I gotta be honest, I've tried several times to start this post, but am having a hard time getting it going. Truth is, Christmas just hits differently when there is no longer any family around to celebrate with. I don't know why this year seems to be harder, but it is. Even my introverted self misses the noise and the chaos, and all the kids opening their presents -- even when those kids were us. My sibs and I.
Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate all of my friends who reached out to wish me a Merry Christmas, but it's just not the same. I suppose by now I ought to be used to spending Christmas alone -- except for those few hours of time Cody manages to pry away from Brennan's parents.
About that, Brennan had to work Christmas Eve, so they didn't get here until nearly 7:00 PM, and the store had been so slammed all day, she hadn't had a chance even to get something to eat and she was starving. Good thing I'd been starving about an hour before then and had already fixed all of the food. She just had to zap it in the microwave, and I don't know what it is about those two, but they always want to stand in my kitchen to eat.
So we ate, opened gifts -- more about that in a minute-- then Cody drove us around looking at lights. By the time we got back from doing that, we were all pretty tired, and went to bed not long after that. Christmas morning, they had to get up and rush off to Memphis so they could spend time with Brennan's parents before all of her cousins came over.
I was a bit disappointed, because I'd wanted to bake and decorate cookies with them. And watch Christmas movies, and just spend time with my son. We did talk about it briefly, though, while Bren was out of the room. He said he'd vented a bit, because he was the one having to drive 200 miles, and felt like they should be more considerate of him. I said, "Not just that, but you know I'd like to spend some time with you over the holidays, too."
I told him I wasn't going to say anything, because it wasn't my place, but I'm tired of being treated like an afterthought, settling for the leftovers of my son's time -- especially when they're spending all week up there in Memphis. Cody said they'd stop by on their way home, but knowing them, it'll be just long enough to use the bathroom and they'll be gone again.
OK, enough of my moaning. After they'd eaten, we sat down to open gifts, and everyone seemed delighted with the haul.
Brennan has gotten into crochet lately, so I got her a set of hooks, some yarn, a ball winder and spool.
I also got her a candle and some fuzzy slipper socks. She seemed to love it all.
This yarn wasn't a Christmas present, but I gave it to her because honestly, I can't even remember what I'd bought it for.
As you can see, I'd started a scarf, but I changed my mind and bought three more skeins of the yarn, but I have no idea why. Oh, well, Brennan can use it for whatever she wants, and I'm excited to see what she does with it.
Cody's big gifts were a Strikeman Dry Fire training system, which he couldn't wait to get started playing with.
He let me try it, too and I did OK, considering how long it's been since I've shot. Let's just say, they all landed in the gray center area, but my grouping was pretty loose. It didn't help that I couldn't see the front sight, and I'm sure that's because I desperately need new glasses.
My eye doctor retired and I'm having trouble bringing myself to find a new one. I've been going to the same eye clinic ever since I moved here. It was run by a father and his two sons, and when the last one of them retired, I'm left eye doctorless.
But that's another story for another day.
I also got an expansion pack of targets where you could play them like an arcade game. It was pretty fun, and Cody didn't put it down until he was ready to go to bed. I even got mine out and he figured out the app for me. I'd bought one years ago, but never could figure out how to make it work.
I'm not very technical, you see. The question now is, can I figure it out without him there to work the app for me?
His other presents were a new range bag, which is really nice, and some new flannel pants.
I told him I didn't know what to get him this year, since they don't use Amazon any more. He said it's because they're going to robotics and taking jobs away from real people -- but he uses the self checkout at stores. Go figure.
The one thing I got them both that I forgot to put into the photo above was this sausage and cheese gift set from Hickory Farms.
And this is my loot. The Rudolph record is from my older brother and his family. The house shoes, Downton Abbey DVD and gardening bench are from my sister and her family. The fairy house is from my younger brother, and
the blanket, candle, and hot chocolate mix are from the kids.
I joked with Brennan that every time someone gives me something warm for Christmas like a blanket or jacket or hoodie, it's always hot. It won't last long, though, because we're supposed to be back below freezing Sunday night into Monday.
That's meteorologist speak...
I have no idea who sent the mug with the Texas flag on it. It just appeared on my doorstep a few days before Christmas. I have my suspicions... but nobody has fessed up yet.
I hate to say I have a favorite gift, but I'm totally loving this garden bench. I turn it like this and I can kneel on it, then use the handles to help get myself back up.
Or I can turn it up this way, and sit on it.
And I can put the tool pouches on which ever side I need them to be. And the whole thing folds up for storage.
Look at this:
Oh, it made it so easy, and my back didn't hurt at all!
By the way, those candles turned out to be such a disappointment. They're gorgeous and all, but it only takes about three days for the batteries to run down. After the second time, I stopped replacing them. Next year, I might try to find some solar powered lights.
Before Cody and Brennan rushed off Christmas morning, he got his new drone out and flew it a bit.
Can you see it? It's a tiny little speck up there. He got it high enough that we were able to see the lake from here. He let me fly it a minute, but I didn't dare go that high. I was afraid I'd get it stuck in a tree or something. I only flew it for a few minutes, and got so caught up in it, I completely forgot to look at what was showing on Cody's phone. I was watching the drone.
Cody says when they come back through on the way home, he wants to take it out to the lake and fly it somewhere out there. I'd be afraid I'd drop it into the water myself.
Anyway, they left around 11:00, and I was left to my own devices for the rest of the day. I caught up on some Christmas movies that I hadn't gotten around to watching yet, cleaned up the kitchen a bit, then settled in with my new house shoes and some knitting to watch my never-miss Christmas classic.
By the time Harry declared his big brother George was the richest man in town, I had another hat ready to send off to some seafarer next year.
Yarn: Red Heart Granny Square
Colorway: Soft White-Frigid
Pattern: Basic Beanie
Needles: US 8/ 5 mm
I think I have enough of this yarn for one more hat, which I will be casting on here in a minute.
This morning, despite my better judgement, I drove into town to check out the clearance sales. I didn't get very much, just one box of cards, some wax melts and a few things to put back for next year's Christmas gifts.
I picked up a couple of bags of the candy melts, but put them back. I've still got all of those chocolate chips. I'll just use them to make the candy in my new molds.
The only other thing I did today was to start vacuum sealing some of the cookies I'd made and putting them into the deep freeze. Tomorrow I'll put up some of the candy as well. But for now, I've got a hat to cast on and a chemistry lesson to watch.
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