OOPS - Part IV

Continued from last week

We arrived back home from the hospital around four o’clock.

Larry came around the van to help me out. As I put my foot down, I realized that the boot had a plastic bottom—and it was new and slick. It felt as though it was going to slide out from under me. I was glad Larry had my good arm to keep me balanced. In addition, the sole was about an inch or more higher than my other shoe, making me off-balance to start with. And the bottom wasn’t flat. It was curved! It didn’t give me great confidence, to say the least! Plus, it was heavy. I loathed it!

The others had returned from their trip. Before we left, I had told them all the food in the house was up for grabs, so they had made themselves some toast to tide them over until dinner. They had also discovered a DVD I had put out to lend to a friend at church and were watching it.

I said hello, and then Larry helped me up the stairs.

The first order of business was to cut off the rest of the sleeve of my shirt. I would wear a jacket, so no one would know I only had one sleeve. (Larry would have to cut me out of the rest of the shirt when we got home. Fortunately, I had bought it through Amazon, so I was able to replace it.)

Then I tried to clean up my face and cover the abrasions with a little makeup. It looked a bit better—not quite so scary. (A few days later, the entire socket around my right eye was a vivid shade of magenta. I knew from the start I’d have quite a shiner! We didn’t get any photos of it at its worst.)

I brushed my hair as best I could with only one hand—and my left one at that.

We went downstairs to join the others. Of course, they wanted a complete update on what had transpired, and we wanted to hear about their trip.

They had seen a few whales, but only tails and backs. None breached while they were out. And they spotted lots of dolphins. I was very glad we had gotten them back on time so they hadn’t missed their trip.

Larry had my prescription to fill, so he left for Costco. Linda decided to join him. He returned with the magic pain pills, and Linda got a large bag of popcorn (Boom Chicka Pop).

We gathered ourselves together and set out for the Harbor Grill. Having not eaten all day, dinner sure tasted good! I think all of us enjoyed our meal.

When we returned home, we finished watching the video they had started earlier (the American version of Shall We Dance. I prefer the Japanese version and had loaned it to my friend a couple of weeks earlier. She wanted to see the American one, so I had set it out to take to church for her.)

By this time, I was getting weary, so I went upstairs and got ready for bed. Of course, I was completely helpless… Thank God for Larry. He began to call himself my NIT (nurse-in-training).

At the hospital, the doctor had advised me to take one of the pain pills at bedtime to stay ahead of the pain. So, I did and slept well.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

We had made arrangements to go to church with Dave’s niece, Rachel, and her family in Aliso Viejo, so we got up early. It required a LOT of extra time to get ready!

Larry used a garbage bag to cover my arm so I could take a shower. He then wrapped the excess around and used packing tape to hold it in place. Quite a challenge.

I decided to wash my hair, but it didn’t go well. I got shampoo—the dandruff stuff—in my eye. It burned! I yelled for Larry to get me some eye drops. He was frozen in place and didn’t seem to understand what I needed. He finally got the message and handed me the drops. They soothed my eye, but my attempt at a shampoo didn’t go too well.

The shower was less than optimal, but I felt better after getting clean.

Then came the challenge of wrapping my head in a towel, removing the bag on my arm (and dripping all over the floor while trying to get it into the trash can) and getting my body dry. Between us, we managed the operation.

Larry was recruited to dry my hair since I only had one hand—my left one. He did pretty well for being the first time. I decided not to try to curl it. (I would rethink this a couple of days later when I couldn’t stand it anymore.)

Next came the challenge of dressing. Together we decided a tank top would be easier to get over the huge splint. I could put a stretchy jacket over it, and I would look somewhat normal.

The bra was the first challenge. I couldn’t help much, but somehow, we got it on. My underpants were also a challenge because of my swollen ankle, but we managed. My pants weren’t too hard, once we figured out a strategy.

Then, came the brace for my ankle.

I lay down so Larry could position it. He was the only one who had watched the doctor put it on the first time, but he couldn’t figure out how to hook all the straps. Since I hated the thing anyway, I decided not to use it. (Had my ankle been broken, I wouldn’t have had a choice.)

I have very few memories of my dad, who died when I was seven. One of them is of him sitting on the floor wrapping my ankle. I had LOTS of sprains when I was a kid. Dad always wrapped them with an Ace bandage.

We had Ace bandages…

So, Larry wrapped the ankle. I had a pair of sandals from Hawaii. They had Velcro straps over the instep to hold them in place. When I stood up, my foot felt MUCH better. The sole of the sandal was about the same height as my other shoe. I felt more balanced.

We ate breakfast and then went to church. We stayed for the group discussions afterward. Rachel had asked all of us for lunch, so we went to their house. What a lovely family! We had a great time and enjoyed all of them. We ate on their patio, and the day was beautiful.

When we got home, we changed clothes. One of Dave’s requests was to see the mission. He had read our book, The Memory Keeper, and wanted to see Mission San Juan Capistrano for himself. So, we went.

I walked everywhere except down to the vats and garden because of all the uneven stairs. I waited while they explored there, then we covered all the rest of the buildings and gardens. My ankle held up well.

By this time, we were hungry, so we went to Ruby’s for burgers.

We returned home and decided to watch another movie. Bob suggested Ford Versus Ferrari, so we found it on Netflix. We enjoyed it very much. Linda broke out her popcorn, and we had a great time.

I had little pain all day, and have never taken another happy pill.

Monday, February 24, 2020

We had a leisurely breakfast and then drove our guests down to San Diego to catch their return flight to Canada.

As they left, they told me they were so sorry about my injuries. I thanked them for coming since they had taken my mind off everything else, and I enjoyed them very much.

On the way home, I told Larry I was sorry to have scared him. I realized he was more in shock than I was for the first few days. I have always said in an emergency, he was the person I wanted to be with. He’s always been cool and logical. Except, this happened to me. By the second day, he stepped into the support role in the way I had expected him to.

Believe me, I was truly grateful for his help!

More next week.

OOPS – Part III

Continued from last week

Larry loaded the luggage in the back of the van and then helped our guests get seated. Of course, they were quite concerned about me, but I was more concerned about getting them to the wharf in time for their whale watching trip.

On our way to the house, we drove through the harbor. Larry pointed out where they would need to park and where they would get on the boat. Then we took the back road up the hill to show them the best sight of the marina. Unfortunately, there was a lot of fog—not the best view.

While we drove home, Larry made sure they knew how to get back down to the harbor.

Once our guests were settled in their rooms, we gave David the keys to another car so he could get them to their boat. As we prepared to leave, David said they would like to take us to dinner and asked if we had a favorite restaurant.

I didn’t hesitate. “Harbor Grill in the harbor. It has been number one in the Best of Dana Point ratings every year since we have lived here. All the locals love it.” It was my choice for our “last meal” every time we came home on leave from Japan. It would be our final taste of American food before we came back. And it remains my favorite for celebrations.

Then we left for the Urgent Care facility up the hill.

After the usual long wait while we answered their myriad of questions, I finally got to see the doctor. By this time, I was in extreme pain.

“I see you hit your head. You need a CatScan. We don’t have the equipment here. You’ll have to go to the Emergency Room.”

So, I hobbled back to the van, and Larry buckled me in. Then we drove to Mission Hospital. Larry pulled up at the emergency entrance and helped me out of the van. He located a wheelchair and took me inside. The admitting nurse took over while he parked.

Then followed the same questions we had already answered, plus more. Larry had to fill out all the paperwork since my right hand was compromised and non-functional.

I moved to a chair in the waiting room. After sitting there for a few minutes, I began to feel nauseated. “I think I’m going to pass out.”

The nurse brought a vomit bag. I had dry heaves—probably because I hadn’t eaten anything except for a nonfat, decaf mocha with no whip since the previous afternoon. And I think the pain finally got to me.

There were no beds available. “There is one in the hall.”

“I just need to lie down.” I was sure I was going to pass out, and Larry said my nose looked gray—his sign that I’m about to faint.

They helped me into a wheelchair and took me to the hall bed. Once I lay down, I started to feel better.

The doctor on duty arrived with my chart. “We’ll get a CatScan and take x-rays.”

Soon a volunteer, Phil, arrived to take me to x-ray. The hall bed became my gurney. The CatScan wasn’t as bad as I’d expected. In fact, I closed my eyes and enjoyed just being horizontal and still for a couple of minutes.

No so with the x-rays of my hand, and they took about five from different angles. They hurt. The ankle ones weren’t much better.

I was worn out by the time we got back to the hall.

While I was gone, Larry called the restaurant. “I have reservations for six-thirty.”

“You made them for six people, didn’t you? I don’t intend to miss out on this.”

We both laughed. We had guests, and I was determined nothing would keep me from enjoying their company. (Yes, I am a social animal!)

We waited. And waited. The head ER doctor came by and introduced himself.

Finally, the first doctor returned. “There is no concussion, and everything looks good on the CatScan.”

Thank God!

“Also, your ankle is sprained. It’s a bad sprain, but nothing is broken.”

Thank God!

“Your wrist is broken.”

I knew this from the minute I first looked at it in San Diego. No surprise there.

By now, my hand was swollen to about four times its normal size. The thumb looked like an uncooked sausage with a nail attached. And the nail had a piece ripped from it. All the rest of my fingernails were ripped and torn—and I’d actually given myself a manicure the night before. Darn.

I still had my green sapphire ring on my finger, and there was obviously no way it would come off over the knuckle.

A strong-looking young man arrived with a large cutting tool. “We’ll have to cut off the ring.”

Oh, no.

It took three cuts to get it off. He had a hard time getting the tool between the ring and my finger. This was the most painful part of the whole experience. I confess, I screamed.

“I know it hurts, but it’s better than losing your finger.” The young man showed no sympathy, but he was right.

I waited over a week before I could look at it

The doctor appeared again. “Here’s a pain pill.”

Really? You couldn’t have brought this earlier?

Although I knew this was an opioid, and I was really reluctant to take them, I was in so much pain—and had been for hours—I didn’t argue. By now, it was about two in the afternoon—over five and a half hours since my fall.

She started to give me a second pill.

“No, please. I don’t want to take any more than necessary.”

She laughed. “This is an anti-nausea pill. Just let it dissolve under your tongue.”

“Oh. Good idea.”

I can now understand how people become addicted to the magic pills. Within about ten minutes, the pain diminished considerably. And I was without any drowsiness or mental confusion. Wow!

Next, a couple of nurses addressed my ankle. “We’ll put it in a boot.” They found the smallest one they could. They positioned my foot in the bottom and then connected all the various straps. It seemed as though there were a dozen. Some looped through and closed with Velcro. Others looped around the boot and then closed. I was lying down, but the nurse showed Larry how to put it on.

"Well get you some crutches."

I held up my swolen hand. "Really?"

"Uh, I guess not."

You think? DUH!

Then they addressed my wrist. First, they cut the sleeve of my shirt from wrist to shoulder.

Then they measured from the back of my wrist, around the elbow, and down to the front of my wrist. Next, they measured out the splint material, ran it under water, and wrapped it around my arm in the same manner as they measured. (This is called a “sugar tong” splint, in case you are interested.)

One of them pressed the splint against my arm for a good fit. Then they wrapped it from top to bottom in what looked like an ace bandage. Then another. Then another…

The result was large, messy, heavy, and cumbersome. They gave me a sling. More about it later.

Three days later

They loaded me into a wheelchair, and Larry brought the car around. I was glad to get out of there and back home.

To be continued.

OOPS – Part II

Continued from last week.

I never lost consciousness—thank God. I rolled onto my back, but I was in so much pain, I couldn’t breathe. As my face hit the ground, I recall hearing a crack. (I now think it might have been my wrist—my right one.)

While I lay there, I heard voices. I opened my eyes and looked up. There stood a man and a woman. I remember seeing them as I walked past their table.

“Can you see me? Is your vision blurred? Can you see clearly? Did you lose consciousness?” The guy studied me as I lay there.

“Yes. No. Yes. No.”

“Where are you hurt?”

I showed him my wrist. “I’m sure this is broken.” It already looked distorted and had started to swell. So had my ankle. I wasn’t sure about it. And my face was bruised and scraped. “I’m going to have quite a shiner.”

A lovely young lady from Starbucks came out with a damp rag, a plastic bag filled with crushed ice, and some paper towels. I put the ice on my wrist while the two ladies told me where the abrasions on my face were bleeding. I used the damp rag to wipe away the blood.

Angels watching over me. Thank God.

The man moved from one side to the other. “Do you want us to call an ambulance?”

“No. I don’t have my purse or my phone or my ID. Please get my husband. He’s in the white van on the street over there behind the hedge.”

He asked me to describe the van and asked what my husband’s name was. Then he left.

The woman smiled. “He’s a fireman and EMT. He was checking you out.”

Angels watching over me. Thank God.

Just as he left, another young lady ran up. She had been out running with her dog. She knelt down and took my left hand and began to ask what hurt. She looked me over. “I’m a trauma specialist. There are several urgent care facilities near here. I can give you directions.”

Angels watching over me. Thank God.

I explained why we were there and how we had to get to Dana Point Harbor before noon. Even as injured as I was, this was still my first priority. I also didn’t want to get stuck in the hospital in San Diego.

The young lady from Starbucks returned with some antiseptic swabs and band aids.

Angels watching over me. Thank God.

Larry and the fireman returned. They asked if I thought I could sit up

I said I thought I could.

They each took an arm and helped me sit.

“Are you dizzy? Don’t try to stand yet. Just get your bearings.” The fireman studied me again.

I felt pretty well—considering how bad my ankle and wrist hurt.

After a couple of minutes, he asked if I thought I could stand.

I nodded.

Once again, Larry took one arm, and the fireman took the other. They got me to my feet. I tried to put weight on the bad ankle. It held. It hurt, but I didn’t think it was broken—just badly swollen.

Unfortunately, I didn’t think to get the names of any of my guardian angels.

Larry put an arm around me and helped me to the van. I got settled and placed the ice bag on my wrist again. Then I pulled down the visor and checked my face. It looked bad. I wiped the scrapes with the antiseptic wipes. Then I tried to cover up some of the worst of the damage—not successfully.

Linda texted that they were ready to leave the boat, so Larry crossed the street to meet them.

To be continued next week.

OOPS – Part I

February 22, 2020

We got up before 4:00 a.m. to drive to San Diego to pick up my cousin Linda, her husband, David, and their friends, Bob and Mary. They were ending a Panama Canal cruise.

We first met Linda and David in Alberta, Canada last summer when we attended their family reunion. Linda’s grandfather and my grandfather were brothers. Hers homesteaded in Canada. After my father was born, he and his family moved to the ranch, where my aunts were born. I wanted to learn about the place where my dad had lived, and they wanted to learn about the California branch of the family, many of whom I knew growing up.

Cousins Marilyn and Linda—July 2019

We spent one night with Linda and David in Calgary during our trip, and we liked them very much.

When we discovered they were going to be as close as San Diego, we invited them to spend the weekend after the cruise with us. As added incentive, we suggested a whale watch, knowing Linda loves whales.

She made reservations online for a noon trip the day of their arrival.

I had promised her we’d be at the dock when they arrived so we could get them to the Dana Point Harbor in time. We arrived at 5:30. The ship was in early, but no one was stirring. We drove around for a while and finally found a parking place across the street from the dock.

We read for a while. At about six, the Starbucks nearby opened. We decided to get something to drink since we hadn’t eaten. We strolled over as they were setting up, ordered our drinks, and then sat down to enjoy them at our leisure.

Before we left, I bought a mug. I collect them, but I didn’t have one from San Diego. We talked to the baristas for a few minutes. Then we went back to the car to wait.

Linda texted that they were stuck in customs since there were quite a few non-Americans on the cruise. She said they’d be off around eight.

We took a nice long walk down the dock to look at the maritime museum ships. It was still too early for them to be open. It was a lovely morning, and we enjoyed the stroll.

Back at the car, Larry decided to go back to Starbucks to use the bathroom before our long drive back home. When he returned, I decided it sounded like a good idea.

I walked over, went, and then headed back to the car. I took a different path than the one I took going over.

It was so quick, I’m still not entirely sure what happened. As best I can reconstruct it, there was a small curb, and I didn’t see it. I think my right heel caught, twisting my foot under me and launching me face-first onto the concrete.

Oops!

To be continued next week.

Family Lost and Found

When my father died (I was seven), we lost track of all of his family. Many years later, his youngest sister contacted me. We grew to know (and love) her. We got together with her fairly often before she died.

Taken on our 25^th anniversary: Aunt Mary Evelyn, Lorna, brother Ron, Lorna’s mother

Although we reconnected with my aunt, it took another few years to locate her kids on Facebook. They led me to another precious cousin. Margaret came to visit my mother with us in June of 2011, and it was one of the last lucid days Mom had. Truly a gift!

June 2011

Over the next few years, I got to know these cousins well. Margaret and Suzanne came down and spent a few days with us here at the beach. What an amazing healing time it was!

Suzanne and Roger attended our 50^th wedding anniversary celebration, and we so happy to spend time with them. My brother also got to know them.

September 2015: Ron, Suzanne, Lorna, Roger

The above photo is especially poignant since we lost Roger last year. I am incredibly grateful that I got to spend as much time as I did with him. We adored each other.

Through DNA, I was able to connect with some other cousins on my dad’s side. They are the grandchildren of my grandfather’s brother, who homesteaded in Alberta, Canada. Last summer, we went there to attend their family reunion. I so enjoyed getting to know more about this branch of my family tree.

Canada Reunion 2019-Marilyn, Lorna, Linda

This Saturday, Linda, her husband David, and friends will spend the weekend with us. I am so looking forward to seeing them again.

When I think about all the years when I had no contact with these relatives, I feel sad. But then I remember all the blessings they have brought to my life, and I give thanks for them.

Do you have any “missing” relatives in your family? How did it happen? Have you tried to reconnect?

The Only Constant is Change

We all like things as they are. We like predictability. Most of us like routine. We like comfort. Unfortunately, nothing stays the same.

My friend, Serena, used to say, “When we’re green, we’re growing. When we’re ripe, we rot.”

Most change happens slowly over time. We don’t recognize it until we can no longer avoid it.

In our younger years, we learn more. We get smarter. We can do more and more. We build on our knowledge. We get stronger, too.

But time catches up with us. Fortunately, I was blessed with an outstanding memory—and despite my advancing years, I still have my mental faculties. Not everyone my age does…

I know I can no longer do many of the physical things I could do when I was younger. In high school, I was a dancer. I was very flexible. I used to be a distance swimmer. I was no good at sprints, but I had stamina and endurance. Not so much anymore.

I am watching many of my friends dealing with the issues of aging, and it isn’t pretty. Everything becomes more difficult. The eyesight diminishes. Hearing becomes faint or indistinct or fails altogether. The body becomes weaker.

So, every day, I remind myself I can still get out of bed and walk across the room under my own power. I am still capable of editing. I am a tough editor. I can keep all the threads of the story in my head. I can still usually spot grammar, punctuation, and syntax errors. I think continuing this work has helped me keep my mental skill—at least for now.

Since everything changes, and change is constant, how can we deal with it?

First, by not expecting everything to stay the same. Second, by accepting the changes as they happen, and adapt to the “new normal,” whatever it is. Third, grieve what is lost. (Yes, grief is a realistic response to loss, so don’t apologize for it.)

Last, we can have greater understanding and patience with those who are dealing with changes—large or small.

For myself, I keep trying to fight change in my own life—and losing the battle. So, I will be more patient with myself as well. Will you?

Meeting Kimi

I recently re-edited and republished the six Aspen Grove romance anthologies. I loved re-reading all of them since I have always loved the series. I especially enjoyed Directions of Love, the winner of the 2011 EPIC eBook Award. My novella in this one contains a great deal of our personal characteristics and family stories.

I was reminded of a very special event related to this book.

In November of 2010, we were on vacation with friends in Hawaii. We decided to do some sightseeing, and one day, we went to Queen Emma’s Summer Palace. It was close to Honolulu, and our friends had never seen it. (BTW, it is a lovely way to spend a day on Oahu.)

It was a slow day, and we were the only tourists there. Each couple was assigned a different docent for the home tour. Our friends went first since we wanted to make sure they saw everything.

Then our docent appeared. She took my breath away.

At the time, I was working with the editor on the final changes to the manuscript for Directions of Love just prior to publication. I took my computer on vacation with me specifically so I could complete the book.

This young lady was the personification of the protagonist in my novella, “Finding Love in Paradise.” Kimi McGuire was half Irish and half Hawaiian. She was raised in our fictional town of Aspen Grove, Colorado, but went to Hawaii to attend college at the University of Hawaii.

After staring at her for a while, I finally apologized and told her about Kimi. I had described her as tiny with long straight, dark hair, dark eyes, and fair skin. There she stood in front of me.

After I described my character and we began to talk, the similarities became even more striking.

Our docent shared Kimi’s ethnicity: Irish and Hawaiian. They both attended UH at Manoa, and both studied anthropology. Kimi worked at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu, and our docent volunteered at the Queen Emma Summer Palace while attending college. Both were interested in their own Hawaiian heritage.

I don’t remember much about the tour, but our conversation with our docent remains vivid.

I wrote down her name somewhere. (I lost it shortly thereafter.) I gave her one of our author cards and wrote the name of the book on the back. I asked her to email us so I could let her know when the book was published. I never heard back from her.

I often base my characters’ appearance on other people: friends, movie and TV stars, etc. This was the only time I wrote a fictional character and then met the personification of the character in person.

I really wish she had contacted me or that I remembered her name. (It was unusual.) But I’ll never forget this lovely young lady.

Out With the Old—In With the New

A new year. A new decade. A new start.

But first, a look back at the holidays.

We picked up Savannah the afternoon of the 26^th of December at Long Beach Airport. Then, we joined her aunts, uncle, cousin and her mother’s best friend for dinner. Everyone—including us—was so happy to see her!

We made it an early evening because we had to get up early the following morning to go to Universal Studios. Savannah’s mom’s friend, Liz, spent the night with us.

We left the house at 5:00 a.m. and made the very best time ever—one hour, door to door! Our friend, Kit, got us passes. Such a wonderful gift!

We were early enough we even had time for breakfast at a terrific waffle house near the park. Then on to Universal.

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly twenty years since we worked for Universal Studios. How the park has changed! Gone are E.T, Backdraft, Terminator 2, Back to the Future—most of the attractions we worked on.

We headed first for the Harry Potter area. The theming on the castle and queue area is fabulous! We were all Harry Potter fans, so we truly enjoyed being in the environment.

We boarded the ride, but it stopped immediately. A woman behind us fell. It took nearly 45 minutes to get her onto a gurney and get her out of the building. They restarted the ride, but unfortunately, they left all the work lights on, so the effects were compromised. Larry loved being able to see all the mechanisms, but the storyline was lost.

We went by later to try it again, but the ride was shut down.

We did get on the tram ride and enjoyed it a lot.

Liz and Savannah went on Transformers while we located a table for lunch. (They were very hard to come by.) When they got off the ride, they joined us, and we all ate.

Next, they went on the Mummy ride—after a two-hour wait! We went on Transformers and the Mummy the last time we were in the park, so we chose to sit them out.

We finished with the WaterWorld show. Still the best live-action show in the world.

Then we went to Citywalk and had crepes for dinner.

Along the way, Savannah collected a few keepsakes.

We returned home, dropped off Liz, and returned to John Wayne airport to pick up Kim. She arrived from Dallas on a late flight. Then home and to bed.

The next day, the 28^th, was the big family dinner party. Members of Savannah’s family as well as ours came—about 24 altogether. I loved seeing our big table filled along with the “kids’ table.” Kim and Carrie wanted to sit there, but Savannah, her cousin Vlad, and Carrie’s boys, Eli and Asher, staked out the table early.

The four of them had a great time together. Eli and Savannah are the same age and share many of the same interests. It helps that they are both off-the-charts smart! Asher and Vlad also hit it off. They are both younger than the other two.

Asher and Eli brought their laser tag equipment, so a rousing game began. Even Savannah’s uncle Chase joined them. As it got dark, we watched the lights move up the back stairs, up and down the waterfall, and through the trees in the backyard. They tracked in a bunch of mud and grass, but they had such a great time, it was worth the mess.

The next morning, we went down to the Outlets at San Clemente. Both the girls had gift cards to spend, and Mom felt like shopping. (This is code for she’ll buy them a few things if they find something they like. Kim and I do it every year after Christmas. This year, Savannah joined us.)

We started with brunch at Ruby’s, followed by shopping. Kim got some new items, and Savannah got several sweaters.

The girls enjoyed spending time together. Kim has adopted Savannah as her little sister.

The next day went by far too quickly. We watched several movies, and ate at the Northwoods Inn at Kim’s request. She had to leave the morning of the 31^st. Her trip was far too short, but we enjoyed seeing her for the little time we had her.

Vlad spent one night with us. His dad brought him down. We intended to go to the show, but the movie we wanted to see was sold out when we got to the theater. So, we all went to Islands for a late lunch and then came back to the house where the kids played games.

The next day, they played some more, watched a movie, and Vlad’s mom picked him up. We ate dinner here before they went home.

All too soon, Savannah’s visit came to an end. We took her back to Long Beach and put her on the plane home after a wonderful time.

We spent several days un-Christmasing the house. As much as I look forward to Christmas, I always feel good when everything goes back to normal.

Now, we’re looking forward to the new year and whatever it holds in store.

Wishing everyone a fabulous 2020!

My Favorite Gift of 2019

This morning I am so excited. You see, this afternoon I get to pick up my very best Christmas gift for the year. Our great-niece, Savannah, is arriving for a ten-day stay!

She moved to Reno over a year ago to live with her father. We got to see her in August when we visited there, and her dad agreed to let her come during her winter break from school.

Savannah is the author of A Wolf’s Magic.

She wrote the book when she was ten and eleven! We published it on her twelfth birthday. And it is a really good young adult fantasy. She is a naturally gifted writer.

She has changed quite a bit since we took her “author” photo. She is now thirteen and still adorable. We continue to encourage her to write.

So, when we had the chance to spend time with her, we jumped at the opportunity. We simply adore this young lady.

We were happy to get to know her dad while we were in Reno. He is a wonderful man and a terrific father. She is in a good place, and we are grateful.

On Saturday, we are hosting a post-Christmas party for the whole family—ours and hers. The tables are set, the ham is in the refrigerator, everyone is bringing a dish to share, and we can’t wait!

Christmas is a bit like my birthday—I spread it out as long as possible!

What was your best gift this year?

Santa Pictures – Part 2

Last week, I posted some of my photos with Santa. This week, I’ll show you the rest of them.

This was taken when I was five. I’m wearing the same dress I wore on the first day of kindergarten. I loved Santa, but I don’t look thrilled here. I assume my brother, Ron, has a separate picture. He would have been two. (I gave him all his photos years ago.) 

My mother loved bonnets on me. I hated them. Here, I'm wearing another one.

The next one was also taken when I was five. Apparently, I liked this Santa better, or maybe my cousin David (six-years-old) gave me more courage. (This is a better-looking Santa than the other one.)

Note the scrape on my leg. I was painfully clumsy as a kid and fell down a lot.

At age six, I look happier with the guy in the red suit. (He looks like the same one with me in the first five-year-old photo.) I still don’t know where my brother was.

When I was seven, I finally took a picture with my brother (aged four).

This one is bittersweet. By the next Christmas, my father was dead. (He passed away the following February.) This is the last real Christmas of our childhood.

I took Kim to see Santa when she was little (as well as the Easter Bunny a couple of times). I have the photos to prove it. As I recall, she generally liked Santa and looks happy in her photos.

These pictures represent the best times during my childhood. Do you have any of these? How do you feel about them?