Christmas 2012

It's Christmas morning and I slept very well last night. I woke up at my usual time of 4:30 and was going to let Missy, my cat out. After she got her nose out that back door, she backed back into the kitchen.

I have my Christmas dinner mostly finished. Yesterday I made my Waldorf salad, potato salad (yes, I said potato salad) and two pies. One is traditional pumpkin and the other is mince meat.

Today I will simply put the ham in and at the very last, the rolls. I will also set the table. I use my china when I have a holiday dinner. There may be only four of us today but I will still use the china. My nephews have been invited but they will probably not come. They are no longer close to the family. This will be the first Christmas without my sister. I asked her widower, Bob, to come over early. He is to bring the green bean casserole. John and Leslie are the other two. Since Leslie is on call, I did not ask her to bring anything.

My friend, Bill, sent me two books for Christmas. He sent them to my kindle and I sent him two to his kindle. I got a beautiful candle from my daughter and money from my older son. Scott, my younger son, is in California visiting his son and new daughter-in-law so I haven't heard from him yet.

My granddaughter, Ashley called last night. She talked to me for over thirty minutes. She is alone on Christmas today. Her roommates are both home with their families. I will call her later this morning while my daughter and John are here and we can all talk to her. I advised her to find an open restaurant and eat a Christmas meal anyhow even if she's alone. My philosophy is...we make our own happiness. We can choose to be miserable or we can choose to be happy. Ashley graduates in May from college and then will face three more years of med school to become a physician's assistant. I am very proud of her for staying with it all these years. She stayed with me between her junior and senior year to make up failed courses in high school ... failed during her parent's divorce, and stayed with John and Leslie for her senior year.

Jerod, her brother, is in the coast guard and at this time is in California. He will be sent to Michigan next month.

Jeromy, John and Leslie's son, will be in Topeka for Christmas at Marlene's parent's home. Keith's younger daughter, Sara and her husband, Kevin and children will probably be with his parents for Christmas. Kyle and Christina, her sister and Keith's older daughter, with their daughter, Mia, will probably be with his folks since Christina and Sara's mother is in Michigan and their father lives in Phoenix. People don't live close together anymore. They scatter.

My son, Scott, just called to wish me a Merry Christmas. That was sweet. Keith, my older son, called me last night to wish me a Merry Christmas just before granddaughter, Ashley called.

So Merry Christmas to everyone and their families who read my blog!