Happy Christmas. This is Christmas week, so this post will be short, as we here at the Covert household are running hither and yon, getting ready for the big little day. A few birthdays to comment on this week: Howie Needelman turned a year older as he closed the door on his 71st on Wednesday. Our neighbor Mike Cortese is one of those unlucky children who celebrate on December 25 - always a disappointment as a kid, but a bit of a blessing as one grows older - less attention on age! While still a kid at heart, Mike celebrated his 53rd this year.
Last Friday, we enjoyed a cocktail Zoom with our friends Kevin and Tom in Tucson. As noted last week, the Arizona weather is decidedly cooler than expected. This makes up for the 2020 record number of days over 100º F for this State. Over the weekend we plotted our menu for the coming important day, we mailed a bunch of stuff that may or may not make it to the intended destinations on time, and finished some last minute shopping.
Monday we motored out for another Covid test at the Mall - our sixth of the year. The Test Nebraska system is running much more smoothly now, there were not long lines, and we received results in about 30 hours - both still negative. We enjoyed a wonderful pan fried thick Duroc Pork chop accompanied by home fried potatoes Monday evening, a break from all the sweets we have been picking at during the days.
Tuesday was a tough day, Deb baking and fasting as she was scheduled for a colonoscopy and endoscopy on Wednesday. Mark was dispatched Wednesday morning to drive our friend Marsha Gallagher to her ophthalmologist for her second cataract surgery, and Darcy was pressed upon as driver and helper for Deb. All turned out well for everyone, so that is one less thing to worry us.
The key activity this week is baking and wrapping. Deb has been in charge of baking and buying, Mark in charge of wrapping. Amazon, USPS, FedEx and UPS have been doing super duty on our street. Although there was one minor glitch: we had mixed up five 2-liter bottles of mulled wine, labeled it with a Christmas wish, and tucked it away on the front porch in a corner to cool. One Amazon driver, as he made his delivery, spied the stash and evidently assumed it was a thank you gift for all his hard work. At least, that’s the positive thought we have assigned to his outright theft of a bottle.
We can only hope that he was of legal drinking age as Deb’s fingerprints were all over the bottle and we would not want to be accused of contributing to the delinquency of a minor (although we probably have been guilty of that over the years.)
The baking yielded miniature loaves of pumpkin bread, turtle cookies, frosted cookies, peanut clusters, frosted spice bars (a personal favorite) shortbread bars, and, on Christmas Eve, almond pastry for distribution to neighbors and family, 10 total pastries which we distributed, masks in place, on Christmas Eve. We drove around dropping off baked goods and mulled wine, interrupting people’s dinners, their cleaning and wrapping, or leaving at doors of those who were afraid of masked strangers ringing their doorbells. We would have sung carols, except we had to maintain our 6 foot distance and remain muffled with the masks. Our duets are not that tuneful in any event.
Christmas Eve started early here, with Mark headed out at 6:15 in 7ºF weather to scrape the snow and ice off the drive and sidewalks. While Deb baked all day on Christmas Eve, Mark commenced wrapping, and wrapping, and wrapping. Following our drive about for deliveries, we were back home by 6:00. Abigail and Darcy arrived around 6:30, bearing gifts and looking for some love. Maria stayed home to have some quiet time, watch the dogs, and prepare for her visit to her family on the next day.
We dined on the world’s largest lasagna that Deb had prepared during the day, accompanied by two of Mark’s baguettes and a fresh salad. We munched on some of the sweets that were covering the counters, and enjoyed libations of red wine, Prosecco, and Moscato. Abigail, who never drinks, enjoyed her bottle of Moscato greatly. Today she spent the first day in her office since the pandemic was declared in March. She worked for about 6 hours in her office with five other team members, enjoying the company of her co-workers but struggling with the requirement of shoes, bra, and real jeans - not her normal work from home attire.
We opened gifts, laughed, talked and remained as socially distanced as possible in a small house. Darcy, who is out and about in the world more than the rest of us, remained masked the entire evening, lifting only to eat and drink. Finally, around 11:55, the girls headed home and Deb and I to bed. This was one of the strangest Christmas’s we have ever endured. It was a small group with big love radiating from every pore.
We wish each of you a Happy Christmas season - peace hope, prosperity and good health to all. Please stay safe, stay masked and wring those hands with soap and running water. Distribute safely distanced hugs and blow kisses to everyone you can think of. We are sending the same to all of you.
