Christmas at Storybrook

At Storybrook, Christmas Day means taking in the traditional Christmas Day movie. This year it was "Charlie Wilson's War." I highly recommend it. Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were wonderful, but Philip Seymour Hoffman was cinematic magic! Has to be a Best Supporting Actor nomination there.

Then we do dinner. This year it was pasta with marinara sauce. All organic...right down to the olives. It was quite tasty, but it only served as the appetizer for "The Present Opening Ritual". That's where the Kent sisters come in. Elf is our middle name.



Everyone at Storybrook KNOWS... There can be no "Present Opening Ritual" without a suitable libation. I bring out Grandma Bee's antique goblets (Early American pieced glass) for the wine. When I do, it feels like Grandma is celebrating with us.



Fred toasts Grandma. And so does my sis, Cinder.



And then the Present Opening Ritual moves into high gear! Fred looks a bit like Sweeney Todd opening my gift.



It's a ball made by Terri Shipley, a resident artist at Clayworks. The words "have a ball" are all over the piece. Fred wrote a Concert Song for "Raggs" with that title...I thought it was the best set of lyrics he's ever written. And so he just HAD to have this piece for his studio at Concentrix.



There were presents for the animals too. Mira is mere inches away from catnip soap bubble and a laser toy. But she, silly kitty, doesn't know it.



For me, the most memorable presents were these. A picture of Cinder and Wayne dancing at Wayne's son's wedding. (Sis can sure cut a rug!)



And Fred's many bluebird gifts. Fred knows how much I love bluebirds. They are harbingers of happiness, and he made me very happy with his many bluebird themed prezzies. These words of wisdom sum it up nicely.



So Merry Christmas y'all! And Happy New Year! And may we ALL carry the sky on our backs in 2008!