Uncertainty plagues non-traditional Christmas

Only a few more days to Christmas. The packages have been mailed. There is a chance that they will get to their destination on time. I usually have good luck with the post office but the way this year is going all bets are off.

Last January I told my brothers that I was done with presents for them. None of us knows what the others actually want. It is a waste of time and money to buy something that will get tossed aside.

I bought stuff for my daughter, the grandkids and my hubby. As usual I also bought something for me. I am now the proud owner of a pair of sneakers that don’t have any holes in them. The old, holey ones will be saved for working outside. My other present to myself is a set of note cards. They are small enough for short notes to friends and family. In case you were wondering I am one of those people who still writes letters by hand and sends Christmas cards. I also use social media to keep track of family who live on the other side of the country.

I didn’t put up a tree this year. I tend to wait until the last moment to find a cut tree because that is when they are marked down. That backfired this year because my favorite place to buy a tree sold the last one the day before. They did have two live trees that were balled and burlapped but we don’t have a good place to plant them. Not having a real tree probably means we won’t be tempted to sing, “Oh, Christmas Tree.” I do have some little craft-sized trees and they will have to do.

Maybe I should have saved that silver tree that Mom had. As usual, hindsight is 20/20. Not having a real tree means that I don’t have to sweep up lingering needles in the middle of the summer. I also don’t have to run the sweeper in the car, followed by using the lint roller over any fuzzy services, and concluding with picking needles out of the carpet.

Apparently, Christmas trees in Texas are more vicious than the ones in Indiana. My daughter said that she got a rash any time she was near the tree. As if that wasn’t bad enough, she picked up one of the presents and the tree stabbed her in the eye. She went to the eye doctor and they prescribed eye drops to help heal the minor scratch on her cornea. After three days her eye was mostly healed.

The pandemic is getting a little too close for comfort. Locally, my friend and her husband have both recovered from the virus. They were both extremely careful to follow the guidelines. They wore masks more often than the Lone Ranger used to. They washed their hands often. They stayed home where possible. They kept away from others. They contracted the disease anyway.

My last remaining aunt and her sister are in a California hospital fighting the virus. From what I can glean from assorted posts and conversations on Facebook, my Aunt Carol is doing better than her sister. The doctors have said that if Aunt Carol can manage to take her medicines properly they will release her because they need the beds. They are also considering releasing her sister if she improves.

Aunt Carol had been talking about moving in with her son, Norm and his wife, Karen. Aunt Carol had put some of her belongings into a storage locker in preparation for the move. The locker was broken into and she lost a lot of her mementos. She can’t complete the move until both she and her sister are well. Living with Norm has been put on hold. Karen’s doctor has told her that she has a heart problem and shouldn’t be anywhere near anyone with the virus. It sounds like Aunt Carol is in California for the duration.

This Christmas will be as unique as the rest of the year has been. It is a good thing that Santa, the elves and the reindeer are all immune from any type of aliment. Santa has been maintaining social distancing as much as possible just in case.

Santa has asked for his own present this year. He wants us to show more compassion.

A happy Christmas to all and to all a good night.