December 25, 2103
Like most people, Christmas is a time when we are usually visiting with our extended family, but this year found us far away from all of those we love. However, we were surrounded by our new surrogate family, the cruising community, and more specifically, our few good friends who share the bond with us of summertime in the northern sea of cortez.
On Christmas Eve, a dock party was organized over on one of the other docks which included a potluck and much drinking and socializing. We started late with cocktails with Lady Carolina on Exodus, so by the time we made it over to the potluck everything had been pretty well picked through. I made lasagna and Carolina made roasted potatoes and maybe a cheese and cracker plate (I can’t quite remember), so when we showed up we basically put our food down and then proceeded to just eat what we had brought. We laughed that we should have just eaten on Exodus. However, the lasagna did win a few new friends before it was completely gone.
Kids were running around everywhere, and this is when we first met Sand Dollar who have 3 kids, 14, 12, and 9. It rained on us, but we didn’t care. When it started up we’d all retire to someone’s boat on the dock and when it stopped we’d all come back out. It was a good night, and we had to drag the kids home or they probably would have run around all night, or at least until they collapsed (or Brenden was on his face.) I don’t recall, but I’m sure the kids asked for a sleepover, because, well, they ALWAYS ask for a sleepover, but being Christmas and all, we woke up on Exodus with just our family on board.
Christmas was much more sparse than it usually is in the Gresham household. Presents were at a minimum, but no one seemed to notice or complain. The boys had a few items in their stockings when they got up, including a couple lumps of obsidian in Brenden’s as a joke (simulating coal). They got practical gifts like sunglasses and watches. We had been able to get some shopping done at Walmart in Puerto Vallarta, so Brenden even got some Legos. Alex was difficult to shop for as usual, so we got him some dinghy scrubbers (with a 200 peso note attached).
We had a big Christmas dinner planned on Lady Carolina. Carolina was cooking a turkey and True Blue V was cooking a ham. I’m not much good for cooking large meat items, so I stuck to several side dishes (salad, homemade rolls, sautéed mushrooms…) Carolina had purchased a Turkey at Mega (if I remember correctly) and it was a very sad voice that popped up on VHF in the morning calling True Blue V about how big their ham was and if it could feed everyone. The turkey was rotten! Well, that’s how it goes, holiday dinner, cruiser style. Through this lifestyle we have all learned to roll with the punches because you just never know what’s going to happen. I know Carolina was disappointed, but she rolled with it, and the ham was huge and we all stuffed ourselves as is the usual Christmas dinner tradition. I used the occasion as an excuse to open one of my few remaining bottles of California red wine, and Carolina, Leanne, and I savored drinking something better than the Chilean “wine” we have grown accustomed to. The boys exchanged gifts with Kyle and Joel, and all the boys got a nice surprise of candy from True Blue V and Dazzler.
There was another dock party for Christmas dinner, but since we had already eaten until we were going to explode, we didn’t even bring anything. We just loaded up on drinks and went to join in the camaraderie. The highlight of the evening was when Allison (Kenta Anae) brought out all the fixings for the kids to make gingerbread houses. Brenden was in heaven! He had actually commented to me that he wanted to make a gingerbread house (like he normally does with at least one grandparent each year), and I had told him we didn’t have the supplies to do it. Allison showed that all it takes is some initiative and creativity to make it happen. All of the kids had fun, but especially Brenden.
It wasn’t our typical Christmas day, but it had all the ingredients to make it a memorable one: Good friends (practically family at this point), good food, good drinks, and lots of fun. And a rotten turkey thrown in for good measure.
Gresham Family Exodus 