Christmas

 Tim's appointment yesterday went as expected, which I am grateful for. We had looked up the results of his blood test through the patient portal, and already knew his numbers were good, but for whatever strange reasoning, when I went to bed Wednesday night, as I waited to fall asleep, I suddenly just had this fear that we were going to walk into that appointment and find out that, 'yes, the blood tests were good, but....' 

Isn't that ridiculous? 

My mind is a strange, twisty thing. 

I got up the next morning before Tim, and got myself ready to go. I wasn't afraid. It wasn't terror. It was just this sick feeling. 

But the appointment was fine, and the ridiculously young surgeon was ridiculously happy with the results of the surgery, and so were we. He recommended some therapy for Tim, and before we made it home, they were calling to set up the appointment. 

A lost night's sleep over ridiculousness. I felt pretty ridiculous.

We went out to lunch on the way back through, did a leisurely wander to price hams, and stopped in to wish my sister a happy birthday. Her birthday is four days before Christmas. Her husband's is four days after. We gave them their chickens and wished them a happy Hatch Day.

It was funny to hear that my sister had fallen in love with these chickens when she'd seen them over the summer. As soon as I had seen them in the store, I thought of her. Tim had not been so convinced that they were good gift choices. In the end, he couldn't think of anything better so we bought them. 

My sister and I had time to play a game of scrabble. 

We came home, meandering slowly, picking out our route for the Christmas light ride with the Amish kids tonight. We stopped to pick up our ham. We had waited to price them on the way home from Erie, just to see if it was to be bought cheaper some place else. Naturally, in the end, the best deal was to be found right in our own grocery store. 

My Thanksgiving cactus has, amazingly, put out a second round of blossoms, and just in time for Christmas. I can't stop admiring it. We spent a nice evening also admiring our Christmas lights in our own livingroom as Tim watched his football. 

I went to bed before the game was over because I couldn't keep my eyes open. I slept soundly.

This morning, the crockpot simmers four pounds of ground beef for the sloppy joes. I'm making corn pudding as a side dish. We are picking up an ice cream cake. After supper, we will take everyone out to see the lights. One display has over 600,000 lights! They will be amazed. We will come back and then watch the kids unwrap gifts. There are balloons and gyrocopters and games and puzzles and things for dolls and playhouses, crayons and paper, and chalk for long summer evenings on the covered porch. Nothing expensive. They will be excited, and we will be glad to be part of such excitement. 

In the midst of all this, an old lady strides on her her elliptical, listening to Lord Huron, pondering this strange journey we've been on.  Life rolls on. The struggling time has given way to celebration. Fears are left behind. Lights everywhere. Black dogs retreat once again to the shadows. 

I am not sure that I will post again before the holidays, so Merry Christmas everyone. Enjoy the day. However it unfolds for you, I hope it unfolds in the way that makes you happiest.