Here we are a week away from Christmas Eve

 TERRY

I returned from tennis about 9:10 and Terry was sleeping.  Now at 11:10 she is still sleeping.  I do not know if she was awake much of last night or not.  She does have water therapy this afternoon.  She actually does not like it that much but does say it helps a lot.  One day at a time, did I say that before?  I have talked to Sonia and her boss and we are now set for her to come in next week for only 2 hours a day. That will not only help with the $$ but really that is about all the time we can keep her busy.  I am happy about the change.

So here we are a week from Christmas Eve.  It is hard to believe that 2021 is so close.  We have settled on a low key Christmas meal.  Standing rib roast is on sale at half price so I will pick one up early next week for Christmas Day.  Of course everything will be low key.  I have printed out about a half dozen recipes for the side dishes but have yet to decide which ones to use.  Well it will only be Terry and I so I better not go overboard with food.  I do miss lefsa BUT I need to say sister Joan sent some but I admit I ate it too fast!  When ever I think of eating lefsa I can picture how Dad ate it.  Us kids would open the lefsa and spread butter on the entire thing and then roll it up and eat it.  Dad would roll it up and then before each bit would put a chunk of butter on the top and take a bite.  As I talk about lefsa I can taste and smell it as it comes off the lefsa grill and then with melted butter one takes a bite and inhales the feeling of Christmas.  IF I had remembered I would have taken things down here to make some.  Well I say that but I have NEVER made it and remembering how Mom struggled at times with it sticking on the rolling pin maybe I will never try it myself.  As I write about Christmas I am wondering if Dave, in heaven, has the ingredients to make sweet soup!!!  In my opinion it was awful but he and many others liked it!

I do not want to brag or anything BUT I do feel that given an ordinary day of tennis now my game is UP.  Tennis, like other things always has it's day of DOWN but over all I am pretty happy with my game at this point.  Can and should it get better---YES but at least it is still on an upward trajectory for NOW.  I know, in January I will turn 74 and I have read that one can improve in tennis until you turn 80!!  Well I did stretch the truth just a bit there.  It actually helps that I am playing 5 or 6 days a week.  NOW after I lose 10-15 pounds I will be unbeatable on the court.  Well if one believes that I have some land for sale in the Everglades!!!!   

As I write they have the pool fixed.  It has been broken for about 3 weeks.  I looked at the temp of the water and it is at 72.  I think I will not swim today!

Monday December 16, 1955

I am in a HAPPY mood today.  It is the first day of Christmas vacation and I have two full weeks of fun and games ahead.  We had our Wood Lake School Christmas Program last Friday night.  For some reason the teacher picked me to tell the story of the birth of Jesus.  Some of the 1st and 2nd grader gathered round me as I sat on the chair and without notes told the story of Jesus.  On the way home Mom, I think with a note of pride in her voice, told me she thought I was going to go on forever telling the story.  As she shared that on the way home I sat in the car behind Dad and could not cover up a slight smile as I felt I had done a good job.  But here it is Monday and that is all history.  Dave and I have a whole agenda planned out for the next two weeks.  Among the things to do are sledding behind the outhouse, playing basketball in the hay barn, playing card games in the living room, playing ping pong in the kitchen, drawing pictures and then covering the chalk lines with corn and of course there will be some chores to do as well.  Those darn eggs need to be picked twice a day and of course there is milking morning and night.  In addition to that it is up to Dave and I to keep the kerosene stove in the living room full of fuel.  That means at least a 5 gallon can of kerosene daily.  AND I can not forget there is FUN as Dad always takes us to Santa Claus Day in Lidgerwood where there is a free movie and a sack of candy when you leave.  That is the only movie we ever go to as it is free!  I do appreciate the sack of candy but they make it look better than it really is as much of the sack is filled with an apple!  BUT I know Dad will give each of us a few dollars to spend.  Then will be cruising Dallman's Dime Store for presents for everyone in the family.  So here it is Monday and we have an entire two weeks of fun and games mostly.  AND I should not forget that Ronald and Janet will be home for part of that time.  It is always special when they are home and for me especially Ronald.  When I grow up I want to be like Ronald.  He is smart, he does so many things and he is so good to Dave and I.  When I get big I want to be just like him.  I am sad about Wood lake School tho.  This is the last year and next year we have to go to Cayuga where there will be many many kids.  I hope they are nice and I hope I can do well in that school.  I admit Wood Lake School has been kind of easy as this year, third grade, I have the same books as last year.  What the heck, I can actually remember what I did last year and I always finish early.  AND then what happens, I talk and get into trouble!  Dave and I spend many nights taking before we fall asleep.  Dave thinks Cayuga will be a better school for us and I am nervous as I think there will be many kids and I am kind of shy.  

But life goes on.  The two weeks went way too fast and then it was onto the last 5 months of country school.  Over that time we walk to school for the last times as next year it will be the big yellow bus.  It is a time to enjoy, for the last times, throwing stones as fence posts, jumping in the ditches filled with snow, and kicking stones all the way to school.  Time changes things and we hope for the better.

I made changes in our our home care.  Starting next week we will have in home care from 10-12.  That will work well for us as we should be able to keep Sonia busy for a couple of hours.  My FP is history.