The Year That Was

 

 Well, the new year has begun. I'll try to bring you up to date, but most of it is a blur or maybe a bad dream. On Saturday everyone vacated the house so I could make my traditional Caramel corn, secret till Christmas. First of all the popcorn popper we finally got from Amazon overheated and shut down on the first try, so there goes their Christmas present and now I had to find equipment to pop it on the stove. I eventually got it all popped, the sauce made (ingredients I brought from Canada), and the hour of baking and stirring done. It cooled and was tucked away before their return. I also had to wrap the 7 gifts we got for our stocking game so no one would know what was in them. 

 I had mentioned a cold in the past weeks but I was still functioning fine. I don't know what happened but Sunday I woke up in chills and couldn't get warm. David covered me with every blanket and eventually I got really warm, but felt better. 

We made our way by bus to Sam's house for raclette. --A modern way of serving raclette involves an electric table-top grill with small pans, known as coupelles, in which slices of raclette cheese are melted.^[7] This new way has been used since the 1950s. Generally the grill is surmounted by a hot plate or griddle. In Switzerland the electrical raclette is called "raclonette". The device is put in the middle of the table. The cheese is brought to the table sliced, accompanied by platters of boiled or steamed potatoes, other vegetables, and charcuterie (various meats). These are then mixed with potatoes and topped with cheese in the small wedge-shaped coupelles that are placed under the grill to melt and brown the cheese. Alternatively, slices of cheese may be melted and simply poured over food on the plate. --

I'm not really sure what was served as I slept a bit and then sat on the couch and enjoyed them enjoying themselves. Got to see Sam's apartment. We then helped them with all their stuff and we moved back to our place for the evening, needing to get there before the buses stopped. We played some games but I didnt last late.

The kids did well and I think we started to come alive around 8.  Karen mixed cinnamon buns and then we did the stocking game. I was doing okay to sit there and take part. Each person started with a gift and then with a deck of cards it was determined to pass left(black) or right(red) the number of places on the card that each person flipped in turn. But, if you got 10 or face you could choose to open or have someone else open. A 7 allowed you to switch spots in the circle if you thought that was strategic. With a joker you could take your gift and leave. When we'd gone through the whole deck you could keep what you had or bargain and bribe to get what you wanted. That was fun to listen to and Karen got some dish washing out of Sam and Cheryl. I think everyone was pleased with what they finally came away with thanks to David's excellent shopping choices. 

Then we went on with the circulating and opening gifts with an intermission for cinnamon buns.

A very few captured shots because your photographer was well below par--

the gifts for stocking game

Joanna's smart watch

David's fold in duffle bag

Sam and Cheryl's portable record player

Tedy's b-ball to go with his sneakers

A magnetic poster for Joanna's room

the light Tedy got in the stocking game

Christmas dinner smelled good and was fabulous, thanks to chef Dave and I did manage to eat a little of everything. I hung in there but went to bed before others.

The exhausted chef in his new shirt and 

hat he won in the stocking game 

Sam and Cheryl left early next morning as he had to work. I began my sojourn of days in bed. They made some soup later in the day and I had a bit of that. David reached his doctor but he was on holiday till Tues. 2nd. We decided it was possibly bronchitis so D & K went to a pharmacyto describe and see what to get. They came back with pills for bronchitis, nasal spray, and cough syrup, which I have been taking faithfully. Every day I'm up and down but mostly low. Don't feel like eating, try to stay hydrated, don't even feel like reading. . .shocking!

I now have an appointment for Wed. 3rd.  It's definitely sinusitis as my right ear is totally plugged and maybe pneumonia (I've never had it so no way to tell) but it hurts to breathe deep and when I cough ( thankfully not often).

But, I can't leave out the amazing Chinese buffet David prepared for New Years. I was in a good phase to so played games and ate a bit.

 far end

We noised in the new year and then I soon retired for the night.

And so, another fresh slate, another opportunity to hope and plan and dream and challenge yourself. I wish you all successes with those dreams and goals. May this be the year to attain some new accomplishment that you never imagined you could.

Go with God and all will be well.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14 NIV)