A Very Thoughtful Gift...

 The box came before Christmas, as many boxes do. And the box was opened on Christmas morning, as many boxes are.

Inside were two mugs...a perfect gift for any U of U football fan. The mugs celebrated Utah's invitation to this year's Rose Bowl game. On the back listed the Ute's schedule of wins/loses and the scores of each contest.

It was a gift from my sister-in-law and I thought, "What a thoughtful gift."

Then, my mind began to think about things, and I realized just how thoughtful the gift was.

It was the dates that did it.

You see, such a mug could not have been available to purchase until the evening of December 3rd, 2021. Of course, the mugs could have been made before that date, but it wasn't until Utah beat Oregon in the PAC-12 Championship game that such a mug would be wanted by a Utah fan. After the game ended, the Rose Bowl invite was "official."

And that's when the mugs were ordered.

What made the gift special to us is that my sister-in-law knows we're Utah football fans (as is she...). But, my sister-in-law lost her husband several weeks earlier than the December game. So, even after her husband passed away, she sent such a wonderful gift. If what happened to her had happened to me, I don't think I'd remember to do much of anything.

The gift was wonderful. The U of U season was amazing, and now I have a memento of not only the game, but of a selfless act of giving that I'll cherish more than the season's memories. Thanks, Pam! It means a lot.

That Day Snoopy Let Me Down...

 We thought it would be a blast...a few weeks before Christmas while we were wandering up and down the aisles of our local pharmacy/corner store, we saw something and the moment we saw it, we thought, "we should buy that."

Well, it wasn't the best purchasing decision we ever made.

In fact, Snoopy let us down.

Okay, okay...I know what you're thinking. "You bought that?" Yes. We did. We bought it and brought it home, unpacked it, and set it on the kitchen counter. Tonight, I decided to melt some chocolate, pull out the almost-empty tin of Danish butter cookies, and watch the magic unfold. We followed the instructions, plugged in Snoopy's Chocolate Fountain, poured the melted mixture into the device and turned it on.

Oh, we had high hopes. The chocolate seeped into the mechanism and it began to rise up the middle cylinder. We couldn't wait until delicious smoothy chocolate flowed downward where we would thrust Danish butter cookies into that flow, then experience the hor 'devours of kings and guests at some wedding receptions.

We watched and waited, then we heard the sound...a high-pitched screech of the fountain not working. The thingy that turns and pushes the chocolate up then out stopped. We thought maybe the chocolate was too thick, so we added more oil to the mixture, cleaned out the fountain, and tried again.

Thinner chocolate--same result.

I decided to see if the chocolate was the problem. Turns out, when I just tested the machine without chocolate, it didn't work. The motor would not turn. My dreams dashed.

Bummer.

In hindsight, we probably shouldn't have bought a six-inch tall Snoopy Chocolate Fountain. The odds of it actually working were pretty slim. But, we took a shot at dessert happiness, flew too close to the sun, and became a voice of warning. I think the saddest part is that Snoopy adorns the side of the fountain. Snoopy has always been a symbol of strength, ingenuity, and perseverance. Now, the dream's dashed. I hope one day it can be repaired.

No, we will not enjoy a chocolate fountain this winder season. I saw a proper fountain online you can buy. It'll cost you--a couple of hundred bucks. We could go that route, but we probably won't...that's a little too rich for us...

Just like the chocolate.

Putting Christmas Away...

 It's sort of depressing, in a way...deciding when to put away the Christmas lights, the decorations, the tree, the memories, the hopes and dreams. There's that time that inevitably comes when we turn to each other, and ask, "When do you want to put Christmas away?"

Putting Christmas away...

We do the opposite of what we did only weeks earlier, drag out the large plastic tubs from the space under the stairs, snap open the lids and place things back where "they belong." For us, this year differed from all those before--we bought an artificial tree. This means, we were the sole determinators as to when the Christmas season of 2021 would begin (even though we always knew when it would end...). We no longer needed to climb in a cold car and travel to a distant tree lot to officially begin the holidays. 

We set up the tree Thanksgiving weekend.

The week between Christmas and New Years is a perfect time to tear down. I usually have days off from work and the family's usually together...perfect time. And if the weather cooperates, we'll take down the outside lights. There's an emptiness that invades the space once occupied by Christmas...where the tree stood, where the Christmas cards were placed, where the stockings hung and now were gone. The emptiness can never be fully replaced until those things are returned. Halloween lights and decorations try, but can't quite do it.

January is a tough act to follow. The build-up of the holidays, the excitement of possibilities, then January hits and--where we live, at least--is cold and sunless with bad air and once-white snow turning gray. Still, there's a beauty in January, if you only look.

Christmas boxes under the stairs get shuffled throughout the year. Other boxes leave and are returned until finally, the Christmas boxes come out again and we begin the cycle anew. The last thing I put away was our inflatable nativity scene. It needed to dry out completely, so for two days I plugged it in inside the garage until no water remained. Next year, before I unpack it, I need to find some lightbulbs...it's supposed to have six lights...only one remains now. Looks like I've got eleven months and change to get ready.

If Anyone Is Looking For An Amazing Furry Friend...We Have The Perfect Solution

 We have two cats. Turns out, it's one too many. Sometimes, when you rescue an animal things don't work out. A few years ago, the previous cat we rescued passed away and in our grief, we found a weeks-old kitten and brought him home.

What an amazing cat he's turned out to be.

This little guy, a rag doll, got big. He's not the biggest cat out there--he's not fat, just thick. We found out one day that he plays fetch. Not every day, but when he feels like it. We'd throw a hair elastic across the room and he'd go get it. We also sort of trained him to go into his pet carrier, also. We don't do either very much any more, but it was a blast getting to know that he did those things.

Since he was my daughter's cat, she named him SamDean Winchester, after a certain brother duo on a certain long-running paranormal/supernatural show.

This past summer, we found out the family became allergic to SamDean more than usual, and because of the potential respiratory issues that can show up at any time, being more allergic to a cat makes things worse. 

We are heartbroken to have to find a new home for SamDean, but we know there's someone out there who needs an amazing, loving, opinionated pet with the most incredible blue eyes. He's never been outside--always an inside cat. If you or anyone you know would love to have this cat be part of their family, please let us know. We'd love for him to find a good home.

The Sunset Last Night Was...Breathtaking

Yesterday, I walked outside into a cold January evening and snapped a few pictures of the sky. I then returned outside a minute later as the sky above became alive with color. With sunsets, you never know what you're going to get...will the first tinges be all there is, or will it develop, grow, mature into something that takes your breath away?

Yesterday, it was the latter.

Last night I kept leaving the house to get more pictures as the colors deepened. Of course, you never know how they'll translate to a digital image until they're downloaded and manipulated (at least, a little...).

It's been a crap week for my family. We had planned to meet up, the three families and have Sunday dinner the day after New Years Day. We were to meet at my sisters. That dinner never took place, unfortunately. We did gather today, for an entirely different reason.

For the past almost fifty years, I watched the sunset from the end of a cul-de-sac. The hill and Farmington Bay provided the most amazing vantage point to see the brilliant colors. Where we now live, it's different. The entire sky seems to open up, and the sunsets encompass us. They surround us. I used to think where we lived before that the sunsets could not get any better. I no longer think that. I'm a convert to what's possible.

Last night was a gift. It was as if the sky knew things. It teased with some light colors on the eastern mountains which drew me outside, made me forget for a moment the week we'd had. Then, it rewarded me with more perspectives, more colors, more...hope. No, the day did not turn out how we planned, but what I saw in the sky was breathtaking.

Give Thanks...Being Able To Support My Sister, One More Time

 Tomorrow we'll gather to remember my sister, her life, and try, albeit, unsuccessfully to express what she means to us. Growing up I attended scores of funerals--that happens when your oldest aunts and uncles were born before the First World War. I attended as a child, but they didn't have a lot of personal meaning for me. Many of the people I hardly knew.

Naturally, as I've gotten older, funerals mean more to me, and the older I get, the tougher they become. Tomorrow, I'm entering uncharted waters. I've said "goodbye" to both parents, and a few cousins...never to a sibling.

My sister's funeral is tomorrow, 2pm (viewing 12:45 - 1:45pm) at the Farmington Russen Mortuary. If you want to attend, more information can be found on my sister's obituary. You can access it by clicking: HERE.

In twenty-four hours, it'll be over. There will be some comfort in that, but the only comfort that comes after going through something you don't necessarily want to do.

I can't thank everyone enough for the comments and heart-felt condolences from so many of you. So many people reached out, even if it was as simple as an acknowledgement from a social media post. It helped us beyond my ability to say. Please know your prayers and kind words were appreciated. 

It's strange to say I'm grateful for a funeral, because I'm not. I wish we didn't have to go--that it wasn't needed, but I am grateful to have known Tara and to call her my sister. I'm grateful that will be able to gather as a group of family and friends to say goodbye.

Who Knew A Year Ago...I Was Basically Doing The Same Thing? Facebook, That's Who

 

If you're still on Facebook (and I know many of my friends are not...), you are notified of things you posted in the past on their anniversaries. I usually skip them...go on to something else, but today, I decided to see what I posted a year ago.

It was about writing.

Of course, I saw this after I spent some time today actually writing. Last year, I started to re-work my story of a newly called Relief Society President who happens to be a witch. Today, I wrote the final words for Volume I of a team of demon hunters in the time of Christ.

It's been a year. I've ended both stories.

I haven't finished two novels in a long time. Well...considering I've only written four novels in fifteen years, it's never happened.

What is it about New Years Day that makes us reflect on where we are in our life and where we're going? Is there some cosmic force that turns humans into goal-creating guinea pigs? I don't know. Each year, I think about setting goals like, "write two novels a year," or "lose weigh," or "make more money." To be honest, I don't think I've ever specifically made those last two...more like "get in shape," or "do better at work."

Not the same.

I am hoping to do more writing this next year. I find writing is an exercise in overcoming the mind more than the words.

I wonder if in one year's time will I once again post about writing and then be reminded--again--that I did the same thing last year and the year before that.

Then again, maybe one of my goals should be quitting Facebook...