more christmas trees etcetera

a perfect last night of 2010 in sf:

nikki and i set out to see all the pulchritudinous christmas trees downtown. not only did we see the big ones in plazas and squares but we also popped into shops, office buildings and hotels along the way. mirth and cheer were streaming in the city and the world was smiling. we oohed and aahed, we relished the magic and the sparkle, we talked about christmases past and the true meaning of the season, and we ate at in-n-out.

other jolly things that have made the season bright:

-a splendid little bff christmas celebration - last week jane treated me to fancy dinner downtown. the chosen locale was the restaurant town hall in soma it was so perfectly spruced for christmas and had just the right amount of dim light to make it enchanting. the food was divine and the company was even better.

-festive events that have included: nutella hot chocolate, laying on the floor and laughing uncontrollably hard, hanging off a cable car whooshing down san francisco hills while singing christmas carols at the top of my lungs, bidding farewell, and jabbering with pals.

-a delectable saturday in the east bay comprised of: a sweet temple session, a walk though a fascinating hood of oakland, salmon eggs benedict a huge stack of banana coconut pancakes, eclectic shops on college avenue, reading trashy mags while getting a cheap pedicure and a stroll down alameda's "christmas tree lane" (which included, somehow, a group of older ladies wearing glitzy christmas tree outfits tap dancing and can-can-ing down the street - awesome).

this is what happens when you give your iphone to a random older man. you'll just have to take my word for it that the lights on the house behind us were pretty cool. still, i like this picture. and i adore josephine.

-getting paid to decorate and wrap presents: it has been a fun week at "work" (loosest sense of the term) and i feel like i've turned from a random personal assistant into a christmas elf. the treats left over from the woman i work for's caroling party were scrumptious. i decorated this huge tree with at least one thousand ornaments and i am pretty proud of it.


-an astonishingly beautiful and moving christmas program at the stanford ward sacrament meeting, and a fun messiah sing-a-long at the oakland temple auditorium, both of which filled my heart to the brim with a stirring remembrance of the authentic and palpable spirit of christmas.


i love christmas. i love it, i love it, i love it. i guarantee more than most people you know. i love it because it is magical and sparkly and cozy and radiant, but mostly i love it because i love jesus christ. i know that he is real. i have felt his power work in my life and at christmastime i feel his love deep in my heart and in the marrow of my bones. i can't deny that is from heaven.