It’s over; it’s over – Christmas is over,
returns are on the way to the stores, relatives have left and
those that were expected to call have reported in. Some may
still be in recovery or preparing to visit it this weekend.
The
eggnog is almost gone and since I like it, I received a gallon
to drink, a half-gallon to eat (eggnog ice cream) AND
in a Christmas box six eggnog flavored white chocolate truffles!
It’s a good thing I lost a few pounds before the holidays.
Last year after Christmas when I stepped on the scale it announced: “One
at a time please.” I hope to avoid that embarrassment
this year because the scale is in a large supermarket.
Our Christmas was totally different than ever before. A few
years in the past we had to wait a day or two after Christmas
for family to arrive, but this year we were without any family
members visiting. Our families have scattered all over the
country and now populate Arizona, Connecticut, Florida and
a few are left in Michigan. We were delighted, however, to
receive gifts and lots of phone calls and e-
mail from all over the country and the cheerful, happy voices
made our Christmas Merry.
After
all the calls and gift opening, we so enjoyed a nice Christmas
dinner of ham and all the trimmings, followed
by traditional desserts with our Key’s neighbors. Unless
you have sat outside at a picnic table, wearing shorts and
dodging the sun in 80° weather, you just can’t
appreciate how terrific it can be.
The first call we received on Christmas morning came from Bad
Axe. Our great friends Gordy and Cathy Miller explained they
had to fire up the furnace and dodge some snowflakes. We confessed
our temperature here in the Keys had also dropped, way down
to the 50s. We had to get out the big blanket, but the next
day we went right back to the 70s and soon 80s.
I
often tease about the Huron County cold while living winters
in the Keys but in truth, I really miss it.
Our family grew
up enjoying winters together in the snow; snowmobiles,
sleds, ice skates and weekend snowmobile rides through
the woods.
When we arrived and set up our bonfires, we cooked
hot dogs and roasted marshmallows. When we made S’mores,
they made a real mess all over our fancy snowmobile
suites but
the gooey stuff washed off so no harm done.
Some
of our trail rides included as many as 10 or 15 machines
and we rode from Port Austin to Caseville
to watch the
snowmobile races there – some of our group even participated. As
the years pass, the old bones don’t enjoy the cold, not
even the chance to go ice fishing, which certainly produced
the best eating fish and gave new meaning to “fresh frozen.” I
wish good luck to all of those who still enjoy
it!
I hope all my readers had a Merry Christmas with family and
friends, or both. Before we pack away all the Christmas displays
and tree trimmings we will all enjoy welcoming a New Year!
I hope 2013 will be a prosperous New Year, filled with good
health and joyful events, each greater than those before.
P.S.
Santa decided to spend a few extra days in the Keys, he explained
those Christmas Eve
storms
were
hard on
him and the
reindeer so they were going to take some needed
R&R.