I'm Still Here

 I guess I've just been busy. It's been a week since I posted.

Today is December 19th, an anniversary of sorts. It was 56 years ago, on December 19th, 1968 that we announced our engagement on the last day of school before break at the elementary school where we both were teaching. We caused a stir, as we had been very discrete about our relationship. 

Now in this last week before Christmas we are checking more things off our list. 

The gifts are wrapped. They'll be transported to Jill's house Christmas morning. With the kids grown up we don't have to sneak them under the tree at midnight anymore. That was fun though. 

On Tuesday we drove in the rain to Olympia to have lunch with my sister Laurie. Family news was shared, good conversation was had, Laurie brought cookies for dessert, and she gifted me with these sweet little snow birds. 

Yesterday I received news of the death of a teacher friend dear to me. I worked with her only a short time but her friendship lingered. It was in her classroom that I worked as an aide in my first job back in the classroom after Jill and Jake were both old enough to go to school. That's about 44 years ago. 

Today I baked the cardamom bread. Now that it's cooled I'll wrap it for the freezer until it's time to eat it. It's a main feature of Christmas morning. 

It's 4:00 now on this dark, cloudy day. Tom has turned on the outside Christmas lights. It's time for me to go downstairs and park myself in my chair and work Wordle and catch up on Facebook before I cook dinner. 

Busy times, but mostly good times.