Wednesday, December 15, 2010

We're done!

December 15, and Christmas at Linda's is done! We had our family gathering last Sunday night. Of our eight grown offspring, five of them attended (the others live in other parts of the country). Our meal was lovely - prime rib this year, rather than our customary Costco lasagna. The gift exchange (generic gifts, draw a number, select or steal) was especially fun because everyone had given some thought to their gifts - not a Starbucks card among them. And then...everyone stayed for an hour and a half more. Art and I were quiet, listening to snippets of conversation and grateful everyone was comfortable enough not to dash off to their next event.

Now we're getting ready for Friday's departure on a two-day drive to a timeshare in southeastern Idaho, 22 miles from West Yellowstone. We have snowshoes - purchased two years ago during our last snow, but never used. I found our snow pants, missing for at least eight years - Art moved them out of the hall closet at some point and hung them elsewhere. He denied I ever asked him where they were. No matter, though - we've got them now. We've got our Kindles, our magazines, our scented candles, our AAA maps, and our snow chains. We're looking forward to the four feet of snow currently on the ground in Island Park, Idaho - and hoping we can get there.

I've been using my dawn simulator, thoughtfully returned by my sister, and sitting in front of my light box for 30 minutes a day. I feel really good. I've been going to the gym and doing my balance exercises faithfully. I can see improvement already.

I've been sending out feelers for home exchanges in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont for next September. So far I've gotten one tentatively positive response. And we're exploring our first Road Scholar (used to be Elderhostel) class, in South Dakota in May.

And next week is the solstice, and then the days start getting longer!




14 comments:

Sally Wessely said...

I'm glad everything went so well with your party. I hope your trip to Yellowstone is wonderful.

Janna Leadbetter said...

Linda, your family Christmas sounds wonderful. Especially that prime rib! :)

Thank you for visiting my blog today. It's great to meet new people!

I hope you have a safe and awesome trip. Take care.

#1Nana said...

Linda, Have a great trip. My husband did a Yellowstone winter trip several years ago and his pictures were beautiful...his trip was "business" and I had to work. I look forward to when he retires and we can do some of these longer trips.

I always thought that Elderhostle would be fun and didn't know the program had changed. I'm always learning something from you!

Merry Christmas

Arkansas Patti said...

Sounds like the perfect gathering.
Have a safe and enjoyable trip to Idaho.

Paul C said...

Your reference to Yellowstone and other travel destinations sound wonderful. We enjoyed a camping trip to the western U.S. national parks this last fall.

DJan said...

Wow, that sounds great! I hope you have a wonderful trip. I've got new snowshoes still unused. I look forward to hearing about your adventures. Merry Christmas!

Jenn Flynn-Shon said...

Snowshoeing is so much fun even though its more work than I expected going into it. No matter how light those puppies are, they definitely are extra weight! I could get in shape in no time doing that considering I was huffing & puffing away. You'll love it :-) That's a lot of snow to shoe through too (sorry, didn't mean to sound like Dr. Seuss lol) but sounds like you're ready to tackle it!

Glad your family Christmas was fantastic. Love that about this time of year :-) Have a great, safe, festive, fun time in ID!

Deere Driver said...

Like you, I look forward to Winter Solstice and the days getting longer. Hurray!

Have a good trip! I must say I'm done with this snow and cold already!

Linda Hoye said...

Enjoy your trip - it sounds wonderful! We are celebrating our Christmas with our family over the next few days. Then we'll head home and have a quiet Christmas filled with books, naps, and relaxation. Merry Christmas!

Catherine said...

Have fun on your trip! It sounds like you will get lots of fresh air ~ stay warm! :)

Deb Shucka said...

So glad your celebration was wonderful. Traveling mercies. Looking forward to hearing how you do in the Yellowstone snow.

Cheryl Kohan said...

Hi Linda! Your family Christmas sounds like a great time...I know what you mean about sitting quietly and listening to the chatter. I like that.

You are to be commended for embarking on that trip to Yellowstone! Sounds like you're well prepared so I'll keep my fingers crossed that the roads stay open. We're heading out for your neck of the woods on January 10th...but we'll be in Mt. Vernon and Port Angeles.

Safe travels...

Linda Reeder said...

I saw your recent postings on facebook, so I know you arrived safely and are delightfully snowed in. It does sound lovely. And the fact that
Christmas is over at your house just shows that it isn't the day that matters. It's the family and the love.

Terri Tiffany said...

Popping over from Janna's as I see you are in Seattle. My daughter and family live there now. Do those lights really work? We wondered.
Have a good Christmas!