Creating Christmas

I have to admit it was tough not being in Sacramento for Christmas. Not only did we (Frank missed it too) miss the craziness that happens when all the Campbells get together. We also missed the baby shower for Katie and Bruce and Baby Binn. I wanted to use FaceTime to connect to them with my iPad. It's like Skype, but for Apple people. But when I called them on Saturday, it was so confusing and loud, that I gave up. I broke down and cried. It is the first time I have really cried since this whole cancer thing started. Once I started crying I couldn't stop. I decided to just let it happen.  Later in the day Shirley messaged and offered to try FaceTime. But I just couldn't do it. 
Bottom line, Christmas eve was a wash. 
We woke up Christmas day to sunshine and blue skies. The day promised to be the best weather day in the whole country. It lived up to it's promise by warming to 80 degrees.
I got up and wished Frank a Merry Christmas. There were no presents, and no tree. Frank and I don't get each other presents. We find it is so much simpler to just go out and get what we want when we want it. No elaborate hinting and searching for what has been hinted about. No need to return things that aren't quite right. I sit here typing on my beautiful Macbookpro, laptop. My iPad and iPhone sit near by. All 'gifts' I have bought for myself when the timing was perfect. Frank has a shiver full of golf clubs bought the same way.
We filled up our day with different activities. I started at the Wild Animal Park. I thought it would be deserted. But no. It seems that families from India and China and Japan go to the Wild Animal Park on Christmas Day. There were very few Caucasians there. It was a delight to share the park with them. The day was spectacular. I had some nice little conversations with Mike as I walked around. Nothing too deep. 
When I got home we went to a movie called, 'We bought a zoo'. It was very sweet. At around 3:30 we went to our dear friends and neighbor's home for Christmas Dinners. Our friendship with the Ryan family goes back 40 years. We raised our families together on Oro Verde Rd. We felt right at home with them.
When we got home we did some FaceTime with the remaining family members in Sacramento who were at Shirley's house for Christmas dinner.

Christmas at the Ryans

Time to get ready for my next chemo. I go in today to have blood work. Tomorrow it's back to Scripps Green for chemotherapy.