Getting Ready for Christmas

I can't believe it is Christmas already.  There really is something to the belief that the speed of time passing is inversely related to your age.  When you are young Christmas always seems to far away, but when you are old, it seems like it comes every other month.  C'est la vie.

Anyway, we are settled back in Sugar Land.  After returning from California, we stayed here for a couple of weeks and then went to Panama City Beach for our (now) annual trip to check on the condo there.  Although I am partial to the Pacific Coast beaches, there is certainly something to be said for the beautiful sugar-white sand beaches, the beach dunes, and the crystal clear water on the Gulf Coast.  This time of year is perfect there with mild temperatures and almost no tourists.  Our condo building is the large orange high rise in this picture.  We are on the 21st floor and look right down into the water.  Here is a link to some more pictures.

Now back home have a tiny tree and some lights outside.  Val is the decorator and is making the place look festive.  We will be here on Christmas. On Christmas eve we will drive to Beaumont and see Val's "children" and grandchildren. Then on Christmas we probably will go to Lorrie's. This Friday we will go to see Val's mother, who is now 95; there is to be an early Christmas party at her nursing home.

Last weekend we went to Galveston Island to see the annual Dickens on the Strand Christmas festival.  It was fun to see a lot of folks dressed up in old-timey clothes.  Here is a link to a slideshow of the festival.