Family Gathering

The family gathers
as Christmas time nears....

The day
starts
so quietly....

I can see
the kids
have been
exploring
the frozen pond.












I follow
the fenceline
down...

...to visit
the ice-edged
willow.

Snow drifts
up to the mailbox.

Have they left
a letter for Santa?

or a Netflix return?

So quiet is my walk
at Flowing Well Park.

Only 

the slight crunch

of paws...

Tree shadows 

blue

on the snow.

Neighbors

gather

fresh clean water.

Tom is off 

to New Castle

to feed 

our rowdy dogs.

Good Marshall!

You can't dig out

when the ground

is frozen.

Tom takes puppies

for a walk.

They get lonely 

now that we live

in Fishers.

Dusty, however,

gathers

attention

from all sides.

The girls

take him

for a carry...

...and a walk.

He'd rather

be a present!

All together now.

It's time to go

pick up the tree!

What a surprise

to see my friend 

Igor here!

We've been trying 

to get together 

for months!

Tom says

the tree 

is too heavy.

We can't 

get it 

in the house.

But KC and TJ

come up

with a solution!

At least

we can 

get it in the garage.

After all,

it needs to 

acclimate

to the warmer temps.

Can TJ get

back up though?

Time to get

gussied up!

The Steussy Christmas

starts tonight.

I've been wearing

the same red dress 

for twenty years now.

I'm always worried

this is the year

it won't fit.

When

did they all

get so tall?

Dinner in Zionsville

with extended family...

Gramma Gene

Sister Cally and her crew from Chicago.

Brother Nic and his crew

from Broad Ripple....

A special treat -

Niece Charley

has brought 

Boyfriend John.

It's always fun

to add 

to the family!

After dinner -

a show!

For many years

- at least twenty -

Cally and I

have brought our kids

to downtown

Indianapolis...

..for the 

Yuletide

Celebration.

We always sit

in the front row...

...where we can see

the beads of sweat

the smiles

and the magic

of the singers and dancers.

Does Sandy Patty 

know us now?

She's seen us grow up

so many years in 

these front row seats.

And at 

intermission...

...cookies
and
champagne!

We love

our traditions...

and 

our 

holidays...

...and 

our kitties...