A Merry Night of Caroling

Though this past month has been hell, it finished in a beautiful way--with the annual caroling party. Though about 15 people said they would make it, only four actually did. With Aaron, Rasputin the reluctant elf dog, and me that made seven all told. A good-sized group.




We did less caroling for brandy than we have done in previous years, but still one household poured their last dregs of Christian Brothers into the guys' Solo cups (I just sing and make merry; I don't drink), and O'Connell's gave out free shots. Though some people were too cool to indulge us, in general, our listeners were merry and grateful. One of the highlights of the evening was when we surrounded the old guy who always sits in front of the corner liquor store and sang "Joy to the World" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." He said he had not heard people caroling since the 1940s. Wow, we broke a six-decade dry spell!



Every year we attempt to rouse the hipsters at Porfolio Coffeehouse from their ennui. Once again, we were unsuccessful. The best we can ever get from these bored-with-life, young people is a momentary lifting of their eyes from their laptop screens or iPods and a tiny smirk. They're just too cool to enjoy anything. But we always look forward to this stop, as I'm sure all of you have at one time or another taken perverted pleasure in being overly upbeat around an angry soul.

Besides, lurking deep within these hipsters, as within each and every human being on the planet, is a light of love. It's just that some people are so weighted down by the travails of life or by their post-modern artifice that they are not always accessing that light. Our aim every year during the caroling is to bring that light forward in as many souls as possible.

Merry Christmas to all!

One Helluva Month

Yesterday was the close of one of the most challenging months of my life. My son, Aaron, counts it as his absolute worst.

It all began on Nov. 18 when I had triple bypass surgery. The aftermath of that is something I wouldn't wish on anyone--severe fluid retention, nausea, vomiting, extreme anemia, incision pain, back pain, leg pain, backed-up GI tract, dizziness. And the month closed with my mother's end-of-life suffering and the emotional drama it caused.

Aaron, of course, had to watch one of his very favorite people go through hell and back. Add to this all the extra driving and errands he had to perform in order to visit me and take care of his grandmother and me. Though he took three weeks off from his position with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, he continued to work three nights a week at the restaurant and as a research assistant for a UCLA professor. He also had the stress and time commitment of getting graduate school applications filed on time.


If this weren't enough, his car was rear-ended, he was badly scraped in a bicycle accident, a girl who seemed perfect for him up and dropped him, and he got in a fist fight with a friend.

Aaron and I are so looking forward to a happier, healthier new year!