And Christmas 2025 is a wrap

It was a nice holiday. I celebrated it in two distinct parts.

First, here at home with Elaine. And Santa. We went to Chicago's Music Box Theater to see It's a Wonderful Life on the big screen. Before the show, the organist leads us in a sing-a-long, and Santa himself joins us for the musical finale. 

This is the fourth time Elaine and I have done this. We wore gold antlers and she dressed as George Bailey, wearing his #3 football jersey. I wore my Cubs Christmas sweater, fitting because The Music Box is in the same neighborhood as the ballpark.

We exchanged gifts and then went to Margie's Candies. The name is misleading: it's an ice cream parlor. It's been on the same spot on Western Avenue for over 100 years and has the distinction of being the only restaurant to have served The Beatles (1964), Barack Obama (2004), and now me.
 

Then it was off to Grand Rapids for a family celebration. Christmas Day began with bacon and cinnamon rolls at my niece's home. We exchanged gifts, and I was very excited to give Baby Violet a pair of books by Kevin Henkes. Mr. Henkes created a pair of mouse sisters – Sheila Rae and Lily – and I read their adventures to Violet's mother, my niece, when she was very little. I loved the full circle-ness of this. 

Then we went to my niece's in-laws for Christmas dinner. Violet's birth mother and father, biological aunt and grandfather were also in attendance. I had been apprehensive about this going in – seems like a lot of complicated relationships going on there – but I needn't have been. There was a lot of harmony, a lot of love, around that dinner table. There was also no doubt as to who Violet's parents are. My niece's husband held the baby all through dinner and my niece was the one who decided that Violet was becoming too fussy and the evening was over.

I was surprised to find myself getting along so well with my niece's father-in-law. He loves cycling and so I asked him about cycling. He is writing a novel and I took him seriously as he told me the plot. I pretended he was one of my clients from the olden days and focused on him. This approach wasn't necessarily sincere, but it was a great social lubricant.

The flight back to O'Hare included a surprise. I was bumped to first class! This has never happened to me before. Unfortunately, the flight is only 50 minutes. Wouldn't it be nice if something similar happens on my long-ass flight to LA this spring?

Anyway, it's been a decade since I've flown first class. I either didn't know or didn't recall that when you get priority treatment, so does your bag. I admit I was a little embarrassed when my bag appeared on the luggage carousel way, way before anyone else's, and with this colorful tag attached. I guess I'm just not a first class kinda gal.

It's funny, but while it doesn't look like a particularly action packed holiday, I'm so tired. I think maybe post Yuletide blues is a thing. But it was a Merry Christmas nevertheless.