Monday, Dec. 15

I had trouble going to sleep last night. It was nearly 3 a.m. before I finally drifted off. Despite that, we got up around 7 a.m., because we wanted to go to our favorite computer store in another town to pick up a laptop tote and cooling pad that we'd ordered. I skipped exercising this morning so we could get on the road before a predicted winter storm arrived.







We learned a couple of days ago that the lady who owns the computer store with her husband had a baby boy recently. Since she is a friend with whom I worked several years ago, I wanted to take a small gift to her. So I looked through my tote of miscellaneous gift items and found a cloth book that the baby will be able to use in a few months.







I didn't have any baby wrapping paper or gift bags, so I used a tan bag with the word "Joy" printed boldly on it in an off-white color. I wrote "It's a Boy" in white ink inside the letter "J," turning the subtle Christmas bag into a baby gift bag.







I also didn't have a baby congrats card, so I used a card I'd made from blue scrapbook scraps that said "Thinking of You," on the front. Inside, I wrote a congratulations message.







It was about 8:30 by the time we got on the road to the other town. It began sleeting on our way home. Back in town, we stopped by the bank, and then went to the WDCS for a few items needed for making Christmas goodies. We were back home before it started sleeting in earnest.







After a few hours, the ground was covered in sleet, and the road in front of our house was slick. TV reports warned that this weather would continue through the night and into tomorrow. Schools began dismissing early.





When we got back home, there were a couple of messages on our land line phone. One was from a member of our scrapbook club, telling me that her brother (husband of another scrapbook club member) had died of a heart attack Sunday morning. The member, whose husband he was, was in California when this happened, at the bedside of her son, who is dying of cancer.



How on earth will she cope with this? The lady has already lost one husband, and her older son. She is the only survivor of her family now. The other lady, sister of the man who died, lost her husband a little over a year ago, as well as her twin brother during this year.



I called my friend back, and we talked for quite a long time...actually, she talked, and I listened. She said that the family had all gathered in November for her brother's birthday, which he really enjoyed. And then a couple of weekends ago, he went with other family to Branson, coming back, my friend said, looking healthy, rested, and happy.



But this past Sunday morning, the family was due to gather again, and when he didn't show up, his son went to check on him, and found him slumped over on his bed. He had already died. His dying left his son the only remaining member of his immediate family.



Our hearts are heavy for both of our friends.





It continued to sleet throughout the afternoon, so we were glad to be able to stay indoors, where we spent the afternoon making Christmas goodies, including an onion and chive dip, and gingersnap cookies, to be used in food gifts.







While we worked, we distracted ourselves from the bad news of the morning by watching several Christmas shows that I'd recorded on DVR. We saw three episodes of "Frosty the Snowman," and Celtic Woman Christmas.







When the sleet did not stop by 4 p.m., Mother decided to go home while it was still daylight. Hubbie helped her walk from our house to hers, so she wouldn't slip and fall on the icy stuff.





During the evening, I completed addressing my Christmas cards while we watched a couple of more Christmas shows. Then I skimmed through two editions of our local newspaper that I hadn't gotten around to reading last week. The Sunday newspaper is still waiting for me.