The Bonus Solstice Christmas Visit Hawk

Over the weekend, when we looked at the upcoming forecast, my husband and I hatched a bold and audacious plan. A big snowstorm was coming on Thursday, to possibly be followed by additional messy stuff, and winds, and then amazingly cold temps for Christmas. It looked like rotten travel for anytime around Christmas eve and Christmas day, which is when we typically visit family.

So we kicked it around, and decided that - if it worked for everybody else - our week would go like this: Monday, sell the car; Tuesday, visit my mother-in-law; and Wednesday, visit MY parents (age 92). So we made some phone calls, updated our priorities, changed our plans, and simply DID IT ALL. But, wow. . . .

This meant that I woke up every morning before 6 a.m., with a list of a hundred Things That Must Be Done in my head! Monday morning, I baked an apple pie, half of which we delivered to my mother-in-law on Tuesday. Monday afternoon, I made snickerdoodle cookies. I baked chocolate chip cookies on Wednesday morning, and in the afternoon, we went visiting, with cookies in tow.

Our first stop was to visit my sister Pat in assisted living. I took her some snickerdoodles (cookies my big sister Barb used to love to make; when I handed them to her, I said, "I give you these cookies along with ONE happy memory: Here are a couple of bites of Barb's love!") and a card, and we had a nice chat.

While I visited with her ("sister time," my husband informed me, and dismissed himself), my husband sat outside on a lovely bench by a stream. When I came back out, he told me there had been a hawk on the line nearby. As we drove away, I saw the hawk, and rolled down the window for a few shots, of which this one is probably the best. I call this my bonus solstice Christmas visit hawk!

We stopped for a quick nibble to eat and then headed to my parents' house, where I delivered a card and a gift bag full of goodies. We found my parents in amazingly good condition, and my mom clear as a bell, with a sparkle in her eye.

I did a selfie with my mom (possibly her first ever!) and squoze in between my parents on the couch for the two pics you may see in the extras. (The couch is ALMOST big enough for the three of us; and woe to nearly ANYone else who might try to come between my dad and that little gal of his!)

My little sister Julie and her daughter Kaylee (who claim credit for decorating my parents' gorgeous Christmas tree) showed up to visit a little while before we left; Julie gets photog credit for the pic of my parents and me.

We finally lit out for home around a quarter to five, heading back to the State College area and trying to sort of mostly beat the darkness. On the way, my husband said to me, Did I think the little bit of milk and two eggs we had in the fridge would last us through the coming five days or so, as we planned to be mostly sequestered. Hmm. . . .

When I said No, I did not think so, we planned and executed a really fast and efficient stop at Weis for the essentials: French toast fare (milk, bread, and eggs), plus Nardone's pizza and yogurt. So yes, we DID IT ALL!!!

Current status:
All family visiting accomplished!
All cards sent!
All gift bags delivered!
A pie and two batches of cookies baked and delivered!
One car SOLD!
Groceries acquired!
Socked in for the big storm!!!
HAPPY CHRISTMAS from our family to yours!!!!

A few songs to go with a Christmas visit:
Bing Crosby and David Bowie, Little Drummer Boy
Natalie Merchant, Children Go Where I Send Thee
Royal Guardsmen, Snoopy's Christmas (this one's for you, Barb!)