Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Another wonderful week in paradise!  If there is anything I like better than playing bridge, it is winning at bridge, and I did that on Wednesday at our local game.  The game was preceded by a Christmas lunch, but I can't claim to have been aided by the effects of alcohol (although I was aided by good cards and a few aggressive partners).  It was only 6 bucks, but a win all the same!

I don't know whether I mentioned that I am on the board of our home-owners association, and one of the pleasant jobs at this time of the year is judging the Christmas lights, for prizes to be given out on New Years Eve.

This was neighbor Michael's entry - only one example of many.  The park is delightfully lit up, cheerful and bright.  I love it.  Can't tell you who the winning entry is - it is still under wraps.  Suffice it to say, it was a difficult choice!

Christmas eve was celebrated at neighbors Arlene and Deb. 

Will there be enough food?

Neighbor Michael and friend Art with post-prandial drinks

Here are Deb and Arlene, our gracious hosts!

And, on Christmas day, dinner for 18 at my place!  I have not thrown a party since David died, and I had forgotten how much fun it could be, lots of laughter and good cheer, and, of course, lot's of food!  (If I have to say so myself, I make a good turkey with all the trimmings, and I had lots of help!)

Christmas day at the Jackson residence!

Good friends Carolyn and Lou, Nora's own Christmas elves!

Palm Springs Christmas tree!

Well, the big day is over, and for a nice little Jewish girl, I sure did have a good time.  I hope you all enjoyed time with family and friends, and were as grateful as I to be surrounded by friendship and love.  I wish you all the best, for the holiday, and for the new year.  May it be filled with health, wealth, and love, and the time to enjoy them.

BRR!

It's been cold dowi here!  Cold for Palm  Springs, that is.  I've been having a good time nonetheless.

The week started with the perfect way to keep warm - the gym!  It is about time that I showed you the group!

Our fearless leader Russell!

When you are feeling old, remember, this guy is 92!

And then there's me!

Friend Arlene flew in on Monday from Seattle to spend a few days, so we abandoned the gym for hiking, revisiting Indian Canyon

Meet Arlene!

and long walks on nearby bike paths.

It wasn't all work, though.  There was shopping (I have now seen Cabezon Mall, a huge mall 20 minutes west of Palm Springs).  And no, I don't ever need to see it again.

And then there was eating, including Pomme Frite; Johannes (yes, again; what can I say, I like it) and The Falls for drinks and nibbles.

...not to mention the talking.  We hadn't spent any time together for a long time, and it was wonderful to reconnect.

Arlene left on Frifay, and the last few days have been spent catching up on movies (The Artist and The Descendants, with George Clooney, both of which I highly recommend) and, finally, some deck time. 

And the best picture of all remains untaken.  I was sitting on my deck this evening, and not ten feet away from me, one of the resident coyotes strolled across the lawn and down into the watch.  I didn't dare move to get the camera - sorry Bill - but it was the first time I have had a good look rather than a glimps!

So, next week, Christmas parties and lights, and more good cheer! 

However, just in case I get too caught up in the moment, let me take a minute now to which you a merry Christmas (or Channukah, as the case may be), and all the best for the new year!

Bridge and more bridge

Well, if I didn't already feel that way, now I really feel like I have died and gone to heaven.  I played bridge four times this week; party bridge at the Mizell Center on Monday; duplicate on Tuesday (and no, no points yet guys, although we didn't do badly); bridge at our complex on Wednesday (surprisingly high level of bridge, actually); and party bridge at Mizell again on Thursday.  Well, they say practice makes perfect!

There was more to the week, though.  Peter's friend Geoff, formerly of Pender Island, B.C., is living here full time now, and we got together for lunch at the Encena Golf club on Wednesday  (and yes, I forgot to take pictures, although it is the best view in town, second only to my patio, and my food isn't as good!).  I did take some pictures around his complex nearby, though, because I wanted you all to see what is available for, say, $220,000 in beautiful Palm Springs!

Yes, you are seeing right, every unit has its own pool, and a view of the mountains too!

I am of the "make one outrageous proposal a day and sooner or later someone will take you up on it" school of reality, so the next time one of these comes up on foreclosure, that is just what I might do!

Still at Sun Dance (yes, that is what it is called), I had not one but two of those "small world" occurrences.  The realtor Geoff called to let me see some of the other units came over, and turned out to be Michael, the same realtor who had spent the day with me several months ago when I tagged along with friend Gerry Parsons to look at mid-century modern homes.  Do you have any idea how many realtors there are in Palm Springs?  What are the odds?  Then, while walking through the complex, we ran into Geoff's best friend there, Marlin, who turned out to be someone who does circuit training with me at the gym! 

Speaking of the gym, I did go there five times this week as well.

Here's the smiling face that greets me every day!

Also on Wednesday, in the evening, I went to another Metropolitan Opera in the Movies, this time a Philip Glass opera called Satyagraha, based loosely on episodes from the life of Ghandi.  I was intellectual music rather than the emotional stuff of Verdi and Puccini, but beautiful nonetheless, spellbinding, really, for four hours, and the staging was fabulous.  Not for everyone's taste, I am sure, but I liked it. 

Friends Carolyn and Lou from Gimley, Manitoba finally arrived, and I went to their new place (they were former neighbors in this complex) for dinner on Thursday, and had a good time catching up.  By the way, Lou's favorite thing to do down here is gamble, yet another alternative to golfing!

And on Friday, I went out to dinner by,  myself, to Davey's Hideway, and old Palm Springs tradition which still looks and feels like Frank Sinatra should walk out behind the bar.  And I guess I really wasn't by myself.  Friday was husband David's birthday, and I go to Davey's Hideway every year on his birthday, to raise a glass of his favorite bourbon and have his favorite prime rib, and thank him for taking care of me.  His memory has become comfort rather than pain over the years, and I am hugely grateful to have had time with him!  For those of you who knew him, raise a glass in his honor, would you?

And today I spent with Robin and Grant in La Quinta, where they live when they are not living in White Rock, B.C.  We went to the La Quinta resort, which is all dolled up for Christmas.

Margharitas and nachos and a good time was had by all.

And so goes by another week in paradise!

Anything else?

Well, since you asked, yes.  My friend and neighbor Michael came home from Arizona, where he was with family for the death of his sister, and we went out on Thursday for a belated Thanksgiving dinner, albeit a little unorthodox.  We went to Picanha, a nearby Brazilian restaurant, a carnivore's delight, where they come to your table with skewers of meat, and the other food groups are, well, afterthoughts.  We've been there before, were greeted like old friends, and enjoyed it thoroughly.

On Saturday, Art and I went to the Metropolitan Opera in the movies.  Most of you who have been in earshot of me in the last few years know about this; the Met films a matinee in HD, and it is shown in 160 movie theaters around the world.  It is a wonderful experience, at a fraction of the price of live opera and with more comfortable seats (not to mention the ability to eat and go to the bathroom!).  On Saturday, it was a seldom-done baroque opera, Rodalinda by Handel.  The costumes, staging, sets and singing were all wonderful, but both Art and I found the male lead being a counter-tenor unnerving (for those who don't know, countertenors are the 20th century's version of castrati).  Nonetheless, it was an experience worth having. 

Saturday night was a different experience entirely.  Michael and I bundled up (it is still cold here when the sun goes down, the operative word being sun,), packed up our folding chairs and some thermoses of hot chocolate, and headed downtown (yes, Palm Springs has a downtown) for the Festival of Lights parade.  I put my natural cynical nature aside, and had a wonderful time.  I took a million pictures, and will bore you with a few.  (skip down if you hate parades).

Michael, getting into the hot chocolate!

My kind of nutcracker!

Where else would you have a decorated golf cart in a parade?

A snow plow?

Then, there were the Jews for Jesus!

I tried to get a picture of the big fat guy, but he escaped before I could capture him.

Okay, enough with the parade.  Sufficie it to say, we had a grand time.

On Sunday morning, I skipped the gym (on a day where I really needed it), and went to the Tamale Festival in Indio, one of the desert cities east of Palm Springs.  It is a foodie's delight, apparently one of the top rated food festivals.  Mariah and I went last year, and although it is more fun with two (or more), it was still enjoyable, and tasty.

Here is Grandma Lupe, of Grandma Lupe's tamales, the first prize winner last year

And here is the line at 10 A.M., opening time - apparently these peopl had been waiting since 7 A.M.

Yes, I had a few.  And they were great!

I was meant to go to another opera event in the afternoon in Rancho Mirage, but there was no way.  By then, I was seriously in need of some deck time, and so my afternoon was spent lazing and reading and napping, and, well, just living in Palm Springs.

And so, that is what one does for a week in Palm Springs.  Remember, the door is open!