Well, dear readers, let me just say this: MERRY CHRISTMAS! And let me just say THIS: Last night’s Christmas Eve Do was the best ever – great people, great conversation, the spaghetti sauce was stellar and it was just lovelier than lovely. We started slow, but within an hour we were full up and then some. We had a glittering array of guests – I’ll probably forget someone due to the late hour, but we had Kay Cole and her ever-lovin’ Michael, we had the Staitman clan (Sami, Sarah, and mom Karen), we had Shelly Markham, we had Ilona Simon-Muller and her husband Steve and son Daniel, we had Barbara Deutsch and son Sam, we had Richard and Elizabeth Sherman, we had Shelly Markham, we had Adryan Russ and her ever-lovin’ Dale, we had the Haverty clan, we had our very own Amy and Mark, we had Joanna Erdos, we had Barry Pearl and his ever-lovin’ Cindy Dellinger, we had singer Karen Gedissman and her new beau – I think that was it, but if I forgot someone it’s simply senility. I made a humungous amount of spaghetti sauce and I have to say that two-thirds of it was eaten all up, along with about four pounds of pasta. The tuna pasta salad was also decimated, so much so that there was only one tiny serving left by the end of the evening, which was a first. Some people brought desserts – Amy and Mark brought a peanut butter pie from House of Pies, we had a chocolate cake courtesy of the Staitmans (who also brought some Sees candies), Adryan Russ brought her famous lemon cookies, made with lemons from her own tree, Karen G. brought two pumpkin bread loaves, and someone brought a Dutch apple pie that didn’t even get opened. Ilona brought her famous brownies.
Best of all, Richard Sherman wanted to play me something, some spoof songs he’d written with Milt Larsen, so well all convened in the living room where he delighted us with his delightful songs. Then Shelly played his song, The Sweetest of Days and the Finest of Nights (I think that’s the title – Guy Haines sang it on Haines His Way). And then Sami and I did the duet from the Taxi Driver episode in which she played the twelve-year-old hooker. It was just such a treat. Then we all went back to the den and the Do continued. Everyone had multiple helpings of the food and desserts and there were lots of laughs, and then Sami and Sarah asked Richard if they could video him because apparently one of Sarah’s best friends LOVES the Sherman Brothers and could not believe Sarah and Sami were at a party with him. So, back to the living room we went and with the girls sitting at the piano with him and singing on the choruses, Richard did Supercalifragilisticexpialadocious. It was great. Then I got coerced into singing my new song, This Christmas – I really didn’t want to, but I finally did and it was fun, too. Then I asked Richard to sit back down and do Walt Disney’s favorite song – Feed the Birds. He did, and it was magical as it always is. I just adore him and Elizabeth and was so happy they made it for the second year in a row. I think we’ll now make the piano playing and singing a regular part of our Do. Everyone left around ten-thirty, and then I cleaned up for an hour. It really was the best Do ever.
Prior to the Do, I got up at ten or thereabouts, answered e-mails and then went out and bought two gift cards for the Staitman girls. Then I came home, had a long telephonic conversation, then went to the mail place and picked up three packages and an envelope. I then did some banking, then came back home. At that point, I began cooking the spaghetti sauce. I cooked the garlic, onions, and mushrooms in butter, then made the sauce itself. That all took an hour and then I just simmered and stirred all the livelong day, adding a little this’a and a little that’a, with an emphasis on the latter. I finished watching the lovely film Cesar and Rosalie. With wonderful performances by Yves Montand, Romy Schneider, and Sami Frey, beautiful music by Philippe Sarde, and simple yet lovely direction by Claude Sautet, it’s just a very human film, with lots of quirky fun, and also lovingly observed human drama. I’m hoping that more of Mr. Sautet’s films come to Blu and Ray. The transfer is gorgeous and the disc is a region B disc.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get some semblance of beauty sleep.
Today, I shall arise when I arise, and then open the few presents I have. After that, I’ll watch a motion picture or two and relax. I finally heard from the Darling Daughter – I gather they drove here and the weather was problematic. In any case, it looks like I won’t see her today but will see her tomorrow. Then at five I’ll mosey on over to Cissy Wechter’s Christmas party, and I’ll stay there for a couple of hours and try not to eat too much. Then I’ll come home and relax some more.
Tomorrow I’ll hopefully see the Darling Daughter, and also I have to go through all the footage for episodes five and six first thing in the morning so I can get notes to the editor, who’ll be starting on those. I may even try to do episode five’s footage today so he has that when he goes in tomorrow. After the Darling Daughter leaves, then I may or may not drive to Orange County to see a friend who’s in town only for a few days. We’ll see what the weather is like. The good part is that there probably won’t be much traffic on a holiday week. Thursday I have two meetings to attend, and Friday is a one-hour work session, but other than that and writing the contextual commentary, the rest of those days and evenings and the entire weekend is mine all mine.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, arise, open presents, watch movies, go to a party, and take notes on footage. Today’s topic of discussion: How are you spending your Christmas Day? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, exhausted but high on the energy and fun of the best Christmas Eve Do ever.