"About the Beach"

LOVE looks not with the eyes, but with the MIND.”--Shakespeare words that Alexander McQueen (fashion designer) had tattooed on his arm
I received a few more Christmas Cards this week.   One from Lottie Powell (her husband, Michael, daughter, Reida and dog named Boo).   Her card had to be comical.  That’s her beautiful personality.  And yes, I did laugh at Santa, complaining about a flat (reindeer).  Ha-ha
Helen, my sis in law, sent a card but the best inclusions were photographs of my nieces (Lauren and Leigh) from their most recent Halloween.  Leigh was Minnie Mouse.  Lauren was some sequence dressed hoo-haw (?). 
I, myself, sent a couple of Christmas Cards to Paloma.  One was the usual one and the other one was a beach scene with a gift enclosed.  Paloma and I have always been “about the beach”.  We love the beach.  I wrote:
Christmas 1992Dear Paloma,I thought you might like these T-shirts to wear with your new 501-LEVI jeans.  Or maybe you can even cut them up to look more fashionable like-you-do.Nothing new to report here…I am going to Alameda so it should be fun to see my five nieces and the new nephew, John Dylan.

I hope you have a great Christmas and New Year’s.  Oh yeah…your BIRTHDAY is also right around the corner isn’t it?  Wow!  34!  WHEW!  Oh well, you always look better than you age. Love,Michael
I also received a cute card from Bonni Jayne (my girlfriend from junior high and ‘sometimes’ during high-school).  She included a photo of herself with her cute daughter, Hilary.  They were somewhere in the snow. Sweet!
I immediately telephoned mom when I received her Christmas Card.Ring Ring.
“Hello.”“Mom, I think you sent me John’s Christmas Card!”“What?”“I opened the Christmas Card you sent me and it’s a photo of Santa at the golf course.  You know I don’t golf.  This is ‘totally’ a ‘JOHN’ card!”She laughed.
“Yeah, so I think you should send me a new one.”  “What?”“And I won’t even tell Alan that you spelled his name ELLAN!  And all you wrote was ‘Love, Virginia’.  You could’ve written about your day or something else that’s going on.”


“I just talked to you so you know everything.”It was my turn to laugh.  “Okay, I’ll see you in a few days anyway.  You’re right.  I can’t wait to see the girls…and you, of course!”
The next day was Sunday, and again the weather was lovely.  Part of the satisfaction I find in our house is the way I can sit and be conscious of the children, somewhere nearby, growing and playing and learning, within call but not cooped up.   It’s good to sit in one’s house with a child playing outside quite safely, quite happily.  There aren’t many better sensations in life.--Emily Hahn, NO HURRY TO GET HOME