Back again

Dec 7, 2015
No doubt about it. I function best with a predictable routine.  I did well last year taking care of Daddy because of our routine.  Even now, if I stick to a schedule of doing light housework for 15 to 40 minutes then resting for an hour, I am able to keep up with my chores and my exercises.   Throw anything extra into the mix and I am whacked out for days! I was just starting to recover from Don’s ER visit when my niece had unexpected surgery.  It was an outpatient procedure, but she had to return every other day for repacking of the wound.  Her appointments were right here in town, so I was happy to take her.
            Thanksgiving was very easy.  My sister’s family and mine were invited to a friend’s home for dinner. Skye came home with her boyfriend.  They ate with his family, but joined us afterward for pie and homemade ice cream (yum!).  My other children were not able to attend.  It is amazing and appalling how exhausting spending a day just having a nice visit with loved ones can be! 
            The following afternoon (black Friday) we left for our inaugural Girl’s weekend in Sioux Falls.  We got a three-bed suite for nine people – Penny with her daughter, Katelyn, and daughter-in-law, Joanna, and myself with my daughters, Sabrina and Skye, my granddaughter Miranda and her friend Shawnee.  We also allowed Skye’s boyfriend Deion to join us.  My son Matt met up with us as his work schedule allowed.  What fun everyone had!  Our suite included a generous breakfast and we ate out for supper.  I was not able to go shopping with everyone else, but I was happy resting in our suite and shopping online.  When everyone returned, I enjoyed the teasing and laughter that went on late into the night.  Unfortunately I had no further energy reserves when I got home.  I was able to get out of bed in the mornings, but spent most of the day in my easy chair unable to do chores or exercise.  As the week went on I tried to get back to my routine without much success.  I surprised myself, however, by decorating the Christmas tree in just one afternoon.
            That brings me to yesterday and the annual cousin tea.  When I was growing up, our closest neighbors were my dad’s folks two miles to the west, and my dad’s brother, his wife and five daughters two miles to the east.  All holidays were celebrated at Grandpa and Grandma’s house and all birthdays were celebrated together.  Every Christmas Eve, arrayed in our prettiest dresses we gathered at the table to give thanks and share Oyster stew, salads and desert served on Grandma’s good china. Excitement built as darkness fell and stars came out. We would search the sky looking for Rudolph’s red nose – and sometimes we saw it!  While the ladies did the dishes, the little ones would gather around Grandpa’s chair as he recited, “The Night before Christmas.”  Then everyone came to the living room and we all sang Christmas Carols.  At some point either Daddy or Uncle Chub would sneak off and soon we would hear the sound of sleigh bells. “Hush, listen!” “Is that Santa?” “Is he really here?” Sure enough, Santa would burst through the door shouting, “Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas.”  We girls would squeal and scream in excitement and fright; then timidly venture forward as, one by one, he pulled presents out of his bag, called our names, and asked if we had been good.  When every little girl had received her present, Santa asked us to sing Silent Night.  Following the song and a reverent moment, Santa would tell us he had many other little girls and boys to see, and off he would go, waving in the window as he went by, bells jingling.  When the bells could no longer be heard, chaos erupted as we tore into the presents Santa brought. Oh, what fun!  When whichever dad had been “holding Santa’s reindeer” reappeared, he would patiently inspect and exclaim over each girl’s present while being inundated with questions about the behavior of the reindeer and when would we be old enough hold them.  When I look back at the photos from those days, I am bewildered by our gullibility and our courage.  That old rubber Santa mask with its sparse beard and cavernous eye-slits was truly frightening!  Yet, I don’t think any of us girls ever stopped believing.  Through the years as more children and grandchildren came along and our grandparents and parents passed on, our traditions went through many changes, BUT we always got together and Santa always brought presents.  Eventually the seven cousins realized that as the crowd grew, our chance to connect with each other on Christmas Eve diminished.  That is how our Cousin Christmas Tea came to be.  How I treasure these get-togethers and all the laughter we share!
            So yesterday our tea was hosted by Jeanne.  Her home is a veritable Christmas Wonderland that invites magical moments.  How she managed to transform that huge house without the help of all Santa’s elves, I cannot imagine.  Every vertical and horizontal surface is covered with beautiful reminders of the season and the reason.  She served a lovely luncheon on heirloom dishes topped off with delicious cakes! As always, there was much reminiscing and lots and lots of love and laughter. Even though I feel I may collapse any moment, I realize that I am very blessed, indeed.