MERRY CHRISTMAS

 TERRY

Terry has had a good day.  There are days when she sleeps some but today I do not think she has slept.  In fact I slept for a short time!!!  AND yes I coped out of a fancy Christmas dinner.  I just did not have the energy to do a big meal BUT what I made is almost gone as Terry claimed it was very very good.

I totally agree that it is NOT a Christmas meal but it was today and most of it is gone.  It is called a Mexican Taco Pie and it has ground beef, onion, a packet of taco mix, a green pepper and it is made on a crescent dough.  After one mixes the above ingredients and spread it over the dough you cover the top with cheese, a beaten egg and sour cream.  After decorating it with sliced olives you bake for 35 minutes.  It actually is better cold than warm and there is not a whole lot left.  I know it does NOT do justice to lefse, lutefisk etc but I promise you I am 100% Norweigan still!!!

Days like this are nice but yet for sure a bit lonely.  There are no excited kids.  No wrapping paper all over the floor.  Not a single thing to put together!  AND the list goes on and on.  

At times like this, every year, I think back and remember Mom's misty eyes during holidays after Ronald and Janet died.  I do think Mom still was happy BUT of course there was always this hollow feeling and yes I had that too.  I remember to the detail how Christmas went after Ronald died.  He died in October and let me tell you there was NO Christmas cheer on the Lee farm that Christmas.  I know that both Mom and Dad tried hard to get past that and then 16 months later Janet died.  I was not home at that time as I was a freshman in college but I am sure Helen could recall much.  I write about that with no blame on Mom and Dad as I can not think how hard that must have been.

I talked to both of my sisters today, Joan and Helen.  At times like Christmas etc. it just seems so strange to think about family and here there are only 3 of the 8 of us living.  Yes, I know that it is the time to enjoy kids, grandkids etc and I do but there is a ting of sadness still when family gets smaller.  Joan mentioned that brother in law John had spent some time in the hospital but he was scheduled to get home Christmas Eve.  I hope that happened.  Joan and Ron are flying to Mesa AZ in February to take in cousin Lenay's 50th anniversary.  She said they would stay with Judi and John.  I asked her why they would not drive as I think that is not all that far from Salt Lake City but she said they do not do road trips anymore.  Well I asked if she was not related to her Dad as he drove well past the age of 80 and Joan is only 79!  We both had a chuckle about that and of course it brought to mind Dad's adventures with driving when he was in his early 80s.  BUT really I did not need a reminder of that on a holiday!!!

As I write Terry is watching movie and I tried but just could not hold my mind on it very long.  

I did not open the garage door today or get into the car.  I am thinking the last time that happened is many many many days ago!  Well I think most stores are closed today so why go out.  It would have been good to get on the bike for some exercise but I did not even do that.  AND no tennis for several days.  Karl, who often puts me in, is out of town and I just have not been up to trying to schedule so will just take a rest.

Tomorrow is Sunday and then the gang comes down in two days.  I am looking forward to that.  It should be a fun time as those kids are fun to be around.  I am thinking that I had better stock up on food cause IF I remember high school boys do not eat, they graze all day!

I was even too lazy to bring up some old pictures of Christmas in the past BUT will write a short memory of Christmas in about 1987.  There were several boxes under the tree that year.  AND all of them were addressed to all the kids.  As they opened them there were shouts, yells and much more.  What it was is an apple computer, a printer and all that was needed for that.  It was perhaps the best Christmas presents we ever got for the kids.  When I think about it times change so much.  I think we got a lasser printer and it cost maybe 3 times what one costs now.  Anyway it was so much fun watching the kids open the boxes and seeing how excited they were.  AND I would be remiss if I did not mention perhaps my two all time favorite Christmas presents.  One a clock radio so I could get myself up in the morning AND listen to Harry Carry and the St. Louis Cardinals Baseball games in the summer.  The other was that wonderful electric blanket that kept me warm on this winter nights when my room was 20 degrees or lower but I was under the electric blanket snug as a bug!

Enough as it is almost bed time here in Naples.  Well that is only if you are old like me.  Yes I had my FP but it was a LONG time ago.