5 - The REAL Christmas Street

I grew up on a street where each December, the neighbors all came together to do something nice for the community and to testify of the birth, life and mission of Jesus Christ...the real reason for the season. The homes in the circle all display large signs on their lawns with New Testament scriptures and pictures portraying the related scenes.

Cars, buses, limos, carollers came from all over the valley to drive around that circle. We always felt pretty special to live on such a cool street where so many people came to read of the Savior's birth and life. Most Christmas Eves we had to wait in bumper to bumper traffic to get in our driveway.

It was all started by some stalwart old souls - my grandpa & Sy Curtis - before I was born, but the tradition they started is still blessing countless lives - even after they have both returned to that Savior of whom they testified.

This was just one of the Christmas traditions I cherished...I loved the eggnog toast before going in to open presents, Christmas breakfasts, visits from and to grandparents, family parties, and Christmas morning programs to read and open presents by ("shepherds abiding in their fields, keeping watch over their flocks" meant wool sweaters....disciples called to be "fishers of men" meant fishing gear..."angels singing to proclaim His birth meant CDs, stereo equipment, or iPods), etc,.... We still do most of these and I love it!

#5 on my list of Favorite Things is our family CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS.

6 - Montana Mile Marker #5

Several writers and movie makers have tried to capture the essence of an Ideal – a perfect place of love, joy and peace.…

-Sir Thomas More in Utopia;
-The Arthurian legend of a place called Camelot (the Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave film is a classic);
-Or James Hilton’s description of Shangri La in Lost Horizon (was also made into a great movie).

I knew a man who succeeded in creating a real Utopia/Camelot/Shangri La. We called him Hans. And, his cabin on Hebgen Lake WAS the Ideal.

Apart from the days my brothers got married or had children, the best and happiest memories of my life are of Hebgen. Check out that sweet life-preserver. I could swim quite well by this time, but it was important to Mom and Dad and Hans that we all stay safe, so we wore them faithfully - and didn't really mind, because who could be bothered by anything at Hebgen?!

Hans was one of those rare individuals who saw the opportunity to make and share something special and actually did it. He was constantly improving things and doing things for us while we were there - like building a fire each morning so that when we woke up it was warm in the cabin...or teaching us how to make ice cream in the garage...or taking us on wood safari's...hunting for huckleberries...spinning tales about slingshots and moose (which I believed into adulthood)...showing us silent movies from his amazing collection in a living room theater decked out with big screen, reel to reel, light dimmer and surround sound...or giving up his bedroom in the big cabin so we could feel like the cabin was our's.

I can still remember the smell of the woods and lake and the feeling of waking up in that bed under the 4 inch thick brown quilt; and, the site of my Dad chasing a baby bear outside the dining windows to get a photo; my brothers hunting for frogs; swinging on the swing; playing chinese checkers and the marble game; listening to "cabin music"; the wind in my hair as I skiied across a glass lake; cleaning my first fish; sliding down the plastic cushions at the Walton-style table; and saying goodbye for the last time.

In a few days, when I blow out the candle sitting atop the first chocolate birthday cake I’ve had in a very long time, my birthday wish will be for everyone to have a Hans and the opportunity to experience the Ideal that was Hebgen.

#6 on my list of Favorite Things is HANS' CABIN and HEBGEN LAKE, MONTANA.

7 - Sleeping in Beauty

My niece and I were talking the other day about the removable tops of the posts on her bed (they make great microphones and weapons). She has the bed I grew up with. In it's prime, it was a beautiful canopy bed. I still remember my excitement, when at the end of my Christmas morning treasure hunt, I ended up opening my bedroom door to see this glorious cream colored bed standing there - with a matching cream and brown rug on the floor. My parents had us all sleep in one room that Christmas Eve. We thought it was so fun to have a Christmas slumber party. Despite the fact that my brothers will tell you I was spoiled every Christmas (only girl) I never thought I would get such a grand present. They kept it at the Pococks across the street to ensure secrecy. What a site they must have been carting big boxes out of their neighbor's house in the middle of the night.

I loved that bed. And, I love my "big girl" bed now. It has a pillow top and in the winter, flannel sheets, fleece and down blankets and the best pillow in the wide world. I just LOVE when I get to sleep in or take a nap. There's pretty much nothing better than a Sunday afternoon nap, is there? (SO excited for morning church in one week!!!)

I recognize that not everyone sleeps in such luxury - in peace, warmth, and comfort - and I am truly grateful for this blessing in my life. I am a girl who needs her sleep.

#7 on my list of Favorite Things is MY BED.

(The pic above is the closest web photo I could find to what my bed looked like. It is VERY close. The canopy on MY bed met its match with the monkeys who liked sneaking in and swinging from it.)

9 - Christmas is coming and the goose is already fat...

Catchy title, right? hahaha

I distinctly remember the trip to one Christmas Eve family party driving diagonally up a very steep and very slippery hill because the car had no traction on the ice. We slid all the way UP that hill. As previously mentioned, snow driving = evil for Becky.

Had I been my Dad, the driver, I would have thought of nothing else during the party but how the heck were we going to get back down that hill at the end of the evening without crashing??! He's much less dramatic than I and probably didn't do that. As a little girl, while it scared me, I did not quite comprehend the peril we may have been in and probably slept the whole way home, waking after a peaceful night's rest the next morning to presents galore.

Thanks to my parents and four very loving and generous grandparents, that drive is the only slightly negative memory I have of all the Christmases in my whole history. Most of my happiest Christmas memories are of family parties.

On Christmas Eve, we always went to my grandparent's home. We exchanged gifts, sang, performed, re-enacted the nativity, and ate spectacular meals. They served the best food made all year at Christmas - amazing statement given that they had already pulled out all the stops at Thanksgiving. But at Christmas, they must have found a few hidden stops and that food was sheer ambrosia. (Can you mix organ and food metaphors?)

My expectations for Christmas food is simply off the charts because of those parties, so when I tell you that I have found a recipe that to me is worthy of Christmas dinner, you know it is quite a statement. My friend, Claire, posted these amazing cookies on her blog in 2009. I made them last Christmas Eve and absolutely LOVED them. They are very Christmassy and really do melt in your mouth. I totally stole her post from last year for my day 9:

Peppermint Meltaways
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1-1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
Cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are very lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Frosting:
2 TBSP butter, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 TBSP milk
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
2-3 drops red food coloring
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies/candy canes
Beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, milk, extract and food coloring and beat until smooth. Spread over completely cooled cookies. Sprinkle with crushed candies.

# 9 on my list of Favorite Things is this recipe for PEPPERMINT MELTAWAYS. Thanks, Claire!!

10 - Ships

Have you ever sat and pondered what you would do if you won the lottery or the sweepstakes or just suddenly came into a substantial amount of money? Well, I have.

It would be a dream come true. After writing the biggest check in my tithing history, I would:

- Buy houses/pay off the mortgages for my family (and me)
- Buy a big cabin on Hebgen Lake
- Set up a charitable organization doing something great for children where the now mortgage-free family could spend their time
- Buy a car for any of the family who needed it (and four new cars for me – Black Convertible Boxster, Big Jeep, Super Big Truck, and a CRV like the one I have now only black and with a few extras)
- Undoubtedly go to the spa once a week and spend a few weeks buying a ridiculous amount of clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses, luggage, and organizing bins, etc.
- Fly first class to Australia and spend two weeks driving down the Great Ocean Road
- And best of all, I would buy whatever gifts I wanted for family, friends, coworkers…whomever

Can you imagine? Not being constrained by a budget when purchasing gifts for people? THIS would be nirvana for me. I absolutely LOVE giving gifts. It is not because I am a wonderful philanthropist or benefactress (what a cool word!)…I just really get a kick out of seeking out and giving gifts that are special for people I love. I am sure it has more to do with loving shopping than anything else. OH….and, think of the stuffed animal lions I could get for me and my nieces and nephews. Life-sized. What fun!

The thing is, I can’t wait for my pirate ship (with Orlando Bloom captaining it) to come in. Albert Einstein said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.” So – I am going to have to be worthwhile now. I am pretty sure the Budget Master would frown on increasing the 2011 amount budgeted for gifts, so- people who I love: get ready for non-monetary gifts….whatever that is. Oh Mr. Pirate...where are you?

#10 on my list of Favorite Things is GIVING GIFTS (which I prefer to call PRIZES).

12 - I Know a Place

There is a song I used to love to sing when I was at girls camp:

I know a place where no one ever goes
There's peace and quiet, beauty and repose
It's hidden in a valley, beside a mountain stream
And lying there beside the stream
I find that I can dream
Oh what a place of beauty to the eye
Snow peaked mountains towering towards the sky
Now I know that God has made this world for me

I still like to sing this song, but in a different place of beauty to the eye, and with slightly different lyrics:

I know a place where Becky loves to go
There's peace and quiet, beauty eventhough
It's hidden down a Walmart aisle, beside an organizing bin
And standing there beside the bin
I find that I can grin
Oh what a place of beauty to the eye
Organizing bins and baskets towering towards the sky
Now I know that God has made this store for me

I absolutely LOVE organizing bins. I have them in my entry way, my bedroom, my bathrooms, my closets, my kitchen, my TV room, my living room, my car...everywhere. And I wish I had more. And, I am constantly in search of the best organized purses, bags, luggage, etc. This doesn't mean I am super organized...I just love the dream of being super organized. I am always thinking about what I could do in this corner or that one to be better organized. I love it.

#12 on my list of Favorite Things is ORGANIZING BINS.

20 - 80’s Night at the Oscars

One summer, my brother and I spent many nights eating Cheetos and Ranch dip (very delicious) and watching an 80’s classic film: North Shore. Now, some might say we were losers with nothing to do, but I think it is more to do with the fact that we enjoy good food, good movies, and having a good laugh.

North Shore is a “B” movie, if that, but it is very fun to watch and quote (“Nobody listens to turtle…”). There are several other 80’s movies I would throw into the “B” category – all movies I loved (and still love) to watch over and over; they might not merit an Academy nod for Best Picture, but I would give them other awards like….

Some Kind of Wonderful – Most Awkward Kissing Scene to Watch While on a Not Great Blind Date Award (in addition - a bug flew onto my lip while we were eating and I ate it)

16 Candles – Sweetest Red Porsche/Just Like the Boy Next Door Award

Top Gun – Top Volley-Ball Game I Like to Watch (what girl doesn't?) Award

Pretty in Pink – Greatest Soundtrack to Listen to While Lying Out Award

Always – Best Last Movie Seen with College Sweetheart Award

Footloose – Classic Movie My Grandma Didn’t Want Me to Watch on the Airplane Ride to Hawaii but Had Already Seen with My Young Women’s Leader Award

Fletch – Most Quoted Chevy Chase Line Award (also my favorite comedy film ever)

Karate Kid – Most Reminiscent of Neighborhood Boys Award

Superman II – Craziest Movie I Wish I Hadn’t Watched with My Mom and My Friend’s Mom Award

Princess Bride – Most Quoted Movie by Missionaries in Australia Award

The Outsiders – Best Book My 6th Grade Teacher Read to Us Award

Now – this is all just a silly walk down memory lane, to be sure, but in fairness to the brilliance of the 80’s, there were also some absolute classics produced– certainly worthy of a real Best Picture Oscar, like:

Somewhere in Time, Out of Africa, Dead Poets Society, On Golden Pond, Driving Miss Daisy, The Mission, Gandhi, Chariots of Fire and Rain Man.

#20 on my list of Favorite Things is 80’s MOVIES.

Bonus Prize: Which of these were either nominated or DID get the Best Picture?

23 - Simple Signs

Remember the scene in Sleepless in Seattle where Meg Ryan’s character, Annie, is trying on a wedding dress up in the attic with her mother and the dress rips? She sadly cries out, “It’s a sign.” And, her mother replies, “You don’t believe in signs.”

Annie might not, but I do. I believe when I get a great parking spot by a store or mall that it is a sign or harbinger of good shopping ahead. I have been known to happily exclaim, as I pull into a great parking spot, “It’s a sign!” I proceed into the store of choice, fully hoping to find just the right thing, or get a great deal, or spend a lot of money.
My great parking place excitement applies in non-shopping situations too though. I just think it is fun, and when I am running late (which is often), very helpful to get a great parking place. I once had an intern who told me my joy over finding a great parking place was a simple pleasure for a simple mind (needless to say – not one of the interns I hired full-time).
The workings of most female minds certainly aren’t simple. It can get pretty complex in there. I choose to characterize my parking pleasure as finding joy in even little gifts and events in life. Like putting a reserved parking sticker on my car this week. Pretty great perk!
#23 on my list of Favorite Things is GETTING A GOOD PARKING PLACE.

24 - Once there was a snowman...tall, Tall, TALL

A couple years ago, I had the calling of all callings at church. Primary teacher. Listen – this is just the best calling a person could have.

-You get to study the fundamental gospel principles and think of creative ways to teach them.
-You get to laugh and color and dance and go on treasure hunts and sing Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, and Once There was a Snowman instead of sitting solemnly in classes for two hours.
-You get to be taught by some of God’s precious children about faith and goodness and love.

Example: One day, the lesson was on prayer. I had my class each take turns saying something they would thank Heavenly Father for and then something they would ask Him for. They all said many sweet things. When it came to my Jonah, he said he would ask for the little boy who had been in the wheelchair during singing time to be ok.

Doesn’t get any better than that.

#24 on my list of Favorite Things is BEING A PRIMARY TEACHER.

26 - Today's favorites are brought to you by the letter

MONET
Other than my brothers, my favorite artist is Monet. I love his ability to represent light and nature with paint, canvas and a brush. Remarkably gifted! Here are some favorites: MEXICAN FOOD
I could eat Mexican food every meal every day for a long time and be very happy. My favorite is a chicken chimichanga with guacamole from Cancun Café. I could drink salsa...I think guacamole should be one of the food groups....and, don’t even get me started on cheese, glorious cheese. Simply three of the best inventions ever. MONTANA
I have been going to Montana nearly every year of my life since the year I was born. It is my place of peace and rejuvenation. I love being up in big sky country. Hebgen Lake, Montana is the best place on earth as anyone who has swung in the swing or sunned on the floating dock or skiied or fished or boated or hunted frogs there can attest to. MOZART

Mozart’s music is one of the great blessings in my life. He is my favorite composer. I love “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”…. It is simply sublime. One of my favorite musical memories was accompanying a clarinetist as he played Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. Years later I had a front row view of a master clarinetist playing the concerto in Symphony Hall. Beautiful music!



#26 on my list of Favorite Things is: MONET, MEXICAN FOOD, MONTANA & MOZART.

30 - A Rose By Any Other Name

Roses are Red
Violets are Blue
Give me some Roses
If you know what's good for You

Hahaha - just kidding. But, I DO love roses. Especially red ones and white ones, but I'm fairly certain I would like black ones and I do like purple ones and yellow and I love this crystal one from Prague.

Roses are The Flower of all Flowers.

#30 on my list of Favorite Things is ROSES.

(Do you like how its 11/30 and this is the 30th Favorite Thing?)

42 - Ms. Piano Girl

One of life’s great and universal regrets is: “I should have continued taking piano lessons.” I’ve never heard anyone say, looking back, that they were glad they stopped.

I’m one of those who regrets quitting. I took lessons from about age 6 or 7 into the early teenage years and then was tired of practicing and tired of my “meanie teacher,” who was, actually quite brilliant. I took more lessons in college and more again after the mission. So, thankfully, I did eventually see the light, but it would have been much wiser to stick with it earlier on.

While I didn’t want to play the piano when I was little (I wanted to stay in my ballet class – and, even told my teacher when I had to quit to take piano, that I was going to earn my own money and come back); it is, now, one of the great blessings in my life. Thanks, Mom & Dad! I suppose this almost makes up for the Lake Tahoe tragedy.

One of my favorite things to do on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon is sit at my piano, with the sun streaming through the windows, and play my piano. It is therapeutic, inspiring, and uplifting. I love having music in my home and I especially love piano music. And – I love the piano itself. It is beautiful. I planned my whole living room around my piano. I carpeted and painted to blend with the piano. I bought artwork, rugs, chairs, vases, candles and even my couch to compliment this beautiful instrument. My Christmas decorations – down to the type of material in the tree skirt match it. My tile, countertops and decorations above the cabinets in the nearby kitchen echo the piano color. I’d like to say my home is all about me…and it is, in part…but really – it’s all about the piano. And I love it. #42 on my list of Favorite Things is MY PIANO.

44 - The Sleepy Blue Ocean

When I was a little girl, we traveled to Lake Tahoe for a family reunion. We stayed in some condos with a fantastic swimming pool. One day, I spent a significant amount of time (I say 5-6 hours, my parents say 10-12 hours) in the pool and when everyone went down to the lake in the afternoon, I was not allowed to get in because I had been in the water too long...or some other silly reason - I'm not sure - all I know is I wasn't allowed to swim in Lake Tahoe. I'm still bitter.

I have always loved the water - swimming pools, rivers, lakes, and most especially, the ocean. I love the sound the waves make. I love boating and skiing. I love the view of the sun setting or rising on the water's edge. I love swimming in water and I love drinking an ice cold glass of water. I love sitting on the edge of water and listening. I even subscribed to Coastal Living for a few years - just to look at the pictures of homes near water. I love the water.

My happiest memories are associated with water - fishing with my Dad and brothers, laying in the sun on a floating dock, swimming for the high school swim team coach when I was 12, laying in a lounge chair on the deck of a cruise ship, walking in the ocean along the Oregon coast, riding the waves of the lake on a tube in a storm, watching orca jump while working out, swimming parties at my place with my nieces and nephews, snorkeling in Hanama Bay, boating in Sitka, driving along The Great Ocean Road in Australia, and most significantly, coming up out of the waters of baptism.

I am grateful for the water that sustains the life of my physical body and for the Living Water that sustains my spirit. Water is one of the greatest gifts in my life.

#44 on my list of Favorite Things is WATER.

49 - I love to laugh

Hahahaha!
Loud and long and clear
I love to laugh
It's getting worse ev'ry year
The more I laugh
The more I fill with glee
And the more the glee
The more I'm a merrier me

Good old Uncle Albert (and the Sherman Brothers) from Mary Poppins had it about right. And, I really do love to laugh. I love people who make me laugh and I like it when I am funny (or I think I am) and people laugh with me. I especially love to hear my nieces and nephews laugh. There isn't much that is a nicer sound than that.

Good sense of humor is even on my list of must have's in a spouse.

I found this quote from President Uchtdorf and thought he said it much better than I could:

Listen for the voice of the Father in the bounties and beauties of nature, in the gentle whisperings of the Spirit. In your daily interactions with others, in the words of a hymn, in the laughter of a child, listen for His voice. If you listen for the voice of the Father, He will lead you on a course that will allow you to experience the pure love of Christ.

#49 on my list of Favorite Things is LAUGHTER.

53 - Legolas

One of the best Valentine's gifts I ever got was this at my door:

Need I say more?

Yes - one more thing. Legolas is WAY better than Aragorn. You don't see Aragorn gliding down castle stairs on his shield while shooting enemies with arrows do you? No. Nor do you see him scaling a massive elephant thing while shooting enemies with arrows.....I could go on and on.

#53 on my list of Favorite Things is my cardboard life-size LEGOLAS.

55 – Ascot

One of the best scenes in the movie My Fair Lady, with Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, is the trip to Ascot for the horse races; where, the lady who isn’t quite yet fair yells, amidst all the silent snobs, “Come on Dover! Move your bloomin’ a_ _!” This embarrassing blunder is accentuated by the stunning and very pristine clothes they are in.

My Dad loves this movie, and one year his annual Easter bonnet gifts to my Mom and me were Ascott-worthy (albeit slightly more conservative than Eliza Doolittle's). I love that I get an Easter bonnet every year, and I love this particular bonnet so much it sits on my piano to this day.
#55 on my list of Favorite Things is this EASTER BONNET.

57 – Lions, and Tigers, and Lions – Oh, my!

I collect toy stuffed lions. I do. So, sue me. (It’s from a movie – sort of.)

I have been participating in said collecting for several years now and have thus amassed a rather large collection. People who know me well give them to me for birthdays, Valentines, Christmas, etc., etc.. I buy them whenever I am out shopping and find one that is cute, I buy them when I am traveling, and I give them to my nieces and nephews for various events. I have several sets of twins, a couple of big pillow lions, a blanket, a wall-covering, one with a steel frame the kids can sit on, a corduroy one, a key chain, etc., etc., etc…. Why do I need them? Because it is fun collecting them, that’s why. Plus, the kids like to play with them when they come over. Good enough for me.

Here are just a few of them… Aren’t they cute?!

#57 on my list of Favorite Things is TOY LIONS.

Favorite Things Count-down

Raindrops on roses and big diamond toys
Bright malls and shopping bags full of little joys
Tiffany packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored chocolate - just sixty days away
Parties and fun, don’t forget to mark the day
Daily blog posts full of silly musings
These are a few of my favorite things

Ok – so, I’m not a genius at rhyming. Here’s the thing – I’m going to try and do a 60-day count-down to chocolate by blogging daily about my favorite things.

Hopefully, this will be more about recognizing blessings and happy little gifts in my life than getting ready for a big chocolate party, but either way, here’s your chance to join in the fun and COMMENT!

There is CHOCOLATE at the end of this book!

Does anyone know how excited I am that there are only 80 pages left ‘til the end of this book and therefore, only 80 pages left 'til I eat chocolate?

80 days may seem like a long time to those who don’t realize that it has been 14 years!!!!!!!!!

That’s 5,113.395 days with NO chocolate.

And, now I am nearing the end of that very long no chocolate book, and there is a prize at the end (not a monster).

Are you getting excited?? Do you understand what is at the end of this book?!!!! Turn the page! Do it!!

(I know – this is a dorky post, but I couldn’t just say: HOLY COW-ONLY 80 DAYS LEFT!!!, could I? And - who can resist a reference to this classic Grover book?)

The "Real" Thing

Remember that Coca Cola commercial where the people all sang that song… “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony, I’d like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company, It’s the real thing…”?? (Yes – Joe, and several others, you were too busy not being born back when it first aired.)

Well, I’ve been singing that song since about 3 p.m. today when I fell off the proverbial wagon and had a Coke after 27 days of “sobriety”/no caffeine. Wow! I haven’t been this happy for about five years or something and definitely haven’t felt this great for the last 27 dumb days. Silly, I know, but true. I decided after four days of a terrible stomach ache, that it was time to end the fast, and after half of a large McDonalds Diet Coke– back to normal. Just like magic.

And, speaking of Real and magic – I read The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, with a couple of my nieces and a nephew last week. This book has been a favorite of mine since high school (yes, Joe….) and my choir teacher, Mrs. Hewlett, read to us about what makes “things” and people Real. Have a read:

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.
"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."
"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive.

But the Skin Horse only smiled.

So – tonight, what I have to say is this: thank goodness for Coca Cola, Mrs. Hewlett, and my sweet nieces and nephews who are the Real Thing and the joy of life.