Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!



 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season so far. Ours has been pretty good so far but very hectic since the medical stuff had us behind before the holiday season really began. However you know us we are choosing to focus on the positive side of life. Being bummed out our wallowing in what was wrong never made us feel any better so we don’t. ;-)

The post surgical appointment was a few days ago and that went well. Life is definitely going to be getting back to “normal” around here very soon. I will need to write a number of posts to fill you in on the highlights. Overall everything is going well and for that we are both very grateful.

Here are few random pictures from our life this month. You will notice there have been many salads, bean soups and a few meals eaten out. If you want any more details on the food items pictured, like what is in them, let me know.









Those of you who are local really should try the faux shrimp at Jesse Wong's in Hunt Valley.  It is frighteningly shrimp-like.  ;-)










Happy thoughts:

I have much to be thankful for this month and here is small sample of it:

• Any surgery you can walk away from is a good one and this was no exception. We are both very pleased with the care at Johns Hopkins and particularly with our surgeon. It is always nice to meet an MD who is not only talented but obviously very caring.

• Additionally we are very fortunate to have the best bunch of friends anyone could ask for. They kept in touch during the process and made sure that we knew how much they care. In the end does anything matter in life more than love? Nothing even comes close in my book.

• It has been wonderful to spend almost a month with my sweetie. We both have loved being together 24/7. Now that the surgeon has given the go ahead to get back to exercising you know how we are spending our mornings don’t you? ;-)  Too bad it was only 45 degrees this morning when we headed out to knock out three miles.  However the chilly air did make our hot tea that much nicer once we got home.  Our new favorite is white tea with a little fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and cinnamon. Delicious!  :-)







• We were able to spend the day with our precious Aimee, and her fiancé Michael, on her 25th birthday. We all had a great time in DC at the museums and then dinner at Jaleo.


• Christmas Eve was spent with the gang at the restaurant. They were doing an Italian Feast of the seven fishes but they made us a spicy garam masala encrusted tofu and veggies and it was delicious as always. It was nice to spend a little time with our other adopted family since Christmas Eve should be spent with family. We picked up a little something for Ian and he seemed to enjoy it which made us happy.

• We heard this evening that Aimee has New Year’s Eve off so we will be seeing her and Michael for dinner and maybe watching the midnight fireworks from the boat. Sounds like a great way to ring in the New Year doesn’t it? Hopefully I can get a few good pictures to share.

• The weather has been very nice this month. It has been nice to have days in the upper 60’s in December. It looks like we are going to have a mild winter. Let’s hope this continues since warmer weather this winter means more sailing time. :-)

• A certain precious husband got me a past, present and future three-stone ring for Christmas which I received at midnight on Christmas Eve. Is it any wonder that I love him? I am one lucky lady. One of the smartest things I ever did was to marry my husband. I think I will keep him. ;-)

• This entire year has gone by so quickly. We have had so many wonderful things happen to us this year. Sometimes it is easy to forget all the good things that happen in life. I hope I can continue to focus on the things that really matter. My life is full of people whom I care for that also cares for me. If that isn’t the definition of a successful life I don’t know what is.

• In the spirit of the holidays I have picked up a few of my favorite things to give away on the blog. I will be telling you about one of them very soon. I think you will enjoy them as much as I do.

Signing out:

I hope you are spending the holidays with people that mean a lot to you. I hope you all enjoy your friends and family now. None of us is guaranteed tomorrow so we should all make the most of every day that we have with those we love.

Happy Holidays and I will talk with you again very soon.

10 comments:

  1. Hi Alicia! It's a wonderful Christmas gift hearing from you again!!! I am glad the surgery went well and you enjoyed Dan' s company. I wish you a merry Christmas and a wonderful new year. I hope to chat with you soon. I missed you and you and Dan have been in my thoughts everyday.

    Simona

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  2. Ali, I agree with Simona--it's great to hear from you again! Merry Christmas!

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  3. Merry Christmas Simona!

    It was a rough month but things are definitely returning to normal ... thank goodness. We are both planning a very happy and healthy 2012. :-)

    I will have more time next week since Dan goes back to work on Tuesday. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts it means a lot to us both.

    Hope you both are having a fabulous holiday in your new home!
    Ali

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  4. Merry Christmas Cindy,

    Thank you so much! It is good to be back.

    Working in a hospital for so long I suppose my expectations for surgery were a little skewed. It is very different being on the patient side of the fence. Who knew? LOL

    I hope you are having a fabulous Christmas!
    Ali

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  5. WHEW!!! I'm glad you're back. I searched through your blog yesterday so I could make the peanut butter and cinnamon hummus. I had noticed, but not paid attention to the fact that you weren't posting. I"m glad everything is ok with you. I"m hoping to incorporate your way of eating into some of my habits. I already am making my hummus the fat-free version and have noticed no difference. I will definately be using it for a salad dressing! Thank you for all that you give to people you don't even know!!

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  6. Rock Creek Creations,

    Thanks for the sweet message. It is always nice to know that I am being helpful. I hope you found the hummus recipe that you were looking for. If you need me to point you in the right direction let me know. I am happy to help.

    I love hummus and salsa together as salad dressing, that is one of my favorites. In fact it may be my most frequent dressing. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. :-)

    Merry Christmas to you!
    Ali

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  7. Ali,
    So good to hear from you again...I was checking every day in hopes that all was well with you two!
    January will be a great month for you I am sure...
    I hope you know how much you are valued and missed when you're gone:) Coco

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  8. Merry Christmas Coco,

    Great timing, I was just getting another post up before loggin off for the day. :-)

    December was a rough month but things are much better now. Neither Dan nor I are very good at being "sick". But that is probably a very good thing.

    Thank you for such a nice note just before I turn in. Your messages frequently make me smile which Dan can attest to.

    Hope you had a great holiday,
    Ali

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  9. did you ever post the oil free granola recipe? I would love to see it. Welcome back!

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  10. Elisabeth,

    I have not posted the sugar and oil-free granola yet. I am still trying to perfect it. The recipe is close but it isn't quite ready for publication yet. However I hope that it will be final in a few weeks. One of guys at the restaurant has offered to be a "granola guinea pig" for me with the next batch which I should be starting tomorrow or Wednesday. With a little luck that one will be ready for "prime time".

    Thanks, it is good to be back. I hope you are having a good holiday season.

    Ali

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