Inside From Out

My Favorite Panamanian’s decorating blitz has moved inside from her megawatt consuming efforts outside. This is predictable given the return to more seasonable December temperatures.  She is relentless. I’ve come to enjoy my periodic zoom meetings, something I never thought to embrace, simply because I’m off the beck and call list for an hour. She’s an incredibly good sport about the effort though and realizes she wanders into fantastical realms at times with her thought processes as to what is possible. That’s me, Mr. Grounding – I know, a scary thought indeed. At any rate, she finished off the Christmas tree and fireplace mantle last night and today she’s on to her multiple nativity scenes.

Swimming Goggles unexplained
But she is Repping her Panamanian Blood

The FBR’s two-week home stay during the school quarantine has allowed her to become Wingman’s video game pupil. That might explain this picture in which she looks like a punk rocker. She claims to have defeated the family champion in Mario Cart, her mother, yesterday. Her two week stay at home also caused the return of her early morning FaceTime calls where she tries to catch us sleeping, taking some evil delight in waking us up. The girl is nothing but a handful, a truly delightful one.

Christmas Tree Before

And After

We’re not the only ones decorating form Christmas. The BRS emphatically declared she had decorated the Christmas tree at my son’s home. There’s no contradicting her when she becomes emphatic. BR3 has recovered from her first ever cold and is developing a piercing, almost judgmental stare whenever we call. This look dissolves completely into a dazzling smile whenever the ABFA or my son start kidding with her. I’m thinking hard about future Christmases when all three of these dynamic young ladies are present in the house. Bliss, indeed, challenging, but blissful.

The Mantle

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                            

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn