Midnight Mass - Two cuties I met there!

These are pictures of Brendan and Darcy,  they were so cute bringing up the gifts during mass I had to get a few pictures of them after mass. Their Mommy, Crystal, works at the church and their Daddy, Scott, sings at the 5:30 choir on Sunday's with me.  Scott and I also both sang in two of the choirs for the Christmas concert. 

Some of you may have remembered Brendan and Darcy in an earlier post about choir practice and when Steve, and the Frost Family and I went out for dinner to this wonderful Swiss place. Brendan, Darcy and I totally enjoyed a wonderful  hot berries and ice cream dessert which was - yummy yummy yummy!!

Brendan and Darcy are such well behaved children they are always a joy to be around. Brendan has knowledge beyond his years and Darcy is as sweet as can be!

Christmas Dinner 2007 - It was a success!

Despite only having one working hand I planned and executed with the assistance of Larry and his parents a wonderful Christmas dinner today.  I did most of the prep work yesterday and found very ingenious ways of working with one hand. Remember all the time the wonderful advice from my sister-in-law gave me on Saturday when I was upset about my stupid accident. She told me that usually Leona's dinners are 5 star meals and for this one time it was OK for it to be 3-star. As I used a scissors to cut up the green onions for the shrimp fried rice they were not as finely chopped as I could do it with two hands and a knife and my mantra was "3-stars are fine!"

Here are some photos I took today:

Appetizers 

1) Blue berries and strawberries

2) WholeFoods Salmon Swirls & Goats Cheese with homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette 

3) Whipped Cheese with green onions & Prosciutto

4) Smoked Salmon with cream cheese 

5)  Trader Joe's Guacamole 

6)  Garlic Hummus 

7 - 9) Italian toast and Rye Crackers 

10) View of the coffee table with the Christmas tree in the background. 

Main Meal

1) Grilled Salmon with Pesto & pine nuts

2) Grilled veggies

3) Sweet Potatoes  topped with Pecan & Marshmallow

4)  Shrimp Fried Rice in one bowl & other bowl is 

5) Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend & Soycutash

6) Gwen's Fish Pie

7 - 8) All the McCann's ready to tuck in

Dessert 

1) Len's Famous Trifle  & Blueberries  & strawberries

Overall it was a very yummy dinner and right now the dishwasher is running with only a few items left in the sink for a second run.  The floor has been washed, countertops and table cleaned down. Frank and Tamara are gone home with a goodie bag and we have yummy left overs for the next few days. Anyone for salmon for breakfast?

I will finish this post with some wonderful pictures I took of the night sky just as we sat down to eat dinner. Frank pointed it out the back door and I had to take a picture from the back yard and then go out front and take a couple from outside the apartment also:

Christmas Day - Thought of the day

May you have:

A world of wishes at your command.

God and his angels close to hand.

Friends and family their love impart,

and Irish blessings in your heart!

Keeping Irish traditions alive in California

From a very early age I remember  we have followed the Cork tradition of lighting a Christmas candle in our window to let Mary and Joseph know that there would be room in our home for them as the look for a room to have baby Jesus. The tradition included blessing the candle with holy water ( Lourdes or Knock was always at hand in Lynwood)  and than the smallest in the house would be entrusted with the match to light it.  

The ceremony of lighting the candle would happen just as soon as the sun went down and would be in the sitting room window all of Christmas eve night. It was then moved to be the center piece for Christmas dinner and again back to the living room for Christmas night.

I have to admit that I was sometime a little jealous that Eoin got to light the candle but then when we got to our early teens and Eoin grew taller than moi, one year he declared that I was now the smallest and I could light the candle. I LOVED it! Was I a drama queen or what!! ( Eoin and Brian no comments, please!)

As a child I also felt another reason to light the candle was to let Santa know that we were good and he could stop at our house with gifts for us.

Once I moved to Switzerland and now to California I have kept the tradition alive. Today just around dusk, I got my candle out,  the Lourdes water and our candle was lit. In the best interest of not burning the house down I use a Galway Crystal candle holder that Aunt Veron gave us as an Engagement present. Another way to keep the Irish connection. 

Here are some pictures of our candle tonight:

At dusk when I first lit the candle

At 6:30 when it was dark outside

Mary, Joseph and anyone who needs some comfort tonight may you know that our door is always open for you. Also, Santa I have been a very very good girl!! :-)

Christmas Eve Thought for the Day

Maya Angelou has apparently said the following on Oprah on her 70th birthday, when I read it first I just loved it:

      Things Learned!

• "I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
  
• I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
  
• I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
  
• I've learned that regardless of what kind of childhood you had, life is what you make of it today and not what your parent did back then.
• I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as "making a life."
  
• I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
  
• I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.
  
• I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can , happiness will find you.
• I've learned that when ever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
  
• I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
  
• I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back or a friendly email.
  
• I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
  
• I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
  

Where will Larry sit for Christmas........

.......his seat has been invaded by the following:





When Larry saw me post this he said if Mickey wants to invade my recliner he needs to do properly and hence the new picture with the remote:



Larry gave me this Mickey Mouse the first Christmas we were together so I think he is OK that it over takes his recliner - maybe I am just using it as an excuse for Lar to come sit with me on the couch!

In loving memory and Happy Birthday

I was a very lucky little girl and had not only two Grandmother but I had another Grandmother like figure in my life. She was also called my Dad's girlfriend and Gwen knew all about her and approved. Dad visited her every Tuesday night without fail and god forbid if he was late or Gwen got a phone call to say " Is he on his way?"

I talked about Mary and her husband Dick on another post about Lee Rowing Club. 

Here is what I wrote:

"Mary Keating was like my third grandmother. Dick her husband died many years ago and since then every Tuesday night my Dad had a date with her and was know to everyone as my Dad's girlfriend. Mary's birthday was Christmas eve and we visited her always on this day. Her home was also a place to visit on family occasions such as College graduation etc. My fondest last memory of Mary was dancing with her at Brian's wedding. I last spoke to her on Christmas Eve 2005 and she told me she had her maxi dress all ready to dance at my wedding the following September. Unfortunately she died a few weeks later and never made it to my wedding but we did light a candle for her on the altar that day! My memories of my childhood are filed with Mary and Dick at the club."

Dad has already had a visit to St. Joseph's cemetery in Cork and left some flowers for me and here in California we are lighting the candle we had on the alter on our wedding day for her:

It says:

In Loving Memory

of 

Mary Keating

This light shines

as a symbol 

of a 

life

&

love

Remembered.

Where every  I was I either called to her house or on the phone on Christmas Eve and without even saying hello, I said " How many candles are on the cake this year?" and I was politely told to mind my own business. Of course I always knew the answer to the question but we loved the banter we had with each other. She always told me how beautiful I was and how proud she was of me and about 10 times I heard how wonderful her favorite "son" was. This was my dad who was not her son but she saw him as if he was and told him that all the time. 

Here are some photos I found on my back up harddisk:

Mary with her favorite son at Brian's wedding

At Len's 60th birthday with my friend Alison:

What two beautiful similes!

Mary I hope you are up above and you are in your maxi dress dancing and watching a good game of football!

The gift of giving.........

Since I got my new MacBook Pro I have been doing some wonderful ( if I can brag about myself for a few minutes) work with iPhoto and photobooks. I have given some friends books as gifts and everyone really enjoyed receiving them. 

Rosemary and John's trip to Boston, San Francisco, Mountain View and Fresno  this summer has been preserved forever and sent to Dublin. I took their photos from the site they posted them for us to see them and the book arrived in Dublin as a total surprise. They were overjoyed with their surprise. 

Ken and Tim trip to Ireland to visit the land of their ancestors and direct the music for  our wedding was great fun to do, especially the pages of our wedding day! I got the photos from Tim and told him he was to give them to me and don't ask me why. It was all a mystery. They also loved the finished product. 

The latest one I worked on was for  Joe and Maria and their two children Josh and Ally. They also came to Ireland to do the music for our wedding and spent the early part of their trip in London. I also asked them for the photos a few weeks ago at choir practice and claimed it was the "Leona don't ask don't tell policy" and they would get a nice surprise in a few weeks. This was the first book that I gave to someone in person and it was just amazing to watch Josh and Ally open it up and see the excitement on their faces as they relived their trip. Joe and Maria were also truly grateful and Joe said it was the best thing that anyone every did for them. The best comment of all was from Ally when she said " Oh yuck, the kissy kissy picture" at one of Larry and I kissing a few moments after the end of the mass. What more would you expect from a nine year old? It made me just laugh out loud and love her even more. 

Of course my iPhone was at hand to record some photos then Ally and Josh had to play with the camera to capture some funny picture also. We got together in Stonestown  Mall as we both finished up last minute shopping last Thursday night and stopped to get some food. Here are the photos:

I love the smiles on Josh and Ally's faces here:



Ally looks so intense here:



One of the kids took the following photos:

Maria and Leona



Ally





Josh





Joe intently looking at the book:

Maria ( eating rice, of course)

What I really noticed in the pictures above what the difference a year and three months make. Here is a picture of Josh and Ally at our wedding:

They are growing up so quickly, Josh has to stop growing as I now have to look up to him even when I have my heels on. Happy Birthday Josh for Friday - Hope your 14th year is one when all your dreams come true!

The one thing I learnt in my creating of my photobooks is the joy of receiving and giving . I received such great joy of accomplishment at using my creativity to make the books and in giving the books I received the joy of watching them being received graciously. I also just realized that I may not have got my Mother's painting genes but I must have inherited my creativity from her but my medium is pictures and a computer, Thanks Mum!

More of Gwen's paintings

In a previous post, I talked about what a wonderful artist my Mum is. As I was looking for the photos for yesterday's post I came across some of Mums paintings and decided to post them here to show them off:

The next two are showing the painting half way done and finished:

What an amazing gift she has!