Decorations of Blue

So it is Christmas. I think there is a song title there by some one I have heard. One of those Rosie’s Christmas things or some melody sung by pop singers who are past their prime.

I sit at the moment with Summit’s ear flopped over my computer. She is helping me type at least two papers. She has been a good helper girl. Heidi is on her way in from Chicago where it was 18 degrees and snowy. It is far from that here. This time last year I was in the midst of the first year franticness. I do not miss that. I don’t have exams but I do have enough papers for a small book. And that is fine. I prefer it that way. AR and Lyndsey promised me it would be this way but I didn’t believe them. I need to stop that cause they haven’t led me astray as yet.

The tree is up and Heidi is planning on baking cookies this Saturday. That will be a fete considering our world’s smallest kitchen. It got done last year but not without great consternation and gnashing of teeth. Soon enough we will reconfigure it, we hope. It is a little different this year. We are without Casey. It has been a full year now since he died. We still think of him in his fuzzy glory. And the sweetest kisses ever. I think he has re-incarnated himself in Summit at times as she has adapted (quite well actually) to life without him. She misses her buddy and still perks up a bit if she hears us mention his name.

And Heidi truly misses her boy. He was there at every turn during the last round of cancer. Always present and always knowing the best thing for the best momma. We are about to begin chemotherapy. A long course but one that promises to be a bit less intense with regard to side effects. We are taking a wait and see attitude on that one. There are a lot of miles to go before we sleep. But we have put up the tree and decorated the house albeit with a little less enthusiasm than previous years. The hope remains. The lights were a little brighter as we talked our way through the various travel ornaments as we decorated.

“Remember when we didn’t take snacks on the trip to Dahlonega?! Never doing that again!” (Dahlonega, GA Fall of 2004)

“How was it that the Apollo spacecraft landed again? Won’t it fit in our living room?” (Washington DC 1999)

“We never really went into the White House you know!” (ditto)

“But there is only one Mickey Mouse..well two really.” (Disney World, FL May 2005)

“Ah, the margaritas on the beach! YES!” (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico March 2004)

“MIND THE GAP… and which way do I look again?” (London, England May 2007)

“They were just socks!” (The Hermitage Nashville, TN December 2005)

“The BARN!! Where are the barns!” (See Rock City, Chattanooga, TN March 1998)

And there are others. And there will be more.

I hope.