Random 5 for December 19 – Christmas, mocha, friends, disruption, trees

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Another weird Christmas – Last year we were packing up to move and clearing out to put the house on the market. While we put up our Christmas decorations, we did so in moderation. The house looked lovely and was snapped up in three days. At the time I thought this year we’d go “all out” (with a curmudgeon like me it’s not all that far out) with the holiday. Maybe host an open house. That is not to be. We have a wreath on the front door and a poinsettia on the coffee table and that’s it. The kitchen is still in construction which means there are kitchen boxes all over. There is no room in the house that wasn’t affected. If it doesn’t have kitchen stuff, it has other things that don’t belong there to make way for storing kitchen stuff. The spiraling covid numbers don’t help either. Maybe next Christmas will be a great celebration. This doesn’t mean we won’t celebrate in some way. I won’t be cooking or baking so no cookies or traditional Austrian pastries. We may have Valentine’s cookies!

The sunny side – This year for the first time, my local Starbucks is open for part of Christmas morning. I normally drove across town for my Christmas mocha. Any place that is open on Christmas (I’m talking food places) is cheery. For Starbucks (at least locally), it’s staffed by volunteers. No one is forced to work. People are nicer around the holiday before they go back to their regular “resting bitch face.”

Another loss – Not a death but I heard from a good friend who was a bestie when I lived in New Jersey. Her husband died two years ago and her daughters are scattered. She is moving to Denver to live near her youngest daughter. It’s a great move. In the past decade we’ve rarely seen each other but we connect by phone or email. I’m still feeling a sense of loss despite the fact that phone/email from Denver looks no different. I loved my time in New Jersey but at this point, all my good friends have moved to other locations.

Outages – We had a major cable outage Friday night. It started after dinner and went on through part of Saturday. The internet didn’t come back until two hours ago. No TV, no phone, no internet. I was reminded how much we depend on these services. Fortunately I had my cell phone so if necessary I could check email. I’m not a big fan of using the cell for anything I have to read because the print is so dang small but it’s great in a pinch.

The trees are gone! – Something that went well this week were our tree trimmers. We had to get three trees completely cut down and one pruned as it was growing into the house. The original owners planted large trees very close to the house. I mean real close. We had a full size maple that was five foot from our foundation. That’s never a good thing. It was sad to see them go. I’m glad that I had planted a large tree in the spring. The birds have something to land on before heading to my feeders.

So how was your week?

53 thoughts on “Random 5 for December 19 – Christmas, mocha, friends, disruption, trees”

  2. It isn’t fun to have a mess in the house. It really won’t be forever, though it may seem like it. Wonderful that you will celebrate Christmas with people you love. I am hopeful about the new year. 2022 will be what we make of it. And you will have a beautiful kitchen!

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  4. Hang in there, Kate! Next year you will once again have a beautiful mantle, a finished lovely kitchen and peace and quiet. Just don’t plan on the reno for the master bath during the holidays! Planting the large tree last Spring was a great idea… have to keep the birds happy.

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  5. I guess focusing on the EVENTUAL return to normalcy at home might be your best gift this Christmas! Not that you aren’t coping – just that you probably are tired of the constant state of flux. Hopefully by NEXT Christmas the world will be a happier, HEALTHIER place and Christmas will be for all of us what we want it to be…….

    Holiday Hugs, Pam and Teddy too

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  7. I’m glad the tree issues got taken care of at least! Hopefully the kitchen will be done sooner rather than later, even if it won’t be done for Christmas. Next Christmas you will be able to have a real blowout celebration 🙂

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  9. You’ll be so happy when your kitchen is done.

    I did some rather nice decorating this year, at least in comparison to last year. But now we’re wondering if all our Christmas plans are falling apart. My grandson in MD sprained or maybe broke his ankle. The weather is turning colder, and a week of snow is predicted–a real worry in Seattle where we’re so hilly and don’t have many snow plows. And now we’re projected to have “2,100 daily omicron cases within the week” in the county, even though we have a vaccination rate of about 80%.

    It’s a shame to lose trees, but people need to think ahead before they plant them so close to the house. I guess it’s hard to imagine what the full-grown tree will look like.

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    • They had a landscaper do it (20 years ago) so I don’t understand why he did that. They usually plant with caution. Sorry about your family plans. Our covid rates are going up and we have a high vaccination rate too. At least our deaths are not going up and most cases are mild.

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  10. I love it that you are so stoic in the face of aggravating changes. Just when I think the world is returning to normal the bottom falls out somewhere…new Covid outbreaks, familiar stores closing, friends moving, losing loved ones, and even weather disasters. Still poinsettias immediately create a festive air and a wreath on the door spells Xmas. You are on the right track.

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  11. Yay for you being able to get your coffee on Christmas morning at your “local”! And being served by people that want to be there and aren’t forced to be there. 🎶Well, the kitchen inside is frightful, but hope the outside will be delightful. So don’t let it snow, don’t let it snow, don’t let it snow! 🎶 (OK, maybe just enough to pretty things up but not enough to impact your coffee run 😁).

    Deb

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  13. I know what you mean about feeling a loss from a friend who moves across country . . . even if contact is mostly through phone/e-mail. Before the move, you know you COULD meet up with them face-to face after a short drive. After the move, you know you are talking a major road trip of a plane ride. They are no longer within “spitting distance.”

    Will you order a special Starbucks on Christmas Morning?

    Oh, Latte Star of Bethlehem
    Cafe in a Manger
    O Come, O Come, Espresso

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  14. It seems like 2021 is almost the invisible year – went so fast upon looking back – and now still treading water with so much.
    Valentine cookies sound lovely. Completely understand how one area re-do covers all the other rooms with stuff! So much stuff out of place.
    A new kitchen will be wonderful
    And maybe more light coming in with the trees trimmed/gone.
    How odd – we lost internet yesterday late after a big storm with a lightning strike rally close somewhere. Like you say, so strange without internet and TV ( cell phones still worked – but those tiny screens are useless to me) It was like back in time…life on the farm HAHA. Go to sleep with the chickens. Back now, happily.
    Hope you have a much merrier week! (and can’t thank you enough for the hint about doggy pads – made those final days so much less stressful for the cat and possible for her to stay with us until she was ready. Thanks )

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  16. That is such a shame about the trees! You aren’t worried about the cats with the poinsettia? I thought they were toxic for kitties? I didn’t put up decs this year. I feel overwhelmed and now Covid again.

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  20. That mantle scene is beautiful (even if it’s from last year, maybe?). I’m not feeling particularly festive this year, as it’s the first Christmas without my mom. The kicker being that her birthday is Christmas Day. 😢
    Hoping your kitchen project starts to wrap up soon.

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    • The mantle is at the old house. We took down the fireplace surround in preparation for a new mantle which hasn’t gone in yet. I’m sorry about your mom. I always miss my mom at Christmas and it wasn’t her birthday. She was the keeper of the traditions. Kitchen? Wrap up? I’m hoping for it to happen in my lifetime!

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  21. In 2020 we were all hoping things would be better in 2021. They are, sort of, but far from settled, just like your kitchen. Here’s hoping 2022 is an improvement.

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