My daughter was here for a few days before Christmas, and her daughter and family came on Christmas Eve for overnight. The kids piled out and exclaimed for joy, “There’s Kit Kat!” Last summer they brought us two cats which wouldn’t stay home. Worried about coyotes, they asked us to take them. I told them that between owls, eagles, and coyotes, we don’t have much luck keeping cats and sure enough, Kit Kat disappeared within a couple of weeks. But here he was, to greet the former owners. They called it a Christmas miracle, and I guess it qualifies; there’s no understanding the homing instinct of animals.
Christmas Day was full of joyful activity, with family filling our small space. Our adopted family came during the morning, to exchange gifts, and the young people brought their guitars. My grandson in law had his along, and Bruce got his out, so we had quite a concert. That routine is becoming a treasured tradition.
Everyone departed by mid-afternoon so as to get home by dark, loaded with leftovers; no need to cook supper. Bruce and I crashed in our recliners and the dogs found their beds. We read, napped, and watched some TV, but the dogs didn’t awake for several hours. Maybe it’s not just the old folks that need peace and quiet.
The meadow is full of more company now; thousands of geese graze there, and spend part of their days on the lake. Grouse appear in the yard and lane most days, and pay little attention to our coming and going. We are deep into the annual cleanup of files, and preparation of tax information for the accountant. Not a job I enjoy, but it feels good when done.
We don’t make a big deal of New Years, but I like to spend the time reflecting on what worked and what didn’t, what needs to change, and whether I’m willing to make commitments to change. New Years resolutions aren’t part of that, but this year we agreed on one which will likely be met with resistance and wailing. We’ve thought about this for a long time, and are prepared to stand firm. Perhaps it will result in less company, but not a lot of folks are willing to torture their vehicles with our road conditions anyway. We’ve always felt cheated by the amount of time that much of our company spends on their phones, and the fact that our wi-fi locks us out and asks for the passwords of visitors instead. This is our turf, and we get to make the rules. What works for public schools and businesses can just as well be implemented here.
There will be a basket by our front door, (which is really the back, but nobody arrives at the other one.) The basket will have this sign.
Please deposit your cell phone here if you are staying more than an hour. Exceptions for clergy, EMT and medical persons on call. We ask visitors to go outdoors to smoke, and prefer that you take your phone business outdoors too, so we can be truly present to one another during your visit. Thanks for honoring our time together.
Meet me here next week and meanwhile, do your best to be present to one another. Somebody might like it.