Holidaze: When the Dog Bites

When the New Year began for me with an auto accident, I might have guessed that it was an omen. Somehow I didn't. I expected things would get better. They didn't. I learned by spring that my apartment complex was to be sold to a corporate conglomerate. For months the residents of this 310 complex didn't know if we'd be evicted or if our rents would skyrocket. We  only knew there'd be many changes. Not all of them pleasant.

Many close friends moved away. Others have fallen seriously ill and some even have died. It's been

difficult to remain upbeat when the unpleasantries begin to pile up. I countered by traveling...in August to Lake Swanzey, NH, for a week-long jazz seminar and in November to Paris, for a wonderful 10 days on the Left Bank. I felt reprieved.

Since I returned from Paris, though, I've faced a steady onslaught of setbacks. Two days after I landed at LAX with a cancelled Super Shuttle ride, I woke up and found I'd totally lost my voice. I couldn't squeak out a single coherent syllable. This attack of acute laryngitis left me miserable for a couple of weeks.

With Linda at DaVita Holiday Party

"The Elderly Brothers" at Fountain Glen party

I recovered in time to drive through pouring rain to visit my brother for Thanksgiving. Great evening until his ordinarily friendly dog bit my palm. Something must have startled him. Bandaged, I drove home early the next morning reflecting on how the rest of the season might go. The holiday parties would be starting in early December with a visit to the annual Christmas party of my friend, Linda. she's warned me that her colleagues donned plenty of sparkles for this evening, so I did, as well.

What could go wrong at a party at a hotel just two miles from my apartment?  I hadn't anticipated that the ballroom with the tables set up for guests would be centered around a white marble dance floor. With the dimmed lights to display the Christmas tree and fairy lights, I didn't see that the floor was raised about a quarter of an inch. I promptly tripped, wrenching my left leg and , scraping the skin off the back of my left hand. No broken bones, but a badly sprained knee and ankle and a strained muscle. I'm still in some pain when I try to climb up or down stairs.

To lift my spirits I've embraced every holiday opportunity that's come my way. I've gone to see Hal Linden, Jr. in "A Christmas Carol" at South Coast Repertory Theatre, to Rose Center Theatre for "Cinderella," to Golden West College to see a friend play Clara's mother for the 20th year in a row in "Nutcracker," to Cirque d'Soleil to the Dolby Theater in Hollywood to see "Holidaze," and to every movie showing locally that's been nominated for a Golden Globe or Screen Actor's Guild award.

In addition, I've enjoyed the Harbor Singers at my AAUW holiday luncheon and a hot chocolate and cookies gathering at my apartment complex. There's still another friend's annual holiday singalong

tomorrow...and Christmas night supper with my son and daughter-in-law.

Somehow I got my Christmas letter written and mailed, my packages wrapped and sent to friends and family and now I'm counting down the remaining days of this year with relief that 2019 will be behind me and a new decade awaits.

This was a most difficult year with disruptions in my life that I'd never anticipated. I donned another pair of holiday socks this morning and a favorite Christmas sweatshirt and went down to the rec room for coffee and chitchat. I've got good books to read, good DVDs to watch and good friends to visit. I'll be enjoying winter's charms.

And one of my favorite Christmas stories, "Dear John Deere," has been published in a new holiday book, Remembering Christmas.