Yes

When we told Cecilia and Andrew we were moving to England,  they invited our family to spend Christmas with them in Athens, Greece. ναι, παρακαλείσθε να!! Cecilia is technically William's and Anna's first cousin once removed (her grandparents Amparo and Everardo are their great grandparents). She came to live with our family when she was 18, months after Mike and I were married, until she was 21 and moved to Boston. She and all who love her are a beloved part of our family. Her wedding in Athens to Andrew was a fairy tale we will never forget. We were psyched for Christmas.

 
You may have heard that it snowed in the UK.

It honestly wasn't that much, but snow is so rare that the country doesn't have the equipment to do what needs doing. Four inches of snow shuts everything down.

Target practice.

Nevertheless, it was beautiful and tons of fun.

Gracias a Dios William arrived safe and sound between snow storms. I sobbed the second I put my arms around him. He can handle it, a lovely quality of his. The boys were thrilled and William was generous with his tired self.

The flu is raging through the UK. It's in the news. The day of the nativity play at Oaklands School 15 of 60 children in year 2 were out with high fevers, headache, cough and stomach upset. Sounds like H1N1 to me! Michael was one of the 15...

Out sick his last week of school (they call it "poorly" here, as in, "Is Michael still poorly?" Um, pardon??) before Christmas break. Update to list of worries was the flu raging through our family and us not being able to go to Greece, our departure now days away. With a 2 month old baby to visit, I was afraid to bring nasty viruses into her world.

Michael eventually rallied and I sent him to school for his last day.

Perfect chance for William and I to go do something fun. He indulged me with a trip to Bath to have tea in the Jane Austen Museum Regency Tea Rooms (my third time, I love it so much!).



We sipped Empress of Peking, enjoyed quaint sandwiches and downed a few tablespoons of clotted cream with our scones. Heaven! I love my son's mind. He sees the world in such a special way. He is funnier than anyone else I have ever met in my life. I love hanging out with him. I had to control myself to keep from blubbering with joy.

We drove home from Bath and the snow hit, Mike flew in from Israel that night, in the nick of time. Heathrow shut down and Anna's flights cancelled, day after day, leaving her in Tucson. After missing two flights on two consecutive days she let us know the soonest she could make it to London was Christmas Eve. There was much gnashing of teeth and wailing by me. We started to think of how to get her to Athens. I was very sad thinking she wouldn't see her house or our life in Crowthorne.

Life does go on. The night before leaving for Greece, we had a dinner and music night with our neighbors. Etsko is a concert pianist with an antique restored grand piano in her living room. She is teaching Michael to play the piano, and they prepared a duet of Jingle Bells. Mike played the banjo, and Etsko played Chopin. Everyone knocked everyone's socks off.

William and Dane warmed up the crowd.
Dane was stranded in London by the weather,
and we were happy he could join us for the night.

A jazzy bluesy improvisation.

Jingle Bells never sounded so good.

Bow.

Proud of Michael.

Listening to banjo.

Michael and Dane.

Jon and Kyle.

Dueling banjos.

Got to dance!

Etsko enchanted us. She claims to be rusty. We were delighted by her music and she has offered to play again for visitors. Prepare yourselves for something extraordinary! I cannot describe in words, but it was transporting. And she's rusty...

Dinner followed at our house.

Turkey tacos.

 And to top it off, a Japanese feast prepared by Etsko. Freaking awesome.

I love my sweet neighbors!

As we were finishing dinner, Michael started to writhe around on the floor and complain of a tummy ache. I ignored him for as long as possible, hoping, praying, denying there could be a new illness in our midst...the vomiting started a few hours later. It was gone by the morning, although what remained was a sad faced child.

So the next morning, December 21st, we had six tickets on British Air for Athens, but no Anna. I was torn. Part of me wanted something to happen to keep us in England. Anna had a ticket that would get her to London on the 24th, IF the weather held and flights resumed. And another part of me was dying to get to Athens and be with the Mexicans and Greeks. I was beside myself feeling like we were leaving Anna farther behind, and Heathrow was lunacy.  Together with a cast of thousands, we stood in line for two hours to check in for our flight. 75% of the flights that day were cancelled. Go with the flow, I kept telling myself. Go with the flow.

In line, William shared his music with the boys.

We left London knowing we might not see Anna at Christmas.

Mike and I have been discussing our adventure a lot lately, and we agree that no matter what, we are happy we are doing this. We believe in saying YES to life whenever there is a choice. This experience of leaving our precious life, family members, and friends to embrace a new unknown has dramatically affirmed this. We will always choose to move in the direction of more life, whenever there is a choice. In Tucson, I have a painting by one of my favorite artists, Janet K. Miller. It is a sacred heart, and below the heart is written, "say yes!".

I am holding the painting and the message in my heart.

Please tune in again for our Athenian Christmas Tale.

Sister

New Year's Eve Hutch's Pool Cold Plunge

I love my sister.

Aunt Nin and William

My life is infinitely better because of her.


Sisters post delivery...
The day Shannon coined the phrase,
"Mike, your family is hopped up on squirrel gravy!"



Shannon and Helen.

Her birthday is this weekend. We are a lame present giving family. On my birthday one year Shannon called me and said to go check my backyard, because she had stopped by earlier and left my present there. I found a Target plastic bag with a Merona robe in it, flung over our back gate. And she's the best of us...I am way worse.

My mother saw a psychic once who told her my sister and I are so close, we are like one body with two heads. I am feeling the love for her, and feeling grateful for sisters everywhere.

Dominic's Baptism

Happy Birthday Ninny!! I love you and miss you sooooososososooo much. I am not, without you.

LOVING our girls.

In honor of Shannon's birthday, here are 10 things she has taught me.

1. Old ladies are not so scary.

Shannon worked for Mrs. Lindemulder when she was quite young, I think she was 12 or 13 years old. Poor Mrs. Lindemulder was living with debilitating rheumatoid arthritis. She smelled strange and I was afraid of her because she was frail and close to death. My sister boldly charged into the old woman's life, laughed with her, cleaned her house and kept her company. Time and time again I have seen Shannon waltz into a relationship/situation that makes me completely uncomfortable, with grace and love and charm. She has gone on to have many old lady friends and she gets them to talk about masturbating, among other things.

Clitoris

2. If you don't move, Shannon might vacuum up your toes.

Just ask my brother.

3. All of life is fun, even the sucky parts are funny.

Inaugural ball Sugar Plum Fairy Solo

Flat Jim got lucky.

Kindred spirits

4. Use it up now.

My grandparents left us a few things. Shannon got two antique end tables with antiquier pulls, and a swivelly chair we were forbidden to swivel.  When I was a little girl my grandmother told me the story of the end tables, and of the pulls. She said the pulls were from the time of George Washington. Wow. I felt reverence for them. When my grandmother died I was slightly jealous that Shannon was given the end tables (and the swivelly chair, to be honest, I wanted everything.). Then I was shocked to see my sister put those end table in her home and use them like end tables. The outrage! I would have stored them away, cared for them, loved them.

What a gift my sister and her family are to my grandmother's furniture. Her daughters swivel whenever the mood strikes, and the chair has never looked happier, reupholstered in purple velvet. The end tables are a little worse for the wear, they are blessed with water marks, and the finish is wearing thin.

Getting full use of our dad.

5. Marry a good man.

Tim inspired me to hope. He is bold and daring, a devoted father, huband and human being.

6. The world is full of good people.

Shannon is the kindest person I know. She cares deeply and ferociously and gives fabulous advice.

7. Big calves rule, but stay away from calf enhancers.

Lounging on my sister.

8. Barbara Jean Restin is the best thing since warm homemade bread with butter and honey.

Our other sister.

9. Our brother is worth getting to know.

I was very young when William left us for swimming, college and life. I remember him as this tall, tan, grumpy guy with friends my sister thought were handsome. I knew he was accomplished, and I was proud of that, but I saw no reason to further the relationship. My sister was always a fan of his, I never really got it.

It turns out, she was right. He is all that. First of all, his wife, our smallest sister Mini-Nin.

Isn't she cute??

I love her massively. She is divine.

bff.

High on the Be Good Tanyas.
Shannon and Liz mambo, while Mini and I cut a rug.

Secondly, he is funny, and caring and kind. A lot like my sister.  I love you William.

William's turn with the wig.

Last, best tip from Shannon,

10. Always wear red lip stick.

Not me of course, her.

Comadres at Michael's baptism.

The Grand Peekaboo.

Kwesi's bin.

Eat at Feast.

Fans of the BGTs.

Greer, father's day 2004

Thanksgiving 2007

Rope swing St. Lawrence River, 2004.

Sex After 40

Celebrating Mike's 40th.

Was this your 40th?

Thank you.
(Shrine, Clayton, New York)