Merry Christmas!!!
We have been home for two and a half weeks now. While home is fine I think both of us would be happy to be on the road again. We are starting to dream about 2012 and where we will go next in our house on wheels. In the mean time we look forward giving of our time in various ways here in our community. The last few years many of our Christmas gifts were "alternative" gifts of donations to both local and international non-profits. The other day I had an idea that with retirement we should try "alternative-alternative giving"- I would challenge anyone who reads this... Is there some volunteer kind of something you would like to do with me? Let me know and let's do it together! I already mentioned this idea to my brother in Boise. He says he is game and he will find a project we can do together sometime this year. What do you think of that idea?
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| Christmas cactus in full bloom for Christmas! |
Here are a couple pics of Millie. She is doing well. A little unsteady on her feet but improving. You can tell in the pictures her head is still a little tilted. She is quiet and content to sleep and eat her days away. Home is easier than being lifted in and out of the camper and truck all day.
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| Tree 2011 only 2 stockings + Millie's |
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| A Wallace bell and little skier dog |
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| Little Christmas friend |
We considered not putting up a tree but settled on a small one. Over the years I collected ski themed ornaments and with the little tree it worked to decorate it with all skiers plus the Wallace bells Martha received for her first 12 Christmases. Do you see our stockings hanging? Millie's is the little one, Dan & I each have one but Martha's is missing. She is enroute to Truckee to spend Christmas with a special friend. We raised a girl with wings; but it does tug the heart strings when she goes flying from the nest.
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| Martha 22 years ago, she was smiling at her first Christmas Bell. |
Here at home we are learning what the new normal will be. It still seems weird that Dan does not go to work at a job anymore. In 30 years we have never had to share our morning time year in & year out; he always left for work about 5:30 and I had another quiet hour or so to sleep in and do my own thing. The best part about the new arrangement is he brings me coffee almost every day. Pretty nice considering he does not even drink the stuff.
Being home is allowing us to get busy volunteering again. Our first Sunday back we helped at a weekly community lunch and as Christmas falls on a Sunday we are looking forward to helping serve a big Christmas dinner to 50 to 100 folks. I am in charge of the mashed potatoes, today we bought 30 giant spuds each weighs about 1.5 lbs. Sunday we will peel, boil and mash. Today I worked the food bank... super busy! Starting next week Dan is taking on a bread run for a few weeks while the key organizers of these projects take a much needed vacation. He will pick-up donated bread from Fred Meyer 4 days a week and deliver it 2 days a week to several non-profits. That will keep him occupied awhile in the mornings; He is also taking on a regular shift at the food bank. I will soon be heading back to tax work then maybe we will figure out the "new-normal" in 2012.
Have a Blessed Christmas where ever you are and with whom ever you are with!
jean
