Swainsboro, GA

We spent Christmas in Georgia with my family. It was our first Christmas together and I was really glad Geoff and I were able to be with my family. Christmas has always been the same. At my grandparents house on West Main Street, and my brother and I always had to walk down the stairs and round the corner at the EXACT same time, so no one got to see what Santa brought first. Both grandparents are gone now, but their wonderful house is still our gathering place at Christmas, and it's the one time during the year when I see my extended family.

Decorating the tree with my cousin Clarke.


Half an hour later while I was wrapping presents in the dining room, we heard a big thud and found this.


Don't worry, the tree was righted and Christmas was saved. And look at this AWESOME ornament that Mom made for me and Geoff! I love it.


Clay opening one of his presents from Geoff and me. I just thought he might need a little help. This book was written by an actual second grader. Clay read it and found a lot of good pointers.


Chuck opening a gift from Clay. The world's biggest flask.


My aunt and Uncle gave us this awesome "Boka" sign. There's an artist who goes around taking photographs of letters and things that look like letters. So cool. The "o" is a drain. How creative is that? And yes, I cried when I opened it.


In the butler's pantry of my grandparents' house are some old medicine bottles...some still with medicine in them. So cool looking.



And here I am, peeking in at Geoff from the outside of the butler's pantry.


Whenever we went to Georgia as kids, we always ended up playing with the children of my dad's high school classmates who were still living in town. The Braggs and the Smiths were our constant playmates. And Mary Bragg, the youngest of the Braggs (who also lives in NYC now, and is a great singer/songwriter) got married this year too. So, mom and dad had planned a little "Meet the Newlyweds" party for both Geoff and I and Mary (Bragg) and Jimmy Sullivan.



Musician's corner. Mary & Jimmy Sullivan talking shop with Uncle Jon.


Little Rosemary (daughter of Mary's brother, Ira) was an animal lover. Toby was a perfect friend. I believe he was wearing a little girl's headband at one point. And just sat there calmly wearing it, not bothered at all.


Rosemary got a li' upset later on in the evening. If Daddy's going to keep her up past her bedtime, at least let her play Wii Race Cars too!


Post party - Chuck is famous for feeding Toby people food. Caught red handed.


The boys smoke cigars on the sun porch after the party.


Another Christmas gift that made me cry, was this ladle. Down near the actual ladle part, Dad had my initials engraved on it with the year we got married. Before me, it was my grandmother's (my dad's mom) and her initials are on the top of the handle, with the year she got married (1946). And if you turn the ladle over, on the back are the initials of my great-great grandmother and the year she got married (1855). And she once lived in NYC (at 2nd Avenue and 10th Street). Its so special that this belonged to both of them before it belonged to me.