Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas 2009



Christmas is a wonderful time of year. Many years ago my family in Dallas always celebrated it with friends and grand feasts prepared by my mother Mary. Mary loved Christmas and being with her family. This is first Christmas we will celebrate without her since she passed away in Dallas on February 5, 2009. I posted this picture of her when she was young because that is the way I will always remember her just a few (19) years older than me. I was about 24 when I took the photo you see.

Today Tina and I are blessed to be celebrating this special Christmas with our son Sean and grandson Parker who is now 15. We had a wonderful time in LA staying at the famous or at least notorious Sunset Marquee hotel and dining with our good friends Freddi and Trevor at Robert De Niro's AGO Restaurant. Back in Berkeley Tina is preparing a special Barbecue Christmas Eve dinner as requested by Parker...Ribs.

Last night I purchased a Magruder Prime Rib from Scott and the crew at the Cafe Rouge Meat Market for Tina and I to share Christmas evening after the boys leave for Dallas. After dinner we will watch John Huston's last great film The Dead. This wonderful little film always touches me deeply as I remember all of those who have passed away and that we miss so very, very much, especially at this time of the year.

We will also miss my Aunt Oleta who is still with us in Dallas being taken care of so well by my cousins. She is my late father Norman's older sister and the oldest remaining Riffe alive today.

We will drink a toast tonight to Oleta, Mary, my late sister's Candy and Cindy and all those who we love and cherish wherever they may be.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night.