HOLIDAY GREETINGS . . . Rather than making my own card for my weblog, I thought I'd recycle the one my parents sent out in 1963-- 

Needless to say, I don't remember this photo session. What I do remember is one of the benefits of being stuffed into a stocking your grandmother knitted. It means that forever after, your stocking is likely to be much larger--as a result of being stretched--than that of your siblings. In my case, the siblings came along in 1964, 1965, 1967, and 1971. Over the years, my stretched-out stocking, which had to be overfilled with candy to make it appear even half full, caused quite a bit of envy.

Of course, my siblings were also envious that I was the oldest--and they still are, I think. Sorry about that! This year, my consolation to them is this Merry-Christmas post, with love to all four of them, Sarah, Molly, Jonathan, and Ellen, and to their children, Jack, Alex, Michael, Christos, Melina, Alex, Stefan, and Marie. Merry Christmas!