Palm Springs
In a couple of hours, Martine and I will be heading to Palm Springs, where my brother and his family have rented a house for the holiday season. Because I do not happen to have a laptop computer. you will probably not hear from me until we return in a few days.
I plan to spend some quality time with my brother and his family, and to see some films and read some books. I will continue with my least likely Christmas book ever—Antony Beevor’s Stalingrad: The Fateful Siege 1942-1943, as well as some other reading interspersed.
We hope to visit one of our favorite zoos, The Living Desert in Palm Desert, which is also a botanical garden. (That, of course, depends on the weather, which is always dicey this time of year.)
So far the world has not ended yet, and it shows signs of persisting through the holidays. I’m sure a lot of people will end the day with egg on their faces, which is only right. As Monty Python warned us, “NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition!”
Tarnmoor 
Have fun! I love Palm Springs, the Living Garden, and the weather this time of year. I enjoy the theater on Taquitz Canyon where they have the Palm Springs Film Festival. Comfortable seats! Enjoy! Merry Christmas!
I mean the Living Desert–I grew up in the desert on the west side of the valley, and I love Anza Borrego this time of year. Aren’t we so lucky to be Californians? We have native palms on our street and they are so gorgeous.