Sharing the Joy of Christmas

Started out a cloudy, windy, fairly warm day with a flurry of chores. I had a lot that I wanted to get done before my friend Amanda from Vineland arrived for her annual Christmas season visit. I put some things away that had been left out. I made the bed. I vacuumed. Vacuuming took me longer than I thought it would, so I was late getting out the door!

Amanda and I were going to meet at 11 at the PNC Bank on the White Horse Pike. She hit traffic and was about 20 minutes late, but that was ok. We weren't going far, anyway. We did what we did last year and had lunch at Tortilla Press, the Mexican restaurant in Collingswood. It was a little after 11:30 when we got there. We thought they were closed at first - it was dark and quiet inside. The door did open and there was a sign outside with the day's specials, so we went in.

Turns out they'd almost literally just opened. We were their very first customers of the day! We both had huge Chicken and Avocado Wraps with lettuce and tomato, Cilantro Cole Slaw, and shared a plate of sweet potato fries and a basket of home-made chips and salsa. We did eat our cole slaw and the small plate of fries, but the chips and half of each of our sandwiches ended up going home with us. Amanda also had a huge cup of strong Mexican coffee that she said was much better than the brew served at the Bob Evans where she works in Vineland.

Amanda originally requested going to a coffee shop after lunch, but since she had her java at Tortilla Press, we went in the opposite direction and had ice cream at the Pop Shop instead. I went tropical and had two scoops of Vanilla with pineapple "goop" (crushed pineapple) and toasted coconut. Amanda opted for a Christmas sundae - two scoops of Peppermint with chocolate syrup and peppermint patties. Despite our large lunch, we both ate all of our sundaes and enjoyed every bit of them.

We were way too full to do anything else in Collingswood (and most stores are closed on Monday anyway), so we just went back to my place. When we got in, I got the mail, and we exchanged gifts. Interestingly, we both gave each other Peanuts-related items. I gave Amanda a cute set of Peanuts ornaments I found at CVS a few weeks ago. She gave me Charlie Brown and Snoopy stuffed toys. Snoopy is dressed in a chef's outfit and holds a felt "cookie"; his apron says "Happiness is a warm cookie." (How true!) Charlie Brown talks when you press his foot. He holds a felt Christmas shopping list and says "If picking the right present wasn't so hard, I'd be better at it."

We continued the Peanuts theme with the two Peanuts specials I hadn't watched yet. Little Re-Run Van Pelt, Linus and Lucy's younger brother, really wants a dog of his own in I Want a Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown. His mother and siblings remind him that it's a big responsibility to own a dog. He doesn't listen at first and just keeps asking Snoopy to play with him. When Snoopy's lanky brother Spike visits from the desert, he finally shows Re-Run just how hard it can be to take care of a pet.

Charlie Brown was the one having the trouble in Happy New Year, Charlie Brown. He somehow has to write a book report on War and Peace over Christmas Vacation, but Peppermint Patty, her big New Year's Eve party, and a host of unrequited romances keep distracting him from his work.

We went for a stroll in Veteran's Park next-door between specials. I told Amanda about wanting to take classes and start a business. She talked about her health troubles and her jobs at Bob Evans and as a substitute teacher in Vineland and Millville (and how much she doesn't like school cafeteria food).

Amanda left around 3:30, shortly after Happy New Year, Charlie Brown ended. She was having dinner with her father and grandmother and wanted plenty of time to get home. I saw her off, then grabbed my DVDs and made a quick run to the Haddon Township Library for this week's volunteer session there.

It was still pretty light out when I headed past Newton River Park. It had been muddy and spongy in Veteran's Park, so I avoided the ground all together and rode on the street. The library wasn't too busy. I did have some DVDs to put away, and I did some organizing. I ended up taking out more Max & Ruby Christmas episodes (A Very Bunny Christmas), Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (Disney's computer-animated follow up to Once Upon a Christmas), McCabe and Mrs. Miller, and the most recent Chronicles of Narnia movie, Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

It was dark when I left the library. I made a very quick stop at Dollar Tree for a card for my nephew Collyn for his birthday on Friday and for my mom and stepdad's anniversary next week, then rode home. Watched Max & Ruby while having leftovers. After dinner, I took cute Christmas shots of the AG girls around the living room. Here's the link to the Photobucket album:

AG Christmas 2011