Summer vacation in California Montecito by Ann Wood part 11
Here is October and almost gone and today is Halloween. The house is decorated, and the kitchen is busy baking cakes, cookies, and pumpkin pies. Make homemade chocolates and candies. The house smells of spices and freshly baked delicacies. They are at home by the lake again, and the children are playing in the yard, as it is a beautiful warm October day. The men prepare the meat for the barbecue and chop firewood.Annabelle looks after the children with Michelle, and they enjoy the excellent weather. Tonight will have guests friends from the city will come to a barbecue party. And Annabelle will present her new book, which she has just finished.
They had breakfast at nine o'clock, and then each set about preparing for the feast today. For lunch, they made sandwiches and salad and had lunch in the garden.
In the afternoon, Annabelle and Michelle took the children for a walk. Lizzie. Melanie and Meghan set the tables, and Cynthia prepared the salads. The meat was marinated, and the men lit the barbecue at four-forty.
The children were excited to go to the village to hunt ghosts and trick or treat.
Gostite pristignakha kŭm shest i vecheryata e servirana v gradinata.
Guests arrived at six, and dinner was served in the garden. Everyone really liked the barbecue and the delicious dishes and salads. At eight o'clock, they left for the village where the fun began. They went from house to house and shouted trick or treat. They packed baskets full of treats and returned home at about ten. The guests left at midnight, and they went to bed.
The next day they got up early, had a quick breakfast, and left for the city. First, they went through the house, left their luggage, and continued to the school to leave Michelle and from there went to the editorial office. Annabelle had no classes today and will work for the magazine. He wrote an article on Halloween for today's issue and took several interviews for the Christmas edition.
Their day was busy, and they had a working lunch with the mayor and the city council. They discussed the Christmas bazaar and party and the competition for the best Christmas decorated house. Also, for the Thanksgiving party, they organize for the homeless in the churches in the city.
They finished work at five, went to pick up Michelle from Melanie's house, and from there, they returned home. They had an omelet, and a salad for dinner, watched a movie after dinner, and then went to bed at ten.
The days leading up to Thanksgiving passed quickly in work and preparation. This year they decided to stay at home because Cynthia's sons would come with their friends, and they wanted to be just the family. Annabelle suggested that she and Michelle go to the house by the lake if Cynthia could be with her family, but Cynthia said they were both parts of her family.
Cynthia's sons arrived on November 23 and would remain until November 30. And then for three weeks for Christmas from December 20 to January 9. Then Michelle and Annabelle's parents overtook.
They bought a large turkey, pork chops, sausages, minced meatballs, bacon, beef chops, and two back legs of lamb. They took Brooklyn cabbage, white, purple, and orange carrots, beets, ground apples, sweet potatoes and potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce, green onions, and radishes. Also fresh fruits and eggs.
As always, they arrived by car and had traveled a long way. They were accommodated in the guest rooms downstairs. Cynthia had made a pie with chicken and mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and cooked a mix of vegetables for garnish. Annabelle had made fruit pie and tiramisu. They had been preparing all day and had cleaned the house like worldly guests.
They dined at seven in the guest dining room and talked livelily. After dinner, they moved into the living room and watched America Has Talents, a music show on television. They went to bed early because everyone was tired.
The following day, Cynthia got up early, cooked breakfast, marinated the meat and turkey, mixed the minced meat with the spices, and left them in the refrigerator for 24 hours. When the others got up, she was drinking coffee on the porch. They had breakfast and then went to the market in the city. They went out in two cars and to the city center where the market and the mall are located. They bought gifts for Thanksgiving and food for the week. Then they went to lunch at the mall and then they would watch a titanic in the mall cinema. It was past six when they got home. They made an omelet and a salad for dinner. After dinner, they watched the maid's new series. They went to bed early because they were tired and had to get up early and prepare the turkey and other meats for the festive dinner tomorrow night.
On Thanksgiving morning, Cynthia and Annabelle got up very early, before five, and started cooking. Annabelle made pumpkin pies, strudel with apples and pumpkin, cookies, and a cake with walnuts and cocoa and pieces of white, milk, and dark chocolate. They roasted the turkey and the lamb's hind legs over low heat. The other meats and sausages they would cook on the barbecue.
The rest of the family got up at eight, and Cynthia made pancakes for breakfast and hot chocolate. Michelle took an online lesson when they had breakfast, and the others helped out in the kitchen. For lunch, Cynthia had made chicken soup with potatoes, carrots, red peppers, and leeks and baked small loaves of bread. At lunch, they went to bed to rest for about two hours, and when they got up, they decorated the table for the evening and finished the meals. At four o'clock, they lit the barbecues and roasted the steaks and chops, the sausage and the meatballs, and put a few corn cobs, a carafe, and onions to roast on the embers. They also made skewers with mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, carrots, red peppers, and onions. Separately, they had baked vegetables in the oven, mashed potatoes, stewed mixed vegetables, and turkey stuffing. They also made different sauces suitable for dinner. They had dinner at seven and exchanged their presents. They thanked each other and forgave each other. They stayed up late playing various party games and then watching a movie. When they went to bed, it was past midnight, and they fell asleep quickly because they were tired.
Until November 30 passed quickly, they visited a museum, art galleries, the zoo, and went to the neighboring towns. Michelle, Annabelle, and Cynthia went on with their daily lives while Cynthia's sons and their friends had fun.
On the thirtieth, after breakfast, the guests left, and the house was deserted. They had decorated the house on November 27 with lots of lights from the outside and had bought some new Christmas decorations for the outside. The house looked fabulously beautiful both outside and inside. They had bought a large Christmas tree, wreaths for the front door and doors inside.
The days leading up to December 20 passed quickly; they bought the last presents and put them under the Christmas tree. This Christmas will be quite special for Cynthia. Her sons would introduce her to their friends' parents. The two girls were the sisters of Cynthia's two sons.
Michelle took all the exams for the first term with excellent results. Annabelle was very proud of her, as was Cynthia. December 19 was the school's Christmas party, and as there would be a Christmas play every year, Michelle played the lead role and then played the piano and violin in front of the whole school. Annabelle filmed the whole show and the concert afterward to watch with her parents when they came the next day.
On the twentieth, Cynthia got up early and made breakfast and lunch, and at nine-thirty, they left for the airport, the families of Annabelle and Michelle arriving at eleven. They went with the two cars they had just parked and heard that the flight from Australia had landed. Twenty minutes later, their parents came out, and they met them. They put their luggage in the cars and headed home.
When they returned, Cynthia's sons' van was parked in front of their house. Annabelle had won the sale of her first book, which had become a bestseller, and bought a large house near the house they had rented when they arrived in America the previous year. There were ten bedrooms, two large living rooms, a large kitchen and dining room, a gym, two large bathrooms, and each room had a shower and toilet. The house was on three floors and a ground floor where the cellar and two closets, and three guest rooms, each with bathroom and toilet, were located. There was a large garden at the back of the house, and in front, there were two large garages and parking for three more cars and a private beach and pool. In the backyard, there was a summer house next to the beach. It consisted of a small kitchen, a bathroom with a toilet, three bedrooms, and a living room. This year for Christmas and New Year, they had invited the three friendly families, Pail and his sister, and their relatives from Canada and Australia. The house was large enough to accommodate their families and guests. They unpacked their luggage and accommodated the guests in their rooms. Annabelle had hired a young family to maintain the garden, pool, and house and cook for their guests. They lived nearby and came every day to help them with the household.
The house shone with cleanliness and Christmas decorations. The children were watching TV, and Michelle was happy to see the twins. They were having lunch with a Cynthia, who had made spaghetti and mini pizzas and a salad for lunch. After lunch, they went to bed to rest from the long journey and flight.
When they got up at four, they went for a walk down the beach. Where the dogs ran at will, and the children made sandcastles. Ricky and Geffrey were walking with Nicole and Pamela, and their parents were sitting on picnic blankets talking. Michelle had pulled out her painting easel and was painting the sunset over the ocean. For dinner, they would have a barbecue on the beach. Annabelle helped her father set up barbecues on the beach where they had sheltered. Cynthia had marinated the meat and made homemade burgers and sausages. They baked corn on the cob, potatoes, and onions on the fire, Annabelle's mother made salads, and they had dinner at the beach at eight o'clock. When they had eaten, they began to put everything in the house and clean the beach of the debris leftover from their dinner. When they washed the dishes and put everything back in place, they watched a movie and then went to bed.
The days until Christmas was spent preparing and having fun for the whole family. Annabelle screened the video of the school concert and play, and everyone really liked it. They also watched last year's record, which impressed everyone as well. They baked Christmas pies and cookies, as well as Christmas pudding. They also made brandy sauce and vanilla cream. The children made Christmas whey, decorated them with garlands of popcorn, dried fruits, and peppers, and made cookies as they are called Christmas pretzels. They went to the mall to buy the latest presents and products for Christmas dinner. They also went to the movies to watch the night before Christmas.
They prepared lean meals and ritual bread, baklava, and a Christmas pie with good luck on Christmas Eve. They watched Christmas movies and listened to Christmas music on the radio. Then they prepared for the church service in the evening.
When they were ready, they went to the evening service at the church, and then they all returned to Annabelle's house for the festive dinner. The festive dinner was served in the guest dining room. The table was decorated with Christmas candles and flowers, and the tablecloth was also Christmas-themed, as were the napkins. Annabelle had bought a silver dinner set and Christmas plates and bowls, punch cups. She wanted to present herself as a good hostess and make everything look perfect for her guests and for them to be comfortable. They stayed up late and left the table with the leftovers from dinner all night. It is a tradition to leave the table intact after dinner. They got up and had breakfast on Christmas morning, cleared the table, and then went to the morning service at the church, where there would be a Christmas play and a concert. After the service, they went for lunch at a Chinese restaurant next to the mall. They had good Chinese food and enjoyed good music. When they returned, it was past three, and they had arranged the festive table for the evening. The maid had prepared Christmas dinner, and they just had to reheat it when they were ready to eat. They watched a Christmas movie before sitting down to dinner at eight. Before that, the children sang Christmas carols, and everyone had fun, even the family's youngest members. Harry told funny stories from his childhood. They took photos and videos, and they had a great time in general. They stayed up all night talking, watching movies and the Christmas concert on TV. They put the children to bed at eleven so they could put a present and treats in their Christmas stockings.
When the children got up in the morning, they had breakfast, and then everyone gathered in front of the Christmas tree and opened the presents. Annabelle had given everyone a copy of her new book as well as other gifts. Then they went to the sports center where there was an ice rink, and they decided to go skating. They had lunch at one of the mall's restaurants and then went home and watched a movie before dinner. They dined at eight and then went to bed early because they were tired.
The days until the new year passed quickly; they went to the opera one day and went to the theater the next day. On the 29th and 30th, they went to the house by the lake. And on the 31st, they returned to the city to celebrate the new year at Annabelle's home. They returned at ten o'clock in the morning and arranged the festive table with decorations and utensils. They put the meat to cook slowly in the oven, rolled the sarma and stuffed the peppers, and put them to cook in the other oven over low heat. They made various salads and made a homemade French country cake with ground walnuts and cream and muffins with Turkish delight and cookies. The children were playing in the yard and making a snowman, and he had accumulated a lot of snow at night. They ordered Chinese and Indian food for the homes for lunch, and everyone sat down to eat in the living room and watch a movie. In the afternoon they went to the mall where there was a sale and a concert by local singers. They returned at seven and went in to take a bath before dinner. They sat down to dinner at nine, starting with appetizers, a seafood salad, and a shrimp cocktail, then homemade chicken crouton soup. Then they had sarmi and roast lamb and pork with a garnish of roasted root vegetables and cabbage salad with carrots. The second was basically a tuna steak with potato salad. By the end of the evening, they had a variety of cold and hot snacks and appetizers, fresh fruit, and dessert wines, as well as cake. At midnight they opened the champagne and wished each other many years and a happy new year. Then they put the children to sleep and then watched the New Year's program on television. They gave the Queen's speech on New Year's Eve. At first, they opened their New Year's presents and then went for a walk and a market. They had lunch at the restaurant next to the publishing house. They visited several exhibitions of local artists and went to the New Year's concert at the opera in the evening. Before that, they had dinner at a French restaurant. After the show, they went home and went to bed early. The days until nine passed quickly in games and entertainment and excursions to nearby cities. On the ninth, they took Michelle and Annabelle's parents to the airport, and from there, Cynthia's sons continued on to Canada.
The next day they returned to work, and school and their lives went on as before.
Short story by Ann Wood
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Written on 2021-10-21 at 19:23
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