Author Archives: Richard Martinez

Dear friends, A few years ago Barb and I were having dinner at a restaurant in Moro Bay. Seated next to us were two couples, one older couple and one younger couple. Now I don’t normally ease drop on stranger conversations but the older gentleman was a bit loud and animated. He said quite a few years ago, he and his wife were driving to the Sierra’s to take the kids for a Christmas ski trip. As he drove he … Read More

Many Christmases ago my mom decided we should have a manufactured (fake) Christmas tree. It was about the time the so-called “Experts” agreed that the world was on the verge of another Ice Age. Mom, being an early environmentalist, believed it would be better for the planet if trees remained in the forests. Her decision came as a shock to us kids and Dad wasn’t exactly thrilled after shelling out for an imitation (fake) tree. In fact, he usually waited … Read More

Dear Friends, A few years ago Barbara and I traveled to Colorado for the Christmas Holiday.  Our trip had a dual purpose. One to visit my brother and his family in Grand Junction and the other was to spend some quality time skiing. After spending a beautiful Christmas with my brother including the opening of a car load of presents we took off for our ski trip. Our first stop was to the town of Keystone, where after being fitted … Read More

Dear Friends, Years ago I put together a Christmas scene depicting Bedford Falls, the fictitious town in Jimmy Stewart’s movie classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Each Christmas I found more pieces to add to the village scene and it became the centerpiece in my home.  Everyone loved it, especially in the evening when the lamps were turned down, the village lights of Bedford Falls came on and the tiny skaters circled around the mirrored skating rink.  It was fascinating! The … Read More

As I contemplate my 2009 Christmas Letter, my thoughts tend to drift back to my Dad. He’s been gone for several years now, but as the holidays approach, I find myself thinking of him more and more. As a young boy growing up in Sunland, CA, our family spent many weekends in Santa Barbara. We stayed with my Grandma during summer vacations and visited with our cousins. We spent hours at the beach and Dad never complained about traveling up … Read More

Dear Friends, Last year, my wife and I hosted our respective families to an old-fashioned, home-cooked Christmas.  There were 13 adults, 2 teenagers and 2 little kids.  The ages ranged from 4 to 87. All of the kids slept on the floor and Barbara’s 21 year old daughter slept on patio cushions.  We put 14 people up in our 3-bedroom home, giving new meaning to the term “togetherness”. My brother-in-law and I did the cooking and served rib-eye roast with … Read More

Dear Friends, About 35 miles north of Los Angeles, in the east end of the San Fernando Valley, lays the little town of Sunland, California.  This is where I spent my boyhood. Every year the local merchants along Foothill Blvd. decorated their shops at Christmas and I particularly remember the animated “Monkey Band” in the Ralph’s window.  My family did almost all of their Christmas shopping locally. My parents, remembering the fabulous lights of downtown Los Angeles in the early … Read More

Dear Friends, Twenty-one years ago, I sent out my first Christmas letter.  Upon reading it, I’ve decided to send it out again.  I’m recycling this old letter because twenty-one years later, the message is still true. A client of mine once told me he had no friends.  As we talked, he explained that he really had not time for socializing since his work was demanding and he was just plain tired when he went home.  He never partied, what ever … Read More

Dear Friends, Last year, my mom decided to accept an invitation to spend Christmas in Canada.  She felt it might be her last year to summon the strength to deal with the airlines during a holiday season. And sure enough, her flight was cancelled, a day was lost and her back brace set off every security alarm.  All that was forgotten when she arrived at Vancouver’s airport, hours late, but warmly welcomed by a Canadian family, whose Matriarch had gone … Read More

Dear Friends, Not all of our most memorable Christmases are successes and this year I’d like to tell you about one of them. My grandmother had moved up to Santa Barbara from the San Fernando Valley and we were all invited up to spend Christmas with her.  I was about eleven years old and thrilled to be spending Christmas in Santa Barbara. Grandma lived in a tiny, Westside cottage, thriftily furnished with second hand furniture and used appliances. The station … Read More