Dashtravel

The New Couch

At the special request of Donna, I wanted to post a picture of Chuck's new BFF, the couch. 

Artwork from 2012

Christmas Singalong at Walt Disney Concert Hall

We had a fantastic Christmas--10 ppl for dinner, I had to get a little folding table b/c I am tired of all of us elbowing each other on the table. I put down new white cloths and an embroidered red runner I keep for Christmas, and put little mercury glass votives with small candles burning in them around the table. I covered the side tables with a Christmas cloth and burlap, that's where we set the food--the formerly frozen 20 lb turkey I'd planned for Thanksgiving, enough corn bread stuffing (made from Chuck's mom's recipe like every year) for 20 ppl, a HUGE batch of mashed potatoes and yummy fresh gravy. Those last two items are made by Shawn Chuck's sister, thank heavens for her she is on her feet for 5 hours straight cooking on Christmas day just like me. Oh and she always makes delightful mushrooms stuffed with spinach.

Anyway this year I asked everyone to bring a song or a piece of writing  to share. So after dinner and before dessert (pecan pie and coffee) we all went up to Dash's room and clustered around his drum kit and did little performances. Shawn used to be a stage manager so she put us all in order--me first, with my reading of a 1952 E.B. White piece from the New Yorker called A Christmas Address (or some such); next, Bill La Vallee singing a capella "I can't give you anything but love" (he used to sing on B'way, he's superfun when he's singing); then cousin Cassidy singing a lovely girlish "White Christmas" accompanying herself on the guitar we bought her last Christmas (so sweet it brought tears to my eyes she has a lovely voice, and her mom was beaming with pride); then Jim an orphan Christmas friend of Bill's who performed a comic piece called "Thinker's Anonymous" which he knew from some therapist's conference he'd been to; and then Brantley singing "Have yourself a merry little chritimas" to the cassette (how exotic) accompaniment of his roommate's piano playing. As a kid, Brantley was in musical theatre with Tony Kushner in Louisiana, as well as a cruise ship performer, so he can be counted on for a good show. 

And then finally Dash accompanied us all on drums to "Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer" which he had planned out with his drum teacher. The funniest part of the whole evening was that initially Chuck sat at the drums and did the "bah dah Bing" drum bit, and said "That's what she said" like an airport lounge musician, and then Dash proceeded to mimic him at hilarious times during the EB White reading. The kid has good timing.

 

Stretching and playing video games with George

Curious George is climbing the Christmas tree, oh my

At the Staples Center

Chuck took Dashiell and his classmate Adler to the Staples Center to watch the Lakers play last night. (I still always say 'The Knicks' first.) The boys got to hang out with Chuck in the StubHub box and had a great time eating chicken, trying to hustle Chuck for $32 basketballs and punching each other in the balls. Finally at half time Chuck glanced at the couch and noticed Adler had taken his blanket out of his backpack and was curled up on the couch with it and the Curious George stuffed animal he brought, his eyes closed and his thumb in his mouth. Chuck hustled the boys out tout de suite.

Dash in the backseat a few months ago

I am experimenting with different post-production techniques, they aren't always successful but sure are fun to do...

Me trying to call my mom from the Barbra Streisand concert

Thanksgiving guest of honor

Rufus

13 years old, losing his hearing and his sight, and still his crusty, loveable, chicken-obsessed self.