Christmas 2005 Remembered

On Christmas Eve I arrived in the Newark Airport for Christmas with Juanita and her father who were waiting for me. We drove straight from the Airport to Essex BMW on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair where Juanita picked up her new BMW. Across the street was a barbeque restaurant where Juanita enjoyed sish ka bobs and I had vegies and rice. David ordered ribs. After lunch we headed to Juanita's condo. Juanita and I stepped out to the Men's Warehouse so that I could shop for a gift for David -- a rust colored sweater. Next stop was K-Mart where Juanita picked up a TV video game for her father, then on to ShopRite in Lindhurst for last minute items for Christmas dinner -- I bought spoon bread and spiced peaches. Back at the Condo, Juanita and I decorated the tree with lights and gold beads, red ribbon and some of the ornaments I had given her years ago. Then we met David for midnight mass with a reception of champagne and hors d'oevre afterward. A tree in the reception hall was decorated with members' tags of thanksgiving. Juanita's tag read for Mom & Dad, life, health and wealth, friends & family, prosperity and spirituality and in the bulletin she had "in memory" of Eunice Wilson, Gainel and Walter Hanley and Willie and Girlean Shepperson.

Christmas Day Juanita and I spent wrapping gifts and cooking for her 4:00 p.m. dinner. Her dad brought a cajun turkey and rack of lamb. I served up the spiced peaches and spoonbread. Juanita had made mashed potatoes and snap green beans. For dessert we had vannilla ice cream and applie pie.

After dinner we picked up Juanita's friend Gina and her daughter Shanelle and drove in the rain to Ashbury Park to see the light show of the 12 days of Christmas and Santa's beach party.

The next day before Juanita and her Dad took me to the airport, there was a fire alarm in the building. It was soon discovered that there was a leak in Juanita's bathroom that had tripped the fire alarm. We had to leave the condo for the airport to make my flight on time before Juanita knew whether her condo was on fire. Once at the airport, I learned my flight had been delayed, and Juanita returned home to find her condo okay. What a frightening way to end a holiday!