Christmas Dinners

After spending some time connecting with family and friends online and over the phone, Cam & I headed out for a Christmas adventure.

The Sushi place we'd planned to go to for lunch was only open for dinner but the Thai place across the street was open.

We hadn't been there before so we decided to try it out.

I had the baby coconut drink with slices of coconut in it.


The server asked if we wanted to start out with some fish cakes.

We said, "Why not?"

They were a bit ugly but the pretty, spicy sauce dressed them up a bit and they were tasty enough.






Cam ordered Phad Thai with prawns.

He was happy with it.














I had salmon with veggies and green curry.

The heart-shaped serving of rice was a nice touch.

After lunch, we went to the theatre in Mill Valley to see Juno.






Then, that evening, we enjoyed the vegetarian cassolee Cam made for dinner.

It was warm and nurturing.

Thanks for taking such good care of us, Cam.

We hadn't done a lot of shopping since we were on an eating out kick.

After dinner, Cam noticed we didn't have a dessert.

We did have chocolate chips.

I said I could make cookies but thought that Sam might like making them with me when he got home.

Cam decided to have some with peanut butter on a graham cracker.

I melted some and dipped nuts in it. It worked.

Happy Holidays.

A different sort of Christmas

This Christmas has been a different sort of Christmas.

For one thing, Sam's gone.

He was with us in Louisiana for Christmas last year. (Thanks again, Jim and Liz.)

So, it is only fair that he spend it with his dad this year.

He's been having fun in LA and even got to spend time playing in a park with my brother yesterday.

I'm not sure when he was last pushed this high on a swing or if he's ever played such an exhilarating game of tether ball.

It is a gift that they had this time together.

(Thanks for making this bliss happen and for the pictures, John.)




While they were playing, Cam and I climbed Ring Mountain.

I left the house wearing a four layers including a sweatshirt and coat.

By the time we reached the top, we were in short sleeves wishing for shorts and sandals.




We sat on top of Turtle Rock, basking in the sun, talking about how amazing this place is and the promise of future adventures.











In Sam's absence, we've been trying to see how many different cuisines we can sample. Friday night we had Thai, two prawn dishes, one with pumpkin, the other with eggplant. Saturday, we had Indian food for lunch and Puerto Rican for dinner. We enjoyed it so much that we went back to the same place for lunch the next day.

We've also been catching up on movies.

In November, we enjoyed the retelling of Into the Wild and were impressed by American Gangster.

This visit, we sang along with Once (differently enjoyable the second time), braved Cormack McCarthy's No Country for Old Men (so suspenseful, so good), watched Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, A Mighty Heart and our Christmas Classic, Love Actually.

Today, we're planning to have sushi and go see Juno.

We picked up a few small gifts, for Sam to open when he returns tomorrow, but the trip to Chicago for New Year's is our family's big present this year. We are already blessed with so much and need so little.

Through my new job, I've enjoyed being part of a holiday ice skating party for and selecting presents to give to kids in foster care.

One of the volunteers I work with works full time for the Haight Ashbury Food Program where they believe it is not enough to feed people for a day but it is essential to help people feed themselves and others for a lifetime. In the spirit of Christmas I made a small donation to them and also ended up giving money to a woman who stopped by our house asking for help protecting our National Parks.

Cam gave recently to support This American Life on NPR. We've talked about doing more giving of this sort but know that there is more need than we are able to fill but I guess if everyone gave a little, we could do big things.

Thank you to our families who have sent presents and gifts of money which allow us to do things like go out to eat, see movies, lend a hand to those in need, travel and buy new socks.

However you are celebrating the holidays, I hope you are enjoying yourself.

Much Love, Mary

Oh Christmas tree, how lovely are thy branches.

Sam went with me to the garden center to get the plants for our winter garden and to pick out a Christmas tree.

I'd wanted to buy a live tree, that we could plant, after Christmas. Earlier that day, while our laundry was washing and drying, Cam and I had looked at several small live tree options but didn't settle on one.

When Sam and I went to close the deal, I learned that it wasn't good for a live tree to be kept indoors for more than 7 days. Buying and killing a live tree didn't seem like a good plan and this small cut tree was less expensive too. So, that's what we brought home.

I'm a real tree novice. Sam was a huge help and provided moral support through-
out the entire process.

We placed the tree on our dining room table. When Sam stood on the table, he enjoyed seeing that the tree was about the same height.

Cam had offered to put the laundry away while we bought the tree. After he finished, he helped us decorate the tree.

It is adorned with decorations from the tree Sam and I had in the first home we shared alone.

We also hung it with ornaments we've been given by both of our mothers.

The ones Els made are especially treasured.

P.S. Cam wrote about our tree decorating day here.

Cold weather plants

Tiburon Garden Experi-
ments I, II, and III were successful. They taught me that I may have flowers on our back patio year-round, here in Northern California but that I should not expect the same plants to last the whole year.

Since the cyclamen and pansys did so well last year during the wet, cool, dark late fall and winter months, and because I love them, I decided to get them again this year.

I wasn't crazy about the cyclamen color selection but was captivated by this orange pansy. I decided to go with the maroon cyclamen accompaniment and try to pass the combination off as a tribute to LSU.

The white cyclamen were pretty alone and I thought the butterfly blue pansies comp-
lemented them nicely.

The gardenias my mom bought last summer are still hanging in there too.

Thank you, Dr. Al-Mefty

Dear Dr. Al-Mefty, I can't thank you enough.

Before my dad's surgery, I didn't feel like raving about the man who was going to operate on him. I had heard he was a world-renowned expert and had been involved in developing the procedure.

All that sounded pretty good but what if something went wrong?

It didn't.

He successfully performed a procedure beyond my comprehension and my dad is getting better every day.

I feel like singing his praises now.

Dr. Al-Mefty, I don't yet have words to adequately express my appreciation. So, for now, I will just say thank you.

Only within the past few years have patients with extensive lesions and tumors of the brain and cranial base had the opportunity of having these growths surgically removed. In this decade, many of these skull base lesions and tumors were still considered completely inoperable.

With advances in diagnostic imaging tools, breakthroughs in anesthesiology, and refined surgical techniques, today these patients and their families have hope where once there was only the dark prospect of lingering illness and death.

In 1993, a new program was established within the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, the Center for Skull Base Surgery was formed. Under the direction of world-renowned neurosurgeon Ossama Al-Mefty, M.D., the Center for Skull Base Surgery is a resource for the people of Arkansas and has drawn patients regionally, nationally and internationally.

The UAMS Center for Skull Base Surgery uses a multi-disciplinary approach to evaluate, treat and care for patients who have skull base lesions. The goal of the Center is to combine contemporary medical and surgical techniques with compassionate care for patients.

Amazing.

Stop the elephants.

Ecospot grand prize winner: Sky is Falling

Please sign Al Gore's treaty. I did.

If you can do it today or tomorrow, before he speaks at the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, he says it will really help.

Stop the elephants.

Back Home

Yesterday, the neuro-
surgeon showed my dad his post-
opp MRI w/o a pituitary tumor (it was benign) and sent him home.

Look out. He's on the loose and causing trouble again.

Facebooking it

This weekend, we've been having fun playing around on Facebook. I think you can see my profile if you click here.

If you haven't created a profile yet, consider making one. If you have, please consider adding me as your friend.

It's been a fun way to reconnect and to interact with family and friends whether they are on the other side of the living room or across the world.

Thanks to everyone who has already added me as a friend.

I'm honored.

Getting Better

I've spoken with my dad a few times since his surgery. He was released from the hospital the day after it but has been staying at a hotel near the hospital to be able to keep his follow-up appointments.

He's hoping to see the doctor tomorrow and be told he can go home and to check back in a few months.

Already, even thought he is still recovering, his headaches have improved.

Thanks again to everyone who has shown care, concern, offered support and encouragement. Thanks to the people in my family who were there, keeping my mom company and making my dad laugh and smile.

It means a lot to all of us.

In Recovery

Yesterday morning, my Uncle Jerry called to let me know that my dad was out of surgery and in recovery. He'd spoken with the chief surgeon who said things went well.

When I thanked him again for being there, he said he was honored to be able to be there with my dad. Jerry's such a classy guy.

I know my dad's pre-op day had been pretty rough. When I spoke with my mom at 9:30 pm the night before the surgery, while my dad was still having tests run, she said she was beyond frustrated with the way things had gone that day.

Hopefully, they got all of the problems out of the way that day and the rest will be smooth sailing.

Sam spoke with my mom last night while I was driving home from the grocery store. I think I heard her say that my dad was awake, that he wasn't feeling good but that he'd feel better in 3 or 4 days. I hope to talk with them myself soon.

Today is my mom's birthday. Having my dad recovering and feeling better are wonderful gifts.