂
And I’m totally loving that magnetic spice rack, too.
Not sure if you’re at all superstitious, but I’ll give you the warning just in case… Knives as gifts are very bad luck, something about severing the ties between the giver and givee… this can be fixed by having her give you a penny so it’s not a gift. At least that’s always been what was said in my family.
God(dess) bless all of you!
It’s hard for me to get my head around mixing “Xmas” and “beach,” but it looks like a great day. Yay for all the photos!
Wonderful!
Happy holidays to you and everyone!
We got to the “playa fria” on Christmas (Rodeo Beach at Kronkhite in the Marin Headlands). No dogs for us, just George (now 4!) and no leash law for kids. We saw lots of happy doggies! And George walked along the footprints of all the happy doggies. Good times!
Merry After Christmas!
Are we allowed to ask why the behind view in the “more accurate picture of the proceedings” is more accurate?
I’m so glad you all had such a lovely Christmas, always good to hear about happy times!
I’m glad you had such a fabulous time.
I see Lala is still drinking. *sigh*.
Shocking, really.
Looks like a lovely celebration. I suppose the butt photos is a Yarn-a-go-go sister tradition. I have a hard time ever getting Christy to pose facing front and smiling.
Sounds like a good time. 🙂
That looks like a great Xmas! I have to tell you something though: a spice rack isn’t the least romantic gift a wife ever got. Last year my mom got an impact wrench from my dad (its the thing you use to take off car wheels– apparently they needed one I guess but really).
Wasn’t the weather down there fabulous? We were in SB visiting my in-laws.
I wanted to comment on Joan Osborne: I saw her live in about, oh, 1995? She was opening for someone like Rusted Root – one of those flash-in-the-pan bands. She was a big girl (like tall and healthy and not concerned about fitting into a size whatever, not at all in-style-to-be-waifishly-thin) and she was not afraid of it in any way. I left the show feeling much better about being a big girl, which was important because at that point in my life it was a problem. And she does have a fantastic voice.
Have a fabulous new years, you and your girl and your dogs.
I just got the OCMS album for Christmas! We listened to it 3 times on the way to Vermont; I think “Tell it to Me” and “Wagon Wheel” are my faves.
Hugs!
-Anne
You two slay me with your cuteness. It’s just too much. If I didn’t know you both in person, I’d swear you were some crazy internet blog scam of cuteness. (You know, like, “we are sooo freakin’ cute. And trustworthy. Oh yes. Send us five hundred dollars, and we’ll hook you up with a hottie millionaire in Nigeria,” or something.)
Happy, Merry, Joyous holiday time. Oh, and you ROCK for having, and gifting an Old Crow knife. Freakin’ KEWL, that is. I have been loving those boys, lately. They are on most of my recent mixes, and gave me much joy on Amtrak yesterday.
I love you! And your wifey, too! Muah.
Oh, and that comment above about Lala? How she is, surprisingly, still drinking? Hehehehehehehehehe.
Pismo Beach in December… ah fond memories… And thanks for the tip on Motel Six. DS will be thrilled, I’m sure! He has a husky and a cat. I only have a cat, and she’s the pet at the vet… so we’re happy to leave her there when we’re gallivanting. Happy knitting in 07.
Now THAT’S a fine holiday.
Yayy! What a fantastic holiday!
We’re still in New England – looking forward to going home tomorrow, but had a lovely walk with stepbrother this morning, wherein I actually Learned How to Use my Camera Properly (or more properly, at least). Stepbro’s a professional photog, y’see, and he’s faintly scandalized that his sister is using her Canon DSLR on automatic mode allatime…
Also, speaking of Joan Osborne, have you guys seen “Standing in the Shadows of Motown”? Fabulous documentary about the Motown session players, and there’s a concert with the surviving members and various modern artists, including La Joan. It’s fantastic.