Hey there! It's 8:23 AM EST, 27°F, overcast. Snow and ice expected later today.
Son2 and his GF left around 9AM to return to her home and have Christmas with her kids and family. DW and I settled in and opened our gifts to each other. I got her a pair of earrings (she loves earrings), a keychain flashlight, a makeup case, a handmade salad bowl, and a refurbished Apple Watch Series 6 so she can have the latest OS and the ECG function. I bought a refurbished one because she would have balked at having the latest and greatest due to the price, so when I told her it was refurbished and in excellent shape, she was more willing to accept it. It's an update from the Apple Watch SE she had. I got a new wool cap, two ditty bags for traveling, and some fancy carabiners for camping and traveling. And before he left, Son2 handed us each $500 checks from his side business. DW was so surprised she burst out in tears that her son was giving her "so much money." I think he was very happy to see his mom's reaction. We gave him the original seed money for his business, so this was our return on investment!
I took some time to set up her new watch, and we replaced the band. Then we spent the rest of the day relaxing. I watched cricket, took a nap in the middle of it. She watched some of her shows. We had some bacon-wrapped filet mignons we got from a mail order steakhouse for dinner, complete with mussels in white wine broth as an appetizer, and a baked potato. Then I settled in for the evening with my new book, and did some additional research on portable solar power. I would like to build one of those portable handtruck solar rigs, but I will wait until the coming spring when we return from AZ. I'll need to see where the finances are once we spend the money to go west. Bedtime was 11:10PM
Another holiday season survived! This one was quiet and not too stressful, but somehow I feel that there is change in the wind. Son2 didn't come home for Thanksgiving because of his new GF, and next year she's already invited us to her house for 7 Fishes. I've never been an enthusiastic fan of the holiday season, but I do like to keep some small traditions. I sense as I age, however, that these will begin to fall to the wayside. I remember the day my father said that the family Thanksgiving dinner would no longer be held at his house, as it was too much work for him and my mom. I'm right at that same age, and while this year the work was significantly reduced, it still can get to you, especially DW. We shall see where we land next year.
'Til We Meet Again!