This is Mom’s tree – mine is blue and silver.

The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day has always felt like a freebie to me. When a school kid, it was the week of goofing off, playing with new stuff, going to the snow, just hanging out with no particular purpose. When in retail, it was often a week we just closed up. It is a week that Michael tries to take off work, unless it is storming and he is needed to push snow around with big yellow machines. Here is a list of this off-the-calendar week so far:

1. Yardwork!

2. Shred papers from 10 years ago.

3. Take the canoe out. Notice I said “the” canoe rather than “my” or “our”. This is because we jointly own the little jewel with some friends. They granted us 50% because we are able to store it out of the sun. I’m thinking they might have forgotten about their 50%

4. Thank you notes. Yep, I actually write them with a pen on paper and put them in the US Mail.

5. Sweets – Don and Shirley’s Southern Comfort Cake, Margaret’s fudge, Melinda’s pfefferneusen and biscotti (one is German and one is Italian; she is my sister, and we are neither of those ethnicities but love the food), Laura’s sugar cookies, mint/dark chocolate from Reimer’s (thanks, Honey!!), mint Hershey kisses from Janet, a Panetonne from Bill and Peg (is it sweet? dunno, but it is REALLY REALLY GOOD), Trader Joe’s hot cocoa from Kylie, and pie with whipped cream left over from Christmas dinner with our family.

6. Major thankfulness – we served lunch at the Visalia Rescue Mission on Christmas Day. It was Michael’s idea, and I wholeheartedly agreed. Wow. He and I are filthy rich by contrast. The volunteers just do what they are told, greet people with authentic concern and a genuine smile, and focus on getting the food to them. I tried not to think about why they might be there and felt great hope for those who were in a rehab program.

7. Main Gallery – Wednesday is my last day working and having my art there. It was fun to be part of such a highly organized group in such a nice location and to get to know other area artists a bit.

8. Friends – there is a class reunion on Saturday p.m. I won’t be going but will be meeting Melissa, Ann, Renee, and Rose for lunch that day. That is always a treat, especially when so many of my old friends no longer have parents in the area. I’m sure the official reunion will be great; Michael and I decided long ago that we don’t belong at each other’s class reunions. Since this is on New Year’s Eve, it will be better to be home with him than down the hill having a late night out.  I may regret missing the reunion, but life is full of choices, not all of them clear.