Christmas Weekend Recap...

 

Well, here we all are, heading into a new year.  Last year, I know we all were hoping we would soon be done with COVID and many of us had no idea that we would be saying goodbye to so many loved ones in 2021, especially after losing so many in 2020.  With the sadness, there were also blessings and that is what I want to hang on to.  I am hoping and praying for more blessings in the coming year. I want to be done with sadness.

My sister, Tammy, arrived on Thursday in the late afternoon.  Other than horrid traffic on I-75, her trip went well.  I made smoked sausage with cabbage, peppers, and onions for our dinner. It is one of my favorites and she loved it too.

On Friday, I took her out to see where I work.  She wanted to visit our big Goodwill Store so we went there next. We both found a couple of things but she was hoping for some jeans and didn't find any she liked.  We went home for a little while and then went to Gosh, Asian Bistro, for our early dinner before going to my church's Christmas Eve service. 

Tammy and  I both had the chicken Pho and we shared a sushi roll and egg rolls.
Delicious and Tammy loved it.

We went to church after we ate and met my friend, Shirley, there.  

I took this picture of the ornament that Joe and I gave last year for the tree.

2019 is when we joined Redeemer Presbyterian.

Tammy - Me - Shirley

I took this picture of the front of the church before our service started.

Back at home, we decided to open our gifts so we could 

sleep in a bit on Christmas morning.

I must have been a good girl because there was more under the tree than

I was expecting!!  Tammy did pretty well too!

Christmas dinner was not extra special, except that we had Helen with us!!

Cheryl picked her up and Tammy and I took her  'home'.

Everything is here on the table except the rolls and desserts.

Ham, deviled eggs, pickled beets, Au gratin potatoes, broccoli & cauliflower.

We had chocolate cream pie, cookies, red velvet mini cupcakes, and candies for sweets.

Helen was so cute!! They did her hair for her and she was animated and talked and

ate like a trooper!!  She had two slices of ham, potatoes, veggies, a roll, FOUR eggs,

and then munched out on cookies and cupcakes.  We were all SO happy!!

Tammy made herself a cup of coffee and asked if anyone else wanted one.  No.  Then

when she sat down with hers, Helen piped up and said 

"Can I have some coffee?  I never get coffee!"

Of course, she got her coffee (a decaf pod) and she drank it down like it was nectar! 

We sat at the table for two hours and said it was time to get home.  She got up and seemed

happy to be going somewhere.  When we got her back to her residence, she walked right in

and headed down the hall to her room but stopped, and turned 

around to say "thank you" and "I love you!"

Made my day.  Best Christmas gift ever.

Yesterday, Tammy's sister-in-law, Kathy, and her wife, Gretchen, came over after we got home from church.  We fed them leftover ham and had potato salad, fruit salad, 3-bean salad, rolls, and all the same sweets from Christmas dinner.  They enjoyed it. We visited with them for a couple of hours before they headed home to Clearwater.  It was a great weekend full of fun, feel-goodness, and the joyful celebration of our Savior's birth.  Tammy and I are both happy to have conquered the holidays okay without our hubbies.  She lost her Bruce about six months before I lost Joe.  We are survivors and doing fine, surrounded by people who love us.  We both got text messages, face-times, and pictures sent from loved ones. Our phones were dinging all weekend long. To our "dingers", thank you!

Back to work today for me and Tammy headed out early (6:30) so she could visit the big Webster Flea Market on her way home.  I have one last get-together after work today. I am meeting up with Kali and her folks for coffee at a halfway-between place.  She is son Jeff's girlfriend/partner and her folks live about an hour north of Lakeland.  Looking forward to reading about your holidays!!

Peace & hugs!

Immanuel!!