Happy Times with Friends and Family

Me and my sisters Michele and Brenda having fun in the snow.

I went home for the Christmas Holiday and New Year's.  It was wonderful.  I had a chance to see my friend Karen and meet her three sons.  What a nice time.  Another friend I hadn't seen in over 25 years, met with me for lunch.  Wow!  My friend John and I worked in Radio after college and really had a great friendship.  Alas life happens, he got married, I moved to Chicago and we lost touch.  However, we seemed to pick up just where we left off and what a great time we had catching up.

Seeing my family (over a year had passed since we had hugged and laughed together) seemed to lighten my spirit and lift my heart.  I even had a chance to eat breakfast with my Aunt Orpah and Uncle Dick.  How nice is that?  I kept pegging off my dad's hands in cribbage, winning quite a few games (I'm lucky that way) and talked about everything under the sun, and snow, with my mom.  About the third day into my vacation I picked up a cold - so did my mom and sister, Brenda and her daughter, Lauren.  ugh.  Only we made the best of it.  :)  Took long naps by the Christmas lights, snuggled in at Brenda's house and had a movie day which turned into a pajama party and donuts the next day.  Christmas brought in my sister Cheryl and her family, a few nephews and their children (yes!  I'm a great auntie!) and boy was it fun to see them playing with Lauren - she gave them rides on her back through the living room - poor thing!  I made phone calls to family in Chicago and friends in San Diego whom I miss so very much.  All in all, I recharged my batteries.  I have to say it was just what I needed.  Landing back in Jakarta, I hit the ground running and have been working very hard.

Yesterday was my birthday.  I always take time to reflect and take note of just how I am so blessed.   My friend Fi Fang took me to lunch (Fun!) and the GM at my Hotel and his house-keeping crew surprised me with a birthday song (sung quite well) and a chocolate cake!  It was fantastic!  I told them that the Harris FX Surdiman is my home away from home.  It was nice.

My friend John wrote about our getting together on his blog.  Here is a link to what he wrote.  I couldn't have said it any better.  What a great writer he is.  Read and enjoy:  http://johnbolduan.blogspot.com/2012/01/meeting-old-friend-and-marking-time.html