‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house, every creature was on the move except for the mouse and Sushi the cat who is sleeping by the fire; Harry the dog is pacing or pissing on the carpet, Mark is trying to stay out of the way and Deb is shopping, baking, wrapping, baking and baking. Amazon, Federal Express and the U.S. Postal Service are daily visitors, climbing the six steps up from the drive and then mounting the additional seven steps up to the front porch to deliver their boxes and shipping bags.
That part above about Harry and the carpet: we are trying to interpret his moaning and pacing which are probably signals of his need to go out, but he is old and we are old. All of us oldsters understand insistent bladders, and some of us oldsters understand lack of attention, particularly when the moaning can mean so many different things, all sounding the same. The large snow flakes that started last Friday morning turned into slush, followed by a topping of two or more inches of snow and then a plunge in temperature. This snow weighs a ton, so Darcy, now the favorite child, came over to shovel the walks and the driveway. Unfortunately, we didn’t suggest she shovel the back deck, which resulted in Mark’s narrow, ice covered path way for Harry. When you are deaf, blind, unstable on your legs, and not too good at icy steps, you are not willing to go out unless carried by another elderly unsteady housemate. We are awaiting a thaw for this weekend so we can clean the rear deck and claim a fresh path for Harry. Sorry about that old guy!
Saturday we stayed in to let the streets get cleared and spent the morning lounging and the afternoon on the Saturday Family Zoom call. Again, no grandchildren in attendance, but Mark, John, and their children and a few spouses were all in attendance. There have been articles about Zoom Fatigue, having to spend all day staring at co-workers and finding it hard to maintain focus. However, this biweekly schedule we have adopted seems just about right. We feel we are closer to our long distance kids than ever, we see more of our local in-laws than we did in pre-pandemic times, the one hour of concentrated visiting lasts just long enough. Our communication methods are forever changed, and mostly for the better. It will be great to see everyone in person again someday, but for now - this will do.
Our friend Marsha Gallagher has elected to have cataract surgery, her vision has been very compromised in the last few years. Her partner, Ted James, can no longer drive due to his vision problems, so if they want to maintain good mobility, this was the choice. Deb and Mark urged Marsha to have the surgery and volunteered to be the designated drivers to get her to and from appointments and surgery. Sunday we took a test drive to their home in Bellevue to get the timing down and to make sure Deb, who drew the first run, knew the route; their home is sited deep on the edge of Fontenelle Forest and hard to find the first time or two. Following the test run, we went shopping to grocery stores and other merchants to pick up supplies for the week. Upon return home, Mark baked a couple of baguettes and Deb started her world famous chili, owing to the cold weather. Deb is still working on recipe reduction; we are going to be feasting on chili for at least three days. Good thing it is the world’s best chili!
She also had time for a couple of batches of pecan bars and a whole mess of peanut clusters. Hopefully the goodies will last until Christmas Eve.
Mark journeyed out Monday morning for his six-month eye exam at the ophthalmologist. Visual Field checked out “perfect” and eye pressure was unchanged. He is set up for another six month appointment in the summer and he was back home without any dilation required. Monday evening is usually trash night at our house, but with the advent of the new 96-gallon rolling receptacles, we find that we did not even get to the halfway mark on either bin. Hence no trash out this evening. After all these years, it felt strange to hear the trucks go rolling by the next morning and not hear the crash of cans and look out to see those hurtling down the hill. We still think we will opt for the 48-gallon size when they become available in the spring, but we now think these will easily hold a week’s worth of our refuse. We enjoyed another great bowl of chili for dinner.
Tuesday, Deb had her annual dental check-up and cleaning before heading down to Bellevue to pick up Marsha and take her to her outpatient surgical appointment. All went well and Marsha was delivered home and Deb returned in time for evening drinks in front of the fire. The last of the chili tonight, satisfying to the very end. Chili is always better on day two and best on day three as the flavors meld and it all comes together.
Wednesday morning, it was Mark’s turn to head to Bellevue and get Marsha to her morning appointment for follow-up. Prognosis was great, the surgeon was very pleased with the outcome, and her recovery is going so well that the second follow-up appointment was cancelled. She is clear to drive when she feels ready. The second round for the left eye is scheduled for the two days before Christmas, then she can feel relieved that it is all behind her.
Deb baked up a few batches of short bread bars just to keep her baking chops sharp. While working away in the kitchen, she heard a loud crash coming from the north sliding door. Turning around, she walked over to the door to see what she could see. There, for her wondering eyes what should appear but. . . . Wait for it. . . . . A large red-headed woodpecker laying perfectly spread eagled (pun intended) on the snow of the deck. This was a beautiful bird; thinking the avian dead, she rushed to get her phone for a picture, opened the door, and whoosh, the bird hopped up and flew away, rising to the roof tops and shouting - no wait, that is another story. She was so relieved, she felt an undescribable elation Anyway, this isn’t the first bird to plow into the window here. We have mounted a heated birdbath right on the corner of the deck, some six feet from the door. Not the best spot for a birdbath, but close enough that it can be plugged into the outside electrical outlet easily, and we can also keep the bath filled. There is no photo of the fellow, perhaps a picture of Deb looking shocked, covered in flour with a mixing spoon in her hand will suffice.
Thursday Deb wrapped and packed all the boxes for shipping to the out-of-town kids. FedEx guarantees they will reach the destination by December 20, but if not, it’s the thought that counts. Thursday night we enjoyed another Zoom cocktail encounter with our friends the Sennentzes in Anthem, north of Phoenix. We learned all about the unseasonably cool weather they are encountering. Lows in the upper 30’s and mid 40’s, with highs in the upper 60’s. The high this coming weekend is forecast at 73ºF - not what you would expect from Phoenix this time of year. Dell may have to slip into some long pants in the evenings. They had a rainfall this week, only the 15th measurable rainfall of the year - 2020 is still working its ‘magic.”
Stay safe, keep your masks on, wash your hands, don’t engage in unprotected hugs. McConnell, the “Turtle,” has finally congratulated his former Senate colleague Joe Biden on his election to the presidency. The orange hairdo in the Oval Office has not yet conceded. There is a small article in the newspaper regarding Mar-A-Lago, the former Marjorie Merriweather Post mansion that has been converted to a country club by you know who. He is intending to move there to use as his home on January 21. However, there is a rule in the fine print of the organization that states that no one can use it as a permanent residence, only as temporary place to stay. Anxious to see how he gets around this one.
