Sunday, December 24, 2006. Because of our storm, many malls and stores are opening for extended hours today so people can make up the shopping they missed while stuck at home. The stores pose this as a benefit to the shoppers, which it is, but it is also beneficial to the shopkeeper. I guess this is an example of a win-win situation.
Last week, before the storm, I was at Safeway stocking up on a few essentials (caffeine free diet coke and light popcorn) and the clerk told me that they would be open on Christmas Day. My reaction was not positive. Can’t we have one day a year without shopping?
I made it out on Friday thanks to my wonderful friend, Sheila, who drove her SUV all the way from Highlands Ranch to pick me up for lunch. We made our way downtown to the Buckhorn Exchange.
Unfortunately, the picture doesn’t show the festive Santa hats on all the animal heads for Christmas. We exchanged gifts (mine was the huge Beatles Anthology book) and enjoyed our sandwiches and chocolate cake.
By Saturday, I was heartily sick of my own company. I managed to get out for a walk, but people who hadn’t bothered to shovel their walks made things difficult. Lunch with another friend, Barb, was cancelled. I spent most of the day watching the 2-DVD set of Pride and Prejudice—the original A&E production starring Colin Furth as the quintessential Mr. Darcy. Oh, my.
Sunday morning. Our worship service was cancelled as was our late candlelight communion service. Instead we will have the kid’s pageant combined with candlelight and communion at 6 o’clock. My brother has to drive in from
This morning, I need to finish my cranberry-marshmallow-walnut salad, bake focaccia bread and make a batch of microwave peanut brittle.
The ham and scalloped potatoes at my folk’s house will have to wait until Mother Nature clears out my alley and frees me from the house.
Christmas Day. I didn’t make it to church last night after all. It started snowing again and we all panicked. My brother took my folks home. There are SCARY amounts of snow in their mobile home park. The park management plowed one pass down the center of each street and Dad and Fern paid $60 to have their driveway shoveled out, but 5-6 foot banks of snow makes maneuvering very tricky.
Luckily, the snow stopped after an hour and didn’t amount to much. I watched a Christmas Eve service on TV, but it wasn’t the same as taking communion, praying, lighting the candles and singing Silent Night with my church family. I tried not to pout and went to bed early.
They’re predicting slightly warmer temperatures tomorrow, so I am hoping and praying that it will melt enough snow to allow me to finally get out of my garage. My parents and I will have to delay our Christmas dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes until later this week.
©2006 Dixie Darr. All rights reserved
