Different Christmas

It was a different kind of Christmas. Really had to give up old patterns and expectations.

Nelson and I started the day alone, enjoying a egg cassarole and exchanging gifts. It was the first Christmas morning not filled with childlike laughter. I kind of enjoyed the slow pace which gave me room to really enjoy it.

No turkey or ham for lunch. I cooked for Nelson and made seafood fettuccini. It was good, but not as creamy as I would have liked. Not sure the dish itself will become a tradition, but cooking for the cook probably will be.

After Beth and Asher came over and we blitzed through gifts Ann called. She was headed to her "aunt" Rhonda's (bro's ex and my good friend) for the day, but they had broken down about halfway between their home in Indiana and ours. She couldn't find anyone to help from her end, and felt badly for asking, but would I come with the AAA card so they could get towed home. So Nelson made a bag of eats (sandwiches, chips, bananas, and cookies and sodas) while I gathered up the gifts for the kids and then I took off west.

I found them at the side of the road. They were half frozen since they had been stranded for a couple hours by the time I got there. They bundled into my car and ate with abandon. We had planned to be together on Sunday so I had thought I had an extra day to wrap gifts, but this changed that plan. Penelope still enjoyed pulling her gifts from the big box I had loaded them into. Her delight made the cramped quarters sparkle!

We waited about an hour and a half for the truck to arrive to tow them home. We were fortunate that AAA was able to find a drive with a dual cab so that they all could ride home and I could head back home. I arrived back home around 7:30pm.

On Sunday, Nelson, Beth, Asher and I loaded up and headed to Toledo for a visit with Nelson's parents. I hate to travel in weather. The worst part of the trip was the blowing drifting snow. You would be driving along great and then hit a snowy patch. I was happy to get half way there and be able to take the turnpike and interstate the rest of the way in.

The visit was nice and then we headed home. The state route was about the same on the way home, but in the dark it was less fun. I was pretty stiff from the tension when we got home. Nelson kept asking if I wanted him to drive, but I'm a worse passenger than driver...or at least I think so.

Let's see what gifts did I recieve? From Nelson: Sunbeam stand mixer, Deerfoam slippers. From Asher: new outdoor flag (Charlie Brown characters around a Christmas tree). From Beth: a gift card to the local bike shop and Christmas flowers. From parents: Christmas green. From friend: wonderful home canned treats and a limited edition self-published book.

Oh, and the peace-full awareness that different can be not just okay, but good.