Thought for 2010:
"Lead me not into
temptation: I can find the way myself."
- Rita Mae Brown
Christmas Letter 2010
I think the theme of Christmas this year is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas with the emphasis on merry... So many of my friends are going through hard times and so are only planning a small celebration - a Little Christmas if you will, this year...and so the Merry becomes even more important. It is good to focus on remembering that many of the things that make life worth while - that make life Merry - cost nothing in terms of money - They only need to be sought, to be found.
Each year at this time I sort through all the cards that I have received since last December. Then I sit down and write this letter and reflect on the year that soon will have passed into history. Having just reread all the kind words and filed away all your family photos, I always find myself in a sentimental mood - grateful to know so many lovely people and happy that each of you has taken time to think of me at some point during the year. I am lucky and I know it - thankful too...
"So what of 2010?" you may ask... well I came through it pretty good - no issues there...but on the whole it was a crappy year! The bad economy hurt everyone in some way and seemed to bring out the bad mood in many otherwise lovely people... I could take some time to comment on society and the world at large but there isn't much point, except to say the I wish we were all more astute at predicting the future (and planning for it) instead of just being great at criticizing & blaming and second-guessing events once they have transpired. Monday morning quarterbacking has replaced all sports as the national pass time with everyone weighing in with his or her opinion based on whatever version of the facts their favorite pundit has pre-digested for them (in the interest of full disclosure, I have Jon Stewart pre-digest my facts for me). The world continues to grow more complex and it would be nice if there were easy answers to its many problems but there aren't - and that is a fact - not an opinion. So all I can say is that opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one and until I develop the trick of predicting the future, I think the world can get along very well without hearing mine.
On the personal front, I did have a couple of goals for the year - neither has been fully realized as I write this - though progress was made on both. The first goal was to loose another 5 lbs. in 2010 and I still have hope of success though so far I have only lost (and kept off) 3 lbs. this year. The other goal is more subjective... I was hoping to be more content. You see, I've never been totally content with my daily existence. I've always been looking for some undefined, unknown something - possibly around the next bend or over the next hill, and last December I decided that while that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, I shouldn't let it blind me to the wonders of the present... (Here I realize that it would be so easy to say something about "being here now" and lapse into some new age jargon about the road to enlightenment but I am not going to go that route... No. My quest for being more content with the Now involves figuring it out my own way...) I know, both emotionally & intellectually, that I am just a small part of the whole "what it is" but I also believe that the part of me that is unique in this universal soup of which I am just a part, is my ego. I embrace my ego - the I part of Me - but for my own contentment this year i thought I would try to tone it down a bit - try to talk less - listen & look more - become a supporting player in the drama of my own life & not always try to be the star.
But just as President Obama can't turn around an economic depression in 18 months, I can't change the habits of a lifetime overnight or by just wishing it so... I still talk a lot and talk too loud and often vex my own spirit even if I may not vex my friends and I'll always be that way to some extent (especially in party mode) but I think I am making some progress, or at least I hope so...
So, as the year (and the decade) draw to an end I will continue to keep interested in my own life & that of my friends... I will try to recognize the good I can do and to do it... I will try to avoid hurting anyone... I'll try to loose 5 more pounds... I'll try to talk less & listen more...And I'll enjoy the wonderful life I've been given and the wonderful people who are an essential part of it - That's YOU!!!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Sandie & Mister Knightly
Christmas photos by Jack Akeson , myself and
Randy Hill
November - Turned out to be a fall like month with cooler weather so I could wear my jeans in comfort! I had a great weekend on the 12th & 13th when I saw my old time favorite Dave Mason in concert and then attended a Music party at Bill & Marcia's. Chris Silvia and I joined Doug & Kevin for the former and Julie and her friend, Danny attended the 2nd with me. Both were fun - I danced and dance to Dave Mason and a bit at Marcia's as well - so I had fun! The rest of the month was the usual stuff - working, gym, dog park and coffee and the Saturday Market with Aleth. These coffee's have really come to mean a lot to me as we discuss the goings-on in our lives but also the things we are reading and thinking as a result - sometimes we don't agree...this is to be expected and is one of the things that keeps the friendship interesting - but we always have respect and it never becomes too personal - we talk through our disagreements and arrive as some sort of detante - it is great!
November is also the month of Thanksgiving. and a few
friends gathered around my table to tear a turkey with me and Mister Knightly 
.
As I write this in December, there is still turkey in the fridge! We had a
lovely day filled with good food and easy conversation and super pies baked by
Sandra Bruen. A really lovely day. And then, before I knew it we
were in December...
October - This was such a jam packed month but it has taken be two weeks to get around to posting it...
It all began with a trip to Green Bay to see the famous Green
Bay Packers play football in Lambeau Field with my friend Diane. This was
an extremely fun weekend filled with girlfriends and football and fall weather! 
. Ed and I went to see the Rays play and loose for the AL
Championship. There was the Florida Orchestra's free concert in the Park
which has become an annual event. and then the return of my buddy, Conan and his
dog Auggie
.
But the biggest event of a big event month was the visit with Becky's kids (my
adoptive GrandKids) at Disney
- I also got to meet Blake, Becky's husband and a really nice guy. Gwenny
& Brenna are both delightful and well behaved children. I was quite
impressed with their creativity and intelligence - am I prejudiced...maybe, but
they were very good company. The month ended with Halloween and I dressed
as the Girl Who Played with Fire complete with dragon tattoo by Lauren.
September - A month of lovely days
when the sun approaches its equinox and the afternoon feels like heaven...I
begin to dream of fall and turning off the A/C. I began the month at A
Taste for Wine at a little wine tasting of Australian wines and went along - had
a good time too. Coffee with Aleth on Saturdays until it was time for her
to leave for the harvest...a dinner with Jack on Labor Day at an Oyster Bar with
no Oysters!!! Damn you BP!!! I took part in a walk in support of AIDS
charities as part of Ed's team Aunt Eddie's High Steppers 
threw a birthday party for my buddy Jaeden and his godfather Doug 
and
then it was time to go to San Francisco for OOW. 
and hang out with Diane & Dion!
August - A month of
birthdays: Geri Kail, Jerry Naples, Brenna Uppleger, Marcia Bredwick,
Sandra Bruen, David Faxon, Mary Hughes and Mister Knightly and I managed to be
on hand to celebrate them all - I went to Flagler to celebrate Geri's and (aside
from a pretty bad fall) had a wonderful time just walking & talking with
her...we did almost nothing else, unless you count watching Lonesome Dove all at
one sitting ;-) 
I threw a little beach party at Caddy's
for Jerry and it turned out great - it was his 50th and I didn't want to see it
pass without someone making a fuss over him - he is such a sweet guy. We
were back the following week to celebrate Sandra and she seemed to have a very
good time...I believe she has had a very good year with her fire walking and I
see her becoming more positive each day. Marcia escaped on her summer
holiday before we could do much to celebrate her birthday and Brenna got a Bee
from me and also from her other Grandmother so I will need to plan better next
year...
Mister Knightly had a day most dogs dream
of - singing, playing, treats and a big soup bone - but it was just another day
in his life as I sing and play and give treats and bones all the time...if I'd
really been thinking I'd have taken him to the beach. Dave came up from
Punta Gorda and we went to dinner but he refused to let me buy him anything more
than a drink - still it is always so great to sit and talk with him - we have a
long and wonderful friendship.
I had a long talk with Mary and she opened and liked my gift for her 60th.
July - The annual July 4th pool
party was a big success this month - I had a good time anyway... I don't
always enjoy all my parties oddly enough - sometimes I realize at the end that I
was so busy hostessing around that I never go to really talk with anyone... but
not this time. 
In addition to it being a holiday, it was also the birthday of Randy's Mom, Sue
so I tried to focus on her and not just the traditional stuff. She really
looks great at 70 and I was so glad she decided to spend the big day with us at
my house. The fireworks were fun and we had a good time in the pool 
A lot of the month was taken up with
concern for my friend Mary Lou - she seems to be slipping a little more each
month...and when she comes back she is always a bit less than before. Mid
July she had me really worried but as the month closed she seemed to be back on
track again. She is a very strange woman - I don't pretend to fully
understand her. Julie and the kids came over to play in the pool and that
was nice... Paul & I went to the movies ...Cindy & I went to the
movies...Went to brunch with the guys and then on to Cool Art...I went to a
birthday party for Jordan... out to the beach for sunset...and Sydni & I
finally did lunch. Paul took Julie and I out for a sunset sail which was
great fun since I haven't been sailing for a while.
One of the women I met in the UK, Carol was in a production of Annie Get Your
Gun and sent me some cast photos
Carol is in the teal!
June - I arrived home from the UK on June 4th and spent a night with the Kails which is always fun before driving home...took a nap, washed some clothes and went to Palmetto to have dinner with the Hunts and pick up Mister Knightly (I think he missed me). Tim & Randy had a party for Louise on the 6th so I got to see all the gang there and then I went to see the sunset with the gang on Monday despite having a ton of work to get caught up on... the next weekend I had dinner at the beach with Randy - which was really nice as he and I seldom get to have one on one time. Aleth had postponed her trip to France so we got to have one more coffee together. Sunday I went to see Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Swedish and it was GREAT! I finish the third book of the trilogy enroute home from the UK and now I look forward to the films if this one is indicative of the quality we will get.
This next week I lunched with Tim and partied with Julie as her divorce became final and dog sat for Jack who developed a clot in his lung and had to be hospitalized...spent the weekend getting the garden back in order as well. Bridget & Matt came by with Liam to have a photo session with Sheri and I took care of Luna so then I had 4 dogs in the house!. We got some much needed rain and I managed to get the garden back in some kind of shape, but it still looks bedraggled
Jack got out of the hospital and appears to be doing fine - his dogs are back with him but the dog days of summer are here now.
May - was a jam packed month!
There was May Babies at my house...then HAIR! in the park followed by
Tropical Heatwave in Tampa and a vacation to England! Let's take them in
order. The May Babies birthday celebration was a margarita pool party and
a Kentucky Derby lottery combined.. We had five May babies this year, Tim,
Randy, Ed, Bill and Amy and here they are: 
Next came Hair in the park where we had a group group of attendees in 60's dress
And then tropical Heatwave a huge music extravaganza of fun but I did not take a
camera and so the only picture that I have is one that was drawn of me by some
guy I danced with 
.
Then it was off to England to visit Mary & Bob. I saw some great
places - Wimborne, Lime Regis, and Beer - we visited an old manor called
Kingston Lacey and I saw the sea wall that is often featured in movies and TV
shows and we explored a castle ruin in Corffe. Mary & Bob seem to have
carved out a nice life for themselves with Mary working and singing and Bob
working as well - they have a sweet little flat that they are busy
improving. We had some good times together. I stayed in a B&B in
town and not in the flat so I was able to go around to some of the great pubs in
Wimborne and meet some very nice people on my own My favorite pub
was the Odd Fellow Arms and here are some of the great gals I got to talk with 
Next to me is Billy the dog with Marie Claire, next is Marilyn who goes by Maz,
then Evelyn and lastly Carol - all were great to chat with 
and here is Marie Claire again with Emily. This is Kingston Lacey
and this is the famous sea wall where they filmed the French Lieutenant's Woman
but if you are a friend of mine and want to see the whole set of holiday photos,
please check out my FaceBook site.
April - Another lovely spring month with no air
conditioning at all! My Final Four brackets fell apart early but Paul and
I still got together to watch the last game - this is a tradition for us.
But first we had to get through Easter 
which wasn't too hard. And Art in Bloom at the Museum of Fine Arts....
I managed to attend a couple of sunsets 
and have lunch with Mary Lou (who was feeling very poorly) and have some coffees
with Aleth before flying off to Las Vegas for work. I stayed at the
Mandalay Bay and had a very good conference - I have posted a bunch of Vegas
photos on FaceBook and will not duplicate them here.
I was gone for a week and got back in time to attend Marcia and
Bill's music party - but when I arrived home I had Swedish houseguests - Karin
Astrom and her new boyfriend, Peter had gotten stuck by the volcanic ash cloud
in NYC and decided to come to FL and wait it out, this was just great as I was
yearning to see Karin and spend some time with her. 
Peter is a cool guy and a veterinarian. I hope they make it as a couple - they
are both so nice and so happy together. So Anyway after they departed it
was time to go to Marcia's Music Party and enjoy some jammin' - a
great group of people but I was totally jet lagged and didn't stay very late.
April ended with me planning for the may Babies party, but that's another story.
March - This was a jam packed and
interesting month - I began with a Monday night at the beach and am sad to say
that our beautiful beach is eroding quickly - the winter storms have taken a big
bite out of it and if I lived on Sunset Beach, I would be worried 
as hurricane season approaches - a big storm could
cut a channel through some very valuable real estate. On the 5th, Russ and
I went to see a production of The Rat Pack at McHaffey Theater and it was quite
good...Russ and I also went to dinner and had a great meal and a lot of good
conversation...it was a very nice evening. The weather continued to be
rather cold for Florida all month and the plants had been so damaged by the cold
of February that it was not recommended to do any cutting back until things
warmed up again. Pollen came and everything had a light yellow patina of
pollen on it - the pool stayed on the verge of turning green all month.
About mid month the real cold let up and the normal cool of early spring arrived
in time for our trip to the Renaissance Fair on the 19th. The cool weather
lent itself to the wearing of costumes, though I would have worn one no matter
what the weather. 
... I was
excited to see the movie of Alice in Wonderland and reread the books in an
annotated version - but the film, though good was a disappointment to me - Tim
Burton took something that was unique and enchanting and made it into just
another teenage movie... an opportunity missed... likewise a parth billed as a
Mad Hat party turned out to be just a Ho-Hum event to my sorrow - though I did
have a smashing hat
if I do say so
myself. St Patrick's day we went to lunch with Mary Lou and had a nice
time...Art In Bloom and the Botero exhibit at the Museum were a lot of fun 
and to end the month, I hosted the 18th Annual Egg Coloring Party! 
February - This was about the
coldest entire month in Florida that I can remember! I know we set several
record lows. The good news was that I got a chance to try out outfits to
wear when I visit Mary in England this May...so that was how I made lemonade
from lemons... I also did some on line shopping for England. As for
events, there weren't take many...I didn't go to Monday sunsets...too
cold! I did go to a birthday party for Molly who turned 2 years old...
such a cute kid and in about 2 more years I will be able to actually talk to
her.
the party was outdoors and the day was cold and damp and Molly had a
cold.. Another event in February was a concert in Clearwater - a Blues
Festival actually starring John Mayall - Tim, Randy, Marcia Bill & I went
and the day was one of the nicest all month - both for the good company and the
good weather.
.
mayall is now 76 but still performing and sounding good! Ya gotta love the
blues... The rest of the month was spent hoping to see some robins, which
I finally did and being happy I had a gas log in the fireplace (it made keeping
warm affordable). I did take this really cute photo of Mister Knightly too
.
January - As always the New Year began with a party and this year the party was at my house. Out of the 50+ folks I invited, about 30+ showed up so there was a good crowd and we had a fun time. The city chipped in with some fireworks and I had hats and horns so it was all very festive. I found a super dress to wear and was feeling very foxy indeed all evening as you can see:
I
had invited about 50 people knowing that on New Years a lot of folks just stay
home - about 30+ showed up and that was a fine number for a party. The
Kails came from Orlando because they got to have a long weekend...By the way
Bridget had her baby Liam on the 21st of January but no photos are available
yet.
Once the New Year got off to a good start it was back to the old grind - except for a wonderful production of South Pacific that was at TBPAC - Doug and I went and were blown away by the quality of the production. My birthday (63rd) followed and I had a lovely home cooked dinner with Ed Tim and Randy - at T&R's home. That was followed by Cosi fan Tutti with Jack Akeson and friends and culminated with a beg group dinner at Caddy's
The rest of the month has been quiet and some of it very cold. My yard
looks very sad with the more tropical plants badly burned...some will come back
but some may have passed away. I am feeling very close to Aleth just now
after going to her wine tasting and spending my Saturday mornings with her over
coffee...it is nice to have a close girlfriend with whom to mull things
over. So now that I am a year older I have to confess that I am as healthy
as I have ever been in my life - I feel like 25 and I even like the way I look
(for a change)... Life is Good!