Ho, Ho, Ho!

We have a big snowstorm today so the weather people are getting hysterical. It is pretty but confining so it will be a quiet day to wrap gifts and drink coffee in the house.

So far I’ve spent a week attempting to get the outside lights arranged and working. After I climbed up and stapled all 100 feet of lights around the eaves of the house, no lights appeared when I flipped the switch. It only took a few hours changing extension cords and manipulating tiny fuses before there was light but who knows how long it will last? The tiny instruction slip inside the packages says: Do not staple, nail or place on sharp hooks or nails, do not use outdoors, connect to a Ground Fault Circuit outlet, wash hands thoroughly after use as handling the coated wire exposes you to lead, a chemical known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.

The inside tree is meager and scrawny and I was looking for a tree like my Uncle Almer used to send on the train from Libby to Warden. Do you remember how he wrapped the entire thing with brown string and paper? Next year I’ll invite Nancy to come in November so she can assemble a designer tree with a special theme.

Your Christmas card hasn’t yet arrived but I did get one last card from George and Laura. Now you can treasure your Barry and Michelle cards for the next 8 years. It was only a matter of time before the Chicago politicians hit the news and sure enough the governor came through. They will keep the news media busy.

Lucas and I have been staying busy. We play Uno, Chomp, and Bingo but I keep forgetting I have to let him win as he runs screaming and crying to the basement when I forget. I just try to make it even as he can truly outrun me when we race to school. The morning flies by while he dreams up tasks like installing no adults allowed signs on my doors, making apple/orange juice using Grandma’s old juicer, and writing star words. He really seems to like his kindergarten class.

Miles and I went to Build a Bear the other day. It turned out to be a Moose in a Spiderman suit but it was what he wanted. Actually he looked around in the store and I could tell he was thinking, Why would I want to dress a bear and take it home? but he made the most of the situation. He is mostly into being tough and shooting things these days. He says he wants a bomb thing for Christmas. He must have poor adult role models. It won’t matter anyway as he is refusing to sit on Santa’s lap.

Betty and I talked last week. They will be coming to Spokane for Christmas. Cyd is arriving after Christmas for the twins’ birthday. Lindal Cedar Homes is closing for two weeks and hopefully that won’t go for a longer period since no one wants a new house these days.

This week I thought of your old roommate, Rosalie, as I little by little polished off a homemade Christmas Tree cake that no one else was eating. Do you ever hear from her?