Happy Boxing Day

I woke up with a fever and coughing. I’ve caught the cold that Clara has been fighting all week. We thought she was past the contagious stage when she came over to make cookies last week. Guess not.

The next day, her fever was back. What’s done was done. Another opportunity for my immune system to be exercised.

Stephane, Kyle and Clara came over for our traditional Christmas dinner of roast beast, a three-rib hunk of beef that we will be eating on for a week. Steph made beet and greens salad, Kyle brought huge twice baked potatoes (half of mine is waiting for me in the fridge), Grant made his green beans with tomatoes at Clara’s request, and I baked a mincemeat pie, topped with whipped cream. Pickles, garlic white bean dip with crackers, and cookies filled any empty spots in our tummies. The kids used to love a song titled “No More Room For Broccoli” which explained how stomachs could be too full for nutritional dinner parts, but there was always room for dessert. We filled every nook and cranny.

I was quite pleased with myself for having ordered a pizza oven that attached to our charcoal grill for Grant’s present way back in October, then having it wrapped by mid-December. I wasn’t quite as pleased when a marvelous gas pizza oven arrived last week from Jamey. He and Grant had talked about making pizza when we were in Miami for Nick’s college graduation. At least the pizza peel I bought fits the oven’s opening. Easy enough, I hope, to return my duplicate present. And I understand Jamey’s jumping at a present idea. They are hard to come by.

Stephanie gave me a sign she painted of “Yes, and…” which I had specifically requested. The saying came from a session of our Fort Lauderdale Marriage Enrichment group, which encouraged us to respond to our partner with that, rather than finding problems and piping up “No, but…” which all too often is the case. She added a belted kingfisher which is amazing. Where to hang it?

Our present to her was a gift card to Athleta, a store specializing in women’s exercise apparel. I think I’ll ask her if I can go with her, because I really don’t know anymore how much things cost. Not shopping for two years means I’m not current on prices. I can throw in a few more dollars if that running bra or or shoes are pricier than I remember. I called it the no-excuses card because she has said she’d like to get back into exercising if she only had the support she needs. 

For Clara, I made a coupon book for ski rental, ski school, airplane ticket, etc, for the March ski trip I said I’d pay for. I’ve talked Patten into going with her since I’m not comfortable with the idea of my skiing or even walking in snow. 

I got cute socks from Kyle: a knee-high pair with flamingos wearing Christmas wreaths and a bright green pair with “awesome gardener” and gardening tools printed on them, plus some seeds for my garden, including a different beet hybrid I’ll plant as soon as I’m up for it. I also got a pair of wool socks with a bunny on the cuff from Santa, which I’d bought when Betsy and I looked for warm clothes at REI for her trip to see Emily in Italy.

Kristina sent a 12 Days of Christmas coffee collection, with all different flavors of coffee. Perfect to take to the cabin next week. Mary and Ryan got me flamingo flags for my yard. 

The most intriguing gift is a weekend of driving lessons with Jamey’s track racing school that Grant organized for me. There are only 2 possible dates, one in June, the other in October, so I have to start really thinking about where and how we want to spend the summer. TBD

I didn’t seem to have the energy or interest to put up a tree this year, but I pulled myself together enough to to create my little house scene with a gingerbread house, foam crèche and the cookie house our realtor gave us last year. I love the battery lights that have a timer. Click the switch on when you want them to start, and the lights stay on for 6 hours, then off for 18. Very clever invention. I added the star I got in Switzerland, some starfish I found at the beach, and the star ornament Bella and Remi painted this year.

I also finally bought a 35-light string and put out my chili pepper covers that I got at our congregation’s yard sale many years ago. They look good running through my glass candleholders. I may hang them somewhere after we put away Christmas. 

Steve and I made the ceramic tree while we were at Georgia Tech. We didn’t pay any utilities, so we bought an electric kiln and moulds and made some money with our ceramic business. Probably not legal in married student housing. The stars, also battery timed, were new this year from IKEA.