Christmas in Boston - 2011

Hohoho - Just like in 2010, Marguerite and Jude spent Christmas this year in Boston.

Here is Marguerite as she takes a present from the tree on Christmas morning.

Rewind to Christmas Eve and Marguerite and Jude met up with friends for a bit of a jolly up in Mr Dooley's. Everyone met around 1.30pm for lunch and then spent the afternoon (and early evening) having a good few drinks and laughs. Here is Marguerite with Yvonne, Rob, Ally and Christina. A random observation here - but everyone in this pic is drinking an Irish drink! From right to left: Christina and Ally are on the Magners Irish Cider, Roberto is on Guinness, Yvonne is also on Irish Cider and Marguerite is on red wine......well that's Spanish but sure that's near enough.

So Marguerite came up with the spiffingly great idea of everyone having to turn up wearing something festive, such as a nice reindeer jumper, Christmas tree lights..........or even a cool santa hat like Roberto's there.......or perhaps a cool pair of peppermint cane antlers like Marguerite has on. Good call Marguerite.........

.........or maybe not.

Eh.......in a bold attempt to make Jude look like a complete edjit Marguerite convinced him to buy this magic set of reindeer antlers. When he was trying them on in the shop on Boylston she was heard to comment, 'ah Jude they're lovely on ye, sure you'll look the best at the party with them on, you should buy them, ah go on, they're magic'. Darren tried his best too, God bless him, I mean look at his cool hat.

Dede went with the tinsel look and managed to pull it off brilliantly, don't ye think.

Now what is he doing with tinsel round his neck? And he's still got the antlers on!!!!

'Thanks Jude, thanks a lot', said the Mit.

'Thanks?.....thanks what for Rob? replied Jude.

'For the one piece of information that you gave me that actually turned out to be of some use to me', said the Mit.

'What was that then Rob, never wear a silly hat in a pub, support a good team like Utd, don't Irish dance when yer wired in Dooley's? replied Jude.

'Nope, your advice was.....drink Coors Light all night and ye'll never get a hangover', revealed Roberto.

Meanwhile the Derry lads are saying, 'Here ye might think you look rare......but have a look at us edjits'.

Ciaran, Stephen and Darren look very festive with their funny hats on. (Darren is actually from Fermanagh but in Boston this group of about 12 friends are known collectively as 'the Derry lads', and it bugs Darren no end).

Looking swell at the dinner table are, left to right, Jude, Bryan, Dede, Marguerite and Yvonne. Bryan is also one of 'the Derry Lads' even though he is from Howth, County Dublin. Dede (in the middle) is from New Jersey but now lives in Boston. Dede was a great friend of Jude's cousin Lisa who sadly recently passed away. Check out the last time Marguerite and Jude were in Mr Dooley's with both Dede and Lisa (see blog post called 'Party time with Lisa - 9 Oct 2009). Lisa also appears on the blog on any visits to New Jersey / New York, most recently 'Thanksgiving in New Jersey / New York' (30th Nov 2011).

'Here I'm not from Derry, I'm from Fermanagh, can ye not tell?, asks a smiling Darren.

Here are Ally, Christina and Marguerite. Christina is Ally's twin and she just flew in last night from Vancouver in Canada. Ally's cool Christmas clothing item was.........her earrings. Wha? Surely that's cheating!!!

Just like Dede, Christina went for the cool tinsel look too. (Spot Ciaran in the background sneeking into this pic).

This pic shows the whole group who were in Mr dooleys for this 'Christmas Eve jolly up Party': Back row, left to right, Caoltan, Rob, Bryan, Stephen, Ciaran, Dede. Front row, left to right, Jude, Yvonne, Christina, Ally Marguerite, Killian, Darren, Adrian and Tara. Good times.

Time certainly flies when you're enjoying yourself and before long it's chucking out time. It's 7.00pm on Christmas Eve in Mr Dooley's which was perfect as it meant everyone could go home and do what they needed to do in preparation for Christmas Day (and not be hung over).

Here Rob says, 'Merry Christmas Everybody', as he leaves Dooley's.

Back home at Apt 7, 32 Winchester St, and Marguerite has her pic taken with the Christmas Tree.

As is the tradition in this household both Marguerite and Jude are allowed to open a few presents each on Christmas Eve. Here Jude plucks out a rather tasty present which turned out to be some rather lush chocolate.

'Naiiy, what could this be', asks Marguerite.

'Oh my.........it's a lovely bag......oh my......it's just what I needed', cheered a delighted Marguerite.

Different folk love different things. Jude loves scarves. Ye see the poor fella feels the cold very easily and so he likes to always be wrapped up well......but someone please tell him he can't be wearing both of those scarves at the same time!!!










Oh and he likes plenty of new pairs of trainers, check out this nifty wee pair. Wha?

And this gift was his season ticket for skiing at Wachusett mountain ski resort. Niiiiiice!

The scarves are still on as he picks another gift.

'Ok, this is either a Bruce Springsteen LP, a Kings of Leon LP, a Rolling Stones LP or........

........maybe even a Boston Celtics 2012 calender perhaps'.

The next day was Christmas Day and that was started with a trip to St Clements on Boylston Street for Mass.

'Here Jude take a pic of me outside the chapel so I can prove to me Ma & Da that I went to Mass', said Marguerite.

With the Boston Celtics playing their first game of the new season today at 12.00 noon Marguerite and Jude parked themselves near the back (quick getaway and all that lark, wha?) only to be asked to bring up the offertory gifts. 'Dead on Father, sure that's no bother at all Father, aye, sure when do ye want us to bring them up? asked Jude. 'After the collection', was the reply. 20 mins later and some doll in the row in front leans over and said, 'are you two bringing up the gifts? 'Yeah why? replied the observant duo. 'Because the priest is standing at the alter waiting on you, that's why', replied the auld doll. 'Aye all right, keep yer wig on', was mumbled. Have you ever seen anyone run up the alter with the gifts?

Marguerite was still smiling as they made their way back on the 'T' after Mass.

'Talk about embarrassing, we made rights edjits out of ourselves there', she said.

After Mass and it's time for opening more gifts. Marguerite is excited as she tears into this one.

Which happened to be an ipad2 cover.

'But just what will I put in it? asked Marguerite.

'Well it's your new ipad2 off course', replied Jude.

'Hehehe - you thought this was a pair of shoes, didn't ye', said Jude, obviously well pleased with his wrapping techniques.

Spoiled rotten, wha?

Like it was said earlier, Jude likes his trainers. Here he gets another pair.

'Oh look Jude, is this a pair of new shoes? 'It certainly looks like it. oh I think it's shoes, I'm soooo excited', said Marguerite.

Eh.......

.....hehehehohoho, I got ye again, it's not shoes at all, it's a top, it's just the way I wrapped it, hehehe.

So Jude spends two weeks of his valuable time every year searching out that one top which he thinks Marguerite might like. And every year it gets returned. But he still tries each year. But this year she liked it. Jude was stunned. It took him a couple of days to get over the shock.

And this gift was a pair of Boston Celtics tickets.

Marguerite wastes no time in getting on her ipad and that big smile can mean only one thing.........

.......she's chatting with Emma back at home.

After a few chats on skype Marguerite and Jude took themselves off for dinner........

.......to 'The Fireplace' in Washington Square, Brookline. It's actually only a quick dander up the road from Winchester Street.

Jude did a little research and checked out the restaurant before choosing it for this special occasion. He called in one night to check the place out and to enquire about the menu and out of all the seats in the restaurant he thought to himself 'now wouldn't that spot over there be a great seat to have, right beside the fire, sure that's lovely'.

Sure lucky enough that was the very table they were allocated.

Here they are as they are about to get tucked in.

They started off with a wee livener, a cocktail, to get the show on the road as they say in Ballygalget.

The dinner was lovely. Marguerite went for Steak and Jude went for Lamb. That's the mussels starter on the table in this pic.

'Here Marguerite, you park yersell over there by the fireplace and I'll snap a nice pic of ye', said Jude.

Today Marguerite was fond of pulling cool poses like this one.

They had a beautiful meal in a lovely setting but the two hours flew in very quickly and before long they found themselves back.....

.................in Winchester Street again. Jude wasted no time in popping open the Champagne (well it was Christmas day). 'Here check out me cool new top', he said as he sat trying to look cool. Actually he looks as if he has had a glass too many at this stage. Maybe it was thon cocktail....rocket fuel thon things are ye know.

Marguerite is sooooooo excited to get this box of Maltesers open.

On Boxing Day the fun was delivered by way of another Skype call. This time it involved a wee disco of sorts as Marguerite and Jude were joined in a 'musical' Skype video call by: Michael, Leah, Riona and Cormac.

Riona and Leah are the ultimate melters and they were in top form tonight as the Christmas classics belted out.......

......and they boogyed away like 2 dancing Queens.

Spot Jude's wee speakers stationed there right in front of the ipad as he DJ'd and spun the tunes.

'Auntie Marguerite, do you want a sip of my coke? asked Leah.

Eh.......the Christmas Tree, don't forget about the Christmas Tree. Truly spectacular!!!

Cormac, Michael, Leah, Riona, Marguerite and Jude (down in the right hand corner), all enjoy the craic.

Marguerite tries the cool pappermint cane antlers on again.

Here's Jude trying to look cool again, this time in his super cool new Boston Celtics top.

This Christmas finished up with Marguerite's head stuck in her new ipad.............

.......another little boogie to the music.......

.........yet another (attempt to) boogie......

........and finally with Marguerite heading home to spend New Year with her family.

This Christmas was a lot of fun, but all good things come to an end at some point.

Now let's sing along everybody....'Weeeell I wesh it could be Chrisamissss everydaaaaaaaay, when the nah nah nah nah nah naaahhhh, and the band begins to plaa-aaaay, ohhh IIII wesh it............'.