MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

 TERRY

Nothing new about Terry.  We have done some walking with the walker in the last couple of days and that is good.  As I write she is reading the paper and I am guessing the same as yesterday, meaning she may take a nap this afternoon BUT she did not sleep much yesterday.  We started out Christmas Day with a refreshing shower so I am hoping she can relax in bed, finish the paper and then get some more shut-eye.  

We have nothing planned for the day.  Well I maybe should not say that as I have standing rib roast that goes in the oven later this afternoon.  That along with mashed potatoes with truffle butter in should be a good Christmas meal.  OH, I am going to put in the oven a green bean casserole as I am guessing half of America will have that on the table so I do not want us to be left out!

Last night we had pan seared tenderloin with a side of roasted garlic potatoes and the meat was just wonderful as it melted in the mouth.  I tried something different with it and it was great.  I put a cast iron pan on high and waited until the butter started to smoke.  I then seared each side for two minutes and then put the pan in the 400 degree oven for 4 minutes!  A great way for tenderloin.

No tennis today but a fun match coming tomorrow as I opted out of the round robin Saturday and instead will play in a foursome which will be more fun.  

Of course today is a day to look back on Christmas Days of the past:

• Terry and I have had some fun Christmas Days together.  One year we drove to PeachTree City in GA to be with her family.  
• One year I gave her a one hour fly fishing lesson so we did that which was very fun.
• One year she gave me a full size inflatable kayak which was fun BUT we found out that it was so high above the water it was difficult to paddle if there was any wind.  We did use it several times.
• We had decided to have no gifts between us this year and in the past as well.  We just do not need anything and one wants to keep things pretty simple as we travel back and forth between MN and FL.
• I find, as I get a little older, that it is fun to recall Christmas Days of long ago.  I did dig up some pictures which date back as far as 1969:
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This is John at the age of 2 weeks.  We lived in Old Main at the School for the Deaf and our place had 12 foot ceilings so we had the biggest tree ever!

I am guessing this is perhaps 1981.  I do not know where Travis is but there are Saunders and Bindes there.

This must be 1981 with Cynthia sitting by our tree in St. Paul.

So pictures help one remember celebrations of the past.  Here I sit and have many thoughts going through my mind:

• I think Christmas is the one time of the year that a person misses the most those who are not with us any more.  AND yes here again I am thinking of brother Dave.  It is a long long time ago that we spent our last Christmas together but I still miss him today.  I am guessing the last December celebration we were with Dave is when we had ALL family in St. Paul in 1977.
• I think about the cold Christmas mornings I would hurry out of bed and run down the stairs on the farm where it was warm!  There I would stay either by the old cook stove or the kerosene stove in the living room.  We always opened any presents there were on Christmas Eve but of course on Christmas Day there was fun and games with new things.
• I think back on those days and then think about getting the paper this morning when I thought it was cold at 50 degrees here!  I looked at the weather in St. Paul this morning and it is -2 so I will stay warm here.  I see where in Mesa it is only 45 so am guessing Judi and John are staying close to the warmth as well.

So here we or I am on December 25th, 2020.  In a week it will be January 1st of 2021 and a new year to see what we are in for in terms of many things.  I do know one thing that will stay the same, that FP will be here every day.  AND I have saved some of it that is Kona coffee from Hawaii that Terry's daughter sent.  I have been saving it for the new year.  

I am hoping that everyone and for sure family and friends stay healthy and have a wonderful new year starting in a week.