It’s not as jolly this year as the songs say it’s supposed to be, but we go forward.

I’ve been terrible about posting to this blog recently, just as I’ve noticed that just chatting with relative strangers has been difficult. Every year, I have at least one holiday get-together – some have been quite lavish – but I just can’t get myself together to do that this year. It’s also the first year that our son won’t be home. It will still be Christmas, just quieter. And that’s fine with me. We’ll celebrate with daughter and son-in-law who live here in L.A. and lavish all our attention on 2 1/2 year old Remy.

It’s been an unusually quiet season all around. My husband Frank and I attended the 2nd Annual LAYA (Los Angeles Young Adult writers) Holiday party.  You can see us above with our “Dirty Santa” winnings. In case you don’t know, Dirty Santa is a fun game where you steal presents from people you like. Pictured are Paula Yoo, Eileen Rosenbloom, Kerry Madden (with the prized Free Beer sign), Lisa Yee and Michael Reisman (yes, he’s wearing a shower cap). Behind Michael (not wearing the shower cap she won – regifted by Frank who won them last year) is Amy Goldman Koss, hostess with the mostest Sally Nemeth, Frank holding up his inflatable Knott’s Berry Farm bat, Me with bath toy and Harry Potter candy, and Mark London Williams and his son.

Becca, Gary, Remy, Frank and I attended the Studio City Holiday Parade. I always loved our community’s parade with its small town feel (the parade is one block long so you have plenty of time to watch each group). Last year, they cancelled it. I guess I wasn’t the only person who was horribly disappointed because this year it was back with its Menorah-mobile, caroling wagon, marching bands and Girl Scouts. Joe Mantegna was in the parade but the homeless dogs were missing – I can only hope they were all adopted!  There was snow (fake, yes but it was cold for L.A., probably in the 50s) the highlight of the parade for Remy was when a local realtor handed her a very nice Dora the Explorer doll. The look of amazement on Remy’s face proved it is a magical season. I’m not sure she’s tightened her grip on Dora yet.

This week, I helped friend Cynthia Friedlob celebrate her birthday with our pal Jeanne Russell at another Studio City institution, Jerry’s Deli.

Frank and I spent Thanksgiving and our anniversary on Catalina Island, 26 miles across the sea, where we were married 25 years ago. The weather was beautiful and we did all the usual Catalina stuff. We rented a golf cart (that’s what the locals use for transportation in tiny Avalon) and drove high into the hills. Fabulous views but also a closer look at the damage left by this year’s devastating fire. Luckily, it stopped right at the edge of Avalon.  We took the submarine tour and saw thousands of fish playing in the kelp forest. And we played mini-golf. It’s probably a well-kept secret that the best mini-golf on earth is located on Catalina. Not a windmill or haunted house in sight: just 18 brain-teasing holes. It’s all about strategy on this course. We played there many times when our son was growing up. Frank and I had the course to ourselves on our 25th anniversary and played the best games of our lives. We were tied at the ninth hole but Frank ended up trouncing me – he got three holes in one!

Here’s the view from our balcony the morning we left – that’s a cruiseship in the harbor, in for the day.

We took the helicopter over because I get seriously seasick. But on our return, the helicopter wasn’t flying due to technical problems, so we took the boat. That meant an hour of me sitting outside and staring straight at the horizon – the only thing that helps. I made it, but it wasn’t pleasant. However,  I did manage to take a picture of “the groom” as we pulled out of Avalon.

Still, all the celebrations are tinged with sadness at the loss of my dad. And yesterday, our friend (and best man at our wedding) Irv Letofsky passed away, so I’m thinking of his wife and family.

In the true spirit of the season, here are a couple of not great pictures of my Dad’s famed Christmas display, which inspired Uncle Alf’s village in THE SEVEN WONDERS OF SASSAFRAS SPRINGS. Happy holidays to all and I resolve to be a more faithful blogger in ’08. (Humphrey does better in his notebook – check it out on the Humphreyville page.) And for privacy reasons (because some readers are quite young) I don’t have comments here but email me at betty@bettybirney.com and I’ll include your comments in my posts.

Can you find the fireman who toppled over?