Wishing You a Merry Christmas

Hello and Merry Christmas from Washington D.C. I arrived here yesterday evening, just in time to meet My Parents and My Sister for a cocktail and head to My Sister's apartment for our traditional seafood chowder.

Then we sat by the tree (the real tree!) My Sister put up this year, which now has two ornaments on it (I brought them to her from Three Roses in L-Town). We sat by the tree, drank wine, ate Christmas treats, and listened to festive tunes.


(And then, for some reason, some of the lights went out. Oops.)

Eventually, we went to bed, which is what you have to do if you want Santa Claus to come and fill your stockings.


(He did, bringing us Lulu gear and turquoise from New Mexico and other little treasures.)

After we dug into our stockings, the day got busy. We're talking really busy. We had to drink coffee and eat more sugar cookies and watch part of A Christmas Story. It was hard work.

Then we made brunch. Or, rather, My Sister and My Mom made brunch and I took photos.

It's a salmon and brie breakfast strata from Coastal Living and I highly recommend it.


What's not to like about smoked salmon, brie, Parmesan cheese, and delicious whole wheat bread ...


with cream and eggs poured over it all ...

especially when it has been baked in the oven and is nice and brown on top.

Deeeelicious. We served ours with mimosas, of course.


After that, we relaxed some more. And then actually got dressed and went out into the dreary D.C. day, in order to have a cocktail at Hard Rock Cafe and see NINE at a theater downtown.

Not a bad way to spend the holiday, eh?