Sissy's mom, Nanny Gran Gran, said it best. "Nothing is as over as Christmas."
Nanny, or as we call her ngg was right about many things, many times.
Thursday the 29th, I decided to take down all the green and fling. I know, many people say it's bad luck to take it down before New Year's. Others prefer to leave it up until the Epiphany. As for me, I am usually done with it all by the 26th. But, this time I waited a few more days. I just wasn't in the mood yet. But, when I was, I was. Down. Done. The many totes were in the guest room for a while waiting for my cousin's sons to come over and take them all downstairs. But, then after a few days, I got antsy. Jack and I slowly took them down. A few at a time. Rested. A few more. Rested. A few more. Yes, there are a lot. Each year I think I'll cut back on the decor. Each year, I think when Christmas is over, I'll make a pile of decorations that just don't appeal to me or are just a bit too much. Once again, this year, I found very few Christmas decorations that I want to part with.
Many have sentimental value. Do you think I'll ever part with the ornaments AJ made in 2nd grade? Will I ever get rid of my Longaberger sleighs? AJ's "Christmas oofy" (Oofy was another name for dog, since they make an "oof oof" sound). Our Christmas Oofy has a wooden candy cane in his mouth with Snoopy's teeth prints? Can't part with that family heirloom. Of course, my beautiful Home Interiors ceramic nativity set with a wooden stable made by a local man many years ago. I don't think I'll ever part with any of the above.
I just love it all. And a great deal that I didn't mention. It takes me about 2-3 days to get it all put out and done. It takes a full day to get it put away and boxed up in about 10 totes.
And, when it's done. It's done. ngg was right. When it's over, it's over.
I used to say that my favorite month of the year was January. All the fan fare is over and done, we Midwesterners can hibernate for a month or two. It's always a good time to clean out closets and drawers. There have been a few Januarys in the past several years that I haven't been able to get all that done. I'm hoping this is one where I will. But if I haven't learned anything else in my 65 years, I should have learned that the best laid plans don't always come true. It's still okay to plan ahead and be hopeful. Jack's Christmas gift from me is a trip to Philadelphia to see his favorite former Blues player. We'll do that about 3 days after we go see that same player return to St. Louis for the first time since the trade that broke Jack's heart. So we plan ahead. But be prepared for anything. Be flexible. And know that if and when things change, there is perhaps a reason. God's plan will always outweigh your own plans. Just adapt and go with it. I'm learning all this.
So here we are at a time when everyone says either to themselves or out loud... This is what I'm going to do in the New Year. This is how I will improve myself starting in 2023 and going forward. This.
I learned long ago not to make any resolutions out loud. And definitely not on the internet. Last time I did that it sort of backfired, big time!
I decided a few years ago that the best we can do is to try and follow God's plan for us. Talk to Him every day. Be thankful for all the good things in our lives and discuss all the rough patches with Him.
We've had some rough patches lately. The weekend before Christmas my sinuses kicked up. We spent that Saturday with AJ, Abby and Reilly for Abby's birthday brunch. Then, I went to see my friend Kelley for a bit. (2 cars - Jack went home). Sunday, we went to church. Later that afternoon we went to Landon and Carter's Christmas program at their school and after that Jack and I went to Steak n Shake with Paul and Holly. The whole time I had sinus issues. Just a few hours after supper, I felt more of a cough and then a slight fever. Oh my. Should I test? Do I really want to know the answer to that test a week before Christmas? I decided I needed to know. I tested. Positive. I was so sad and mad. I mean... I'd come this far Covid-free. For the first time in 38 years, I booted Jack out of the bed. This is my domain now and you are in the other parts of the house. I would isolate better in one room with a TV and attached bathroom. My fever was only elevated a couple of hours and was gone.
The next morning, I called my doctor's office. No need for a professional test. If it's positive, it positive. I took from that, that you can get a false negative from a home test, but not a false positive. They gave me quite the cocktail of vitamins to take. C, D, Zinc, Aspirin 325. I had a FaceTime visit with the doctor later. There is a new drug that I could also take since I'm just a few days into symptoms. So... I did all that. I let everyone know that we'd been with those 2 days what was going on. None of them got sick. We were planning Christmas Day here with the Leefers family, so I alerted them all that Christmas was on hold. Although the doctor told me in 5 days from the start of symptoms, I would no longer be contagious. I really just felt like I had a bad cold. Each day it was better. I figured my day 5 was Thursday, but I didn't go anywhere until Friday. Walmart with a mask on. We decided to go forward with Christmas. I told everyone they would need to decide based on their own comfort level. Everyone came. Again, no Covid for any of them.
However... more rough patches. Our sweet Reilly developed pink eye. A Christmas Eve trip to the ER for some eye drops and we thought all would be okay. But Christmas morning, her eyes were still a bit crusty, so the kids decided they would spend the morning with us but go home before everyone else came. They didn't want to subject the other 1.5 year old or the 10 month old to pink eye. We really had a great morning with them. Thankfully we do a light Christmas sandwich and chili meal these days and all that was ready. Christmas was a cock-eyed success and a blessing for this Gigi and Pop.
Then, came more... oh yes, more. Around New Years, AJ developed hand, foot, mouth disease. Yes, we know it's a child thing, but adults can get it too. He and one other dad from the daycare got this. (weird) I'm sure it was quite nasty for him from what I know about it and what others who have experienced it told me. I worried. That's what we Mama's do. Although Abby spent some days working from home, (as does AJ), she and Reilly spent nights at her parents to give him space to really rest and kept them away from the virus. That was successful, too, except they both did get the stomach virus that her sister and nephew had before Christmas.
Whew.... to say I'm sick and tired of us being sick and tired is an understatement. You see, over Christmas weekend, I had no symptoms, but the week they were all down and sick, I developed sinus issues again. That has subsided once again. I've asked to be referred to an ear, nose and throat doctor.
We wanted to see our kids (we cancelled a visit on the 2nd due to all the above). We still had 3 big bags full of Leefers family gifts for Reilly. This past Saturday, AJ texted that they were all feeling much better and we could come Sunday if we wanted. We wanted! We went. The bonus in going now is that AJ and Abby could both take a nap that afternoon while we handled Reilly and Layla-pup. We got carry out for supper and once Reilly was down for the count we went home.
LAYING EYES ON
My friend, Kelley uses the term "Laying eyes on.... (someone)" You can talk to them and nowadays even FaceTime someone but sometimes, especially when there's been a health issue (physical or mental)... you just want to lay eyes on them. If you're a Mama, you get it. It did my heart so much good to lay eyes on AJ. Yes, the girls, too, but this was an odd virus with yukky symptoms and I just needed to see him. I can't begin to tell you how this Mama's heart and soul have been transitioned from last week to this week just because I laid eyes on him.
I hope not only is Christmas over, but I hope that our health issues are over for a long while.
Praise and thanks to the One Who got us through it all.
I hope you are all heading into a safe, happy and healthy 2023.
