Substitute Walker

Most of the Christmas decorations had been put away, but the dishes were still in the dishwasher on Epiphany. I ran it when it was full and loaded the dishes on a trolley in the kitchen. It was very simple to roll it to the storage closet. That was an epiphany moment – how easy it was to use the trolley as a walker!

The only drawback is that I supplied the power AND the brakes. Can you imagine how this would play out? I would roll merrily along, stumble, tumble, and those dishes would break on my head and back. I’m glad I thought of that before it was too late.

Cold Weather

We are gearing up for winter storm Cora that is supposed to hit tomorrow. Already the start time has slipped back by several hours. Despite that, a number of closures have already been announced.

I don’t know exactly how cold it was when I walked this morning. I replaced batteries in one of the outdoor thermometers, and its screen refused to show the temperature. At first I thought the cold broke it, but later at 9:30 it showed 14 degrees. In preparation at 8:00, I added one thing to my normal clothing – pulling the hood of the sweatshirt over the knit hat Karen H. made for me years ago. Legs encased in only jeans stayed warm. People visibly waved back at me, and one even waved before I did! I imagined they were rewarding my dedication.

Holly stopped her car on her way to work and voiced what everyone really thought – you are crazy. I wish she had asked me, “Are you crazy?” If she had, I would have given her John’s stock answer, “No, but it helps.”

I made an emergency run to Dollar General for tissues, batteries, and hand lotion. I had gotten eggs, milk, and bread three days ago. That’s what David calls ingredients for French toast — the items most people get the day before a storm. Mine was ordinary shopping, not part of the storm frenzy. I found my car has a glove warmer!! My gloves were too big to fit in coat pockets, so I turned to put them on the car seat. That’s when I found the glove warmer – strong sunlight shining on the seat. When I came back, the gloves were toasty warm.

Returning Home

Brother Bob and Beth drove me home after I’d spent five days at their house. Although the day was cold, it was clear and sunny. What a pleasant drive it was! I didn’t pay attention to the time, but I think it takes about three hours one way. I quickly made a tuna casserole, heated frozen vegetables, and cut up an apple. Eating gave them a chance to relax a little before making that long drive home.

I don’t remember how we got on the subject of ceiling fans, but I learned something I didn’t know. Fans have a switch so that you can change the direction from clockwise to counter-clockwise. I must be the last person on earth to find that out. Going counter-clockwise is best for hot weather, and going the other way helps in cold weather. Before we got here, I had already decided I’d rather have the fan set for hot weather. I’m not really enthusiastic about having a fan stirring the air in the winter. While I put lunch on the table, Bob checked all the fans by turning them on briefly. Every one was set for summer. Good! We walked around the house and spotted the switches just for the fun of it.

What a wonderful visit had had with them!

New Year’s Day 2025

Brother Bob and I spent almost all day transferring files from his old computer to the new one. The copying was slow, so we’d wander away and do a few other things while waiting.

Beth marinated pork tenderloin, and Bob cooked it on the grill. What a tender, tasty treat! She served the obligatory black eyed peas, a traditional dish for the first day of the year.

When the computer project was completed, Bob said, “Let’s go see Christmas lights!” They knew Tanglewood Park had a spectacular display to drive through. I couldn’t help exclaiming over all the lights that made things appear to move. It might have taken half an hour to go through the whole thing. I picked two photos to show a tiny bit of what we saw.

New Year’s Eve 2024

I had a new experience after 80 years – cooking with my brother. We wanted to help Beth as much as possible, so we diced things and assembled corn chowder for the family gathering. He pointed me to the measuring spoons, and we doled out the seasonings. There was a spoon larger than a Tablespoon, and I laughed as we both tried to read what it was. Bob’s eyesight is much better than mine, but he had distance glasses on. I put on readers and still couldn’t say with certainty what we were looking at. We didn’t need that for the soup, so I took a photo as we continued.

What a marvelous family gathering we had! I hadn’t seen Bob’s daughter Julie and her Mike for ages. I saw his daughter Kathie on my birthday, and she brought her son Max to this party. I don’t remember when I last saw Beth’s daughter Susan and Bill. I took a video as we sat around talking. It’s too dark, but you might be able to see people laughing as the scene opens.

We talked, ate, and laughed for about four hours. Those who drove from a distance should have gotten home before it was fully dark.

Beth and I were chatting after everything was cleaned up. She intended to be in bed before midnight. I saw that it was only three minutes to go before the new year would begin, so she put the TV on for me to see the ball drop in Times Square. That somehow made it seem more official for me.

Street Decorations in Greensboro

After dark on December 30, we drove about half an hour to Greensboro to see a huge neighborhood collection of Christmas decorations. Some years ago neighbors decided to hang balls of lights in trees. It spread so that now there is a big area where most folks decorate their yards. They agree to have the lights on during a certain period before Christmas. Participation is voluntary after the 25^th, so we probably missed some.

We drove around and ended at the booth where food for charity was collected. Beth and Bob had brought canned goods and left them there. It was a marvelous experience for me.

A Free Day

The day before the end of the year was not planned until we talked of various things we could do. Bob asked me to help transfer some files from Beth’s computer to a brand new one. I hoped I had the skill to do what was needed. It turned out to be quite easy, though we did check things as we went along. I was eager to see Windows 11, because my computers were too old to upgrade. What a relief to find things worked as I would expect! Bob looked at the clock and said we spent only an hour on the project. Easy!

Unlike the previous dreary-weather day, this day had a cloudless blue sky. It was warm enough that we didn’t need jackets. For lunch we went to a Thai restaurant not far away, and I savored every bite. It has been years since I ate Thai food.

We drove to Ashboro so that I could see a fabulous hole-in-the-wall shop selling compression hose. Bob and Beth had found it months ago and now order on line. The company has no catalog at all and no way to look at their stock. Luckily a salesperson pointed me to the bins holding my size and found what I wanted. We were in and out in five minutes. That has to be the fastest purchase I’ve ever made.

A Different Sunday

The first full day I was at brother Bob and Beth’s house was a Sunday, and what a Sunday it was! I had no idea how much I would enjoy being in a real church for a regular service. It began at the front door. Bob introduced me as his sister to everyone who greeted us. He and Beth are VERY well known in their home church, and people were exceptionally warm and welcoming. I chose a pew behind an empty space ahead of me, so that I could sing without making anyone cringe. The only uncomfortable thing was whipping glasses on and off. At home, watching a streamed service, I keep glasses firmly on my face. I was able to keep up fairly well in person. After the service, Bob offered to take a photo of me.

The rest of the day we chatted, ate, and talked some more. Beth prepared a shrimp dish and served a Jell-O salad with it. There were lots of anecdotes exchanged, but we also had a long discussion about various things that were important to us. Correction – I talked a LOT, and they kindly listened and made a few comments.

A Self-opening Christmas

I had a gift that opened itself on Christmas morning! Neighbor Shawn had given me a Christmas cactus with buds, and one burst into full bloom at the most appropriate time.

It seems perfect to label this Christmas Day “self-opening”. I didn’t know what to expect, but my expectations were high. The standard ideal of being among your dearest people, opening gifts before a warm fire, calling out thank yous, and eating a hearty meal were not part of my scene this year. Neighbor Holly was just leaving her house as I walked to the end of my driveway. She wondered where I was going, and I asked her the same thing. She was heading to open gifts with relatives in the next town. I walked to the stop sign, walking being something I NEVER did on Christmas morning.

Only one car passed me going into the development. Both driver and passenger returned my wave with enthusiasm. Going home, I chatted with a woman who stopped to wish me a Merry Christmas. She thought I hadn’t been walking, but I assured her I was there the day before. I’m wondering if she usually sees me from her house, not her car.

I walked by a special greeting without noticing it, until I went the other way. This was in front of the house where a schoolboy lives. It says, “Merry Christmas Wyatt from Frosty the Elf.” I’m sure it was a surprise for the boy, and perhaps he hadn’t seen it yet. What fun!

I had worked the Wordle puzzle before going out and saw niece Chrissie’s puzzle on the way home. Normally I don’t look at texts, but I thought Shawn might be letting me know that Logan was on his way to walk with me. He must have slept through his good intentions. These were my comments, “I’m at the stop sign and heading home. I am at the sheep pasture now. Progress! I’m at the big bend now. Is this like watching Santa circle the globe via the internet? I’m at the top of Tibi Lane now.”

I had worn Christmas clothes that no one saw, covered by coat and jeans. After walking I put on Christmas finery, always being dressed to my standards before watching church on line. It wasn’t so fine, though, because the top was too big. I’ve been pulling it back on my shoulders and vowing that I will put it in the give-away bin straight from the washer and dryer. There must have been at least one other year when it did fit.

At noon I ate Stollen for breakfast, a gift from Gerhard in Germany. It was as delicious as always. I sat at the dining room table for a more formal setting for a special breakfast.

Next I opened a gift I received days ago, saved for this moment. Throughout the day I was texting with family, friends, and neighbors.

This short day was filled with joy and love. I’m thinking of all of you who have touched my life and giving thanks for you, including dear blogging friends. Merry Christmas!