Winter Wonderland

Is it time for an Advent update? I looked to check and found that last November I didn't post anything either. Since The Last Five Years ended, on the same day that Daylight Savings Time ended; I've been struggling with that damn depression again. But life's been going on.

We have our Christmas Tree up already. It went up the weekend of Thanksgiving. By the way, we spent Thanksgiving at Lake Anna with my family. Oh, heck, here's an update:

Mom: She had been doing great! The tumors have stopped growing, and nobody calls it a remission, but that's what it is. So it's really excellent. A minor problem is that she fell off a ladder the week before Thanksgiving while cleaning out the gutters over her sun-room and broke a rib. She's 72, and has been in a lot of pain, and even missed the two church services she was supposed to play for the next day. But now, she's back to playing the organ for two different churches - one at 9:30 and the other at 11 every Sunday. And of course, being the Christmas Season, she has two music rehearsals at each church each week. Plus 25 or so piano students . . . Yet, she is really hurt. My sister, "Joy", and I went down and put up her Christmas trees, raked leaves and cleaned.

Dad: Dad is 76, and has Drop-foot. He falls down all the time. And when he does, he curses at himself calling himself stupid and gets so frustrated and mad. But he can't help it. This drop-foot thing is also called primary lateral sclerosis (PLS). He'll probably live to be a hundred, but it's going to be rough.

Joy: She got married last February. Didn't know her intended had declared bankruptcy and was in collections trouble again. But, she's happy. Oh, and she just got a puppy - a miniature Yorkshire terrier named Holly.

Her ex-husband, who married on Christmas Eve two years ago, has separated from his wife - and his job - and is living in a trailer with his mother and two derelict brothers in the boondocks of Spotslylvania County.

Her children: "Shannon" and her Confederate Flag tattooed husband expect to have a baby girl in the next two weeks. She will be named Briana. "Russ" and Officer Cupcake have joined a Baptist Church that's just down the road from my house, where they serve in the Praise Team Band. They got a great deal on a house - it's a modular home on the grounds of an elementary school. In exchange for taking two daily walks around the school - with their dog Kelso - they got about $200,000 off the mortgage! They are 24 years old and have a four bedroom two bath house, and a $400 a month mortgage! You can't beat that!

I have my first singing gig of the Christmas Season tonight - in Rockville Maryland. We're allowing an hour to get there, but it may take two hours. And I'm not singing with Bette from last year, but with my show business wife, Janice. So that will be great fun . . . except it is outside for two hours and it's only going to be 30 degrees!

Ok, I've got to run.

All the best to you!

And Happy Hollidays!