Reflections...

Yesterday was the annual Christmas Carnival and Celebration at the Giannatti household. Each year brings marked changes it seems. This year my oldest daughter is married and she and her husband are doing the newly-married-drive-all-day-between-inlaws ritual. It was wonderful to have her here for the morning. My middle daughter was not feeling 100% (actually she was at about 40%) but bravely kept her spirits high until finally retiring for a long nap around 2pm. My youngest was just in heaven with her piles of 'My Little Pony" loot. My wife and I made a huge ham dinner and forgot to make the salad... it wasn't missed. I only went on-line to post my installment of the DAP's and spent the day playing with my little one and having conversation with family and friends I have missed for too long. My parents are both gone now, and the one brother I am in contact with lives thousands of miles away. It is all about my little family, this wonderful, warm, quiet day.

My loot included an XM Sat Radio from the wife, an Indie Country music compilation from one daughter and a relica of the Important Award Lamp from the movie "A Christmas Story" which my oldest and I think is the best of the Christmas movies. My wife chooses "White Christmas", and my other daughters choose "Home Alone." If you don't know what the lamp looks like, you will find out when you see the movie (oh heck, here ya go). My wife says it must go to the office. Yep.

It was well over 80 here in Phoenix so I quickly donned my new favorite shirt from the wife ("So Many Drums, So Little Time") with 12 gorgeuos drum sets silk screened on the back. 'Tis true... still so many drums, beats and riffs left to play. We sat outside and talked till late in the afternoon and I pounded my legs black and blue with a new set of "Jack DeJohnette" 'Firths'.

Also got the new Carrie Underwood CD (wonderful vocalist, country) and an interesting acoustic album of some of Jackson Browne's hits. I can get by the stupid political remark and focus on the music, but I think I may just edit it out at some point so I am not reminded of it. It seems out of place and kind of stupid for an entertainer to 'diss' half of his listeners, but then... If you like Jackson Browne (and I definitely do) this is a wonderful set.

My two daughters helped set up the electric train set with the cool over and under figure 8, and we had a blast running the train around and around. My littlest one got out some other toys and built some cool 'mountains" and such around it. All in all, it was a great day.

I don't put a lot of personal posts on the blog for various reasons, but occasionally it may be interesting (or not) for you to get a glimpse of my reality.