Tuesday, December 1, 2009

It's Christmastime in the Desert

Photo: The view right outside Palm Springs airport

Hello everyone! Happy December! I hope everyone had a swell Thanksgiving.

Last Wednesday I left for Fort Myers, Florida to hang with the Reinhards for the holiday. They built a house "down there" a couple years ago, and if I must say myself, it's quite lovely. The kitchen is fabulously beautiful. Robin's egg blue paint, white cupboards, cream quartz counters, high ceilings, dark wood furniture, and steel appliances. And, there's a pool and hot tub! Who doesn't love a hot tub?

As for activities, we had the typical turkey, stuffing, potatoes dinner on Thursday, then headed over to Aunt Debbie's house (all the relatives are more or less Mrs. Reinhard's aunts and uncles) and had dessert. This was the first time I met this side of the family so I had my game face on. Lauren (Dan's sister) made a sweet potato pie, and it was out of this world. I may or may not have had three pieces...

Friday, I asked Dan to go to the mall with me so at least I could do the traditional Kopf woman post-Thanksgiving shopping trip. It's odd being in an outdoor mall with palm trees and Santa Claus is Coming to Town blasting out of the shops. But that didn't stop us. I bought a sequined shirt for Christmas and Dan made out like a bandit at BR.

That evening, we went to a restaurant on the water called Doc Ford's with the entire extended family. It could have been a bust, seeing it was chilly and we had to sit outside, but there was a live band. You know what that means. We all put on our dancin' shoes and hit the floor. I danced with Grandma, Lauren, Aunt Peggy and Aunt Eileen until the band headed home. Unfortunately, later in the evening, as Dan and I watched the Land Before Time and had pudding cups (wait, we're 23?) I began feeling ill. Around 1 am, I threw everything up I had that day and that was the beginning of Anne's stomach fluud poisoning (we still don't know what it was). So, I felt ill pretty much until I left on Sunday morning. Alas, I had a wonderful time with Dan and his family. As always!

Yesterday, back in Mecca, my team and I bought a Christmas tree!! And after grocery shopping, we came home and decorated it, and everyone contributed to making a decoration/ornament. My egg carton fat Santa is looking good. Everything was made of garbage: egg cartons, nails, plastic bags, tape, paper clips, etc.. Good times in Mecca.

Today we were back to work, hammering, sawing, screwing. I nearly sawed the cord of the saw in half. That would have felt good as I was electrocuted...

It's dinner time and I must go! Less than three weeks til Christmas break! Woohoo!

Love,
anne

2 comments:

  1. I miss your face!!!! Hope all is well in Mecca! Sounds like your having fun!
    xox
    Caitlin

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  2. Well, I think Santa was the one who missed out by NOT MEETING YOU, but then your beautiful sparkly personality probably would have blinded him and he'd never make it back to the North Pole. Deb, have you ever heard of the innertube race they used to do in Yuma every fourth of July? Wouldn't that be the funniest thing..."hello neighbor! I just floated over to borrow a cup of sugar." Now that would be fun!!

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