Happy Chanukah

After Sue's holiday brunch, Eliana and her parents lit the Channukah candles. Eliana's mom knew all five verses of the Chanukah song prayer in Hebrew. It was lovely. We didn't give each other presents at Sue's house this year, so it was all quite relaxed and casual.

Across town, at Seth and Cristina's house, there were presents galore. Cristina's mom arrived at the airport at 5pm. I'm so glad she could come. This is her first Christmas without her husband Juan, who died last January. I made very few photos, as it was dark, and the room was packed with people and boxes (and Felix), but it was the first time Evan and Bella had Christmas with both grandmothers present. Seth caught a photo of Bella and me--you can see she's very nearly as tall as I am, and she's not quite 14 yet. 

Here's love beaming out in every direction through the darkest part of the year: for Channukah, for Christmas, for grandparents, for grandchildren, for those with functional and dysfunctional families, for those with no families, for all beings on earth.