The Christmas Letter

This is not the traditional Christmas letter but a little update on the family.

Peter has a job.  He is a Courtesy Clerk at a Kroger grocery store.  In  a nut shell he bags, gathers carts, mops and cleans bathrooms.  I think the title is funny considering "courteous" is not how I describe Peter.  None the less he has had the job 2 weeks and as far as I can tell is fulfilling his roll.  I actually saw him interact with folks at the bank yesterday and was assured that the 2 years of Military School had not been in vain.  When required he does pull out those manners, shaking hands and saying mam and sir.  It is actually quite impressive.  I trust he is using those good manners at work and that he will continue to receive hours after the holidays.  It isn't the most convenient location but I am happy he has a job so willing to make necessary trips.  And we have the help of Mama Millie as well. He is pretty excited about the first paycheck.  He had the bank clerk give him a $100 bill so he could take a picture of it.  Then he traded it in for $20 bills because he owed me money.

Mom and Dad are doing well.  Dad actually is probably the best he has been in over a year.  He has aches and pains but his mind is pretty sharp. He walks the neighborhood several times a day weather permitting and works on his word find books.  I realized how well he was doing when the other night he was meddling in my business. He had not done that in awhile.  Mom continues to busily go here and there.  She spends a lot of time driving Dad and Peter, doing her volunteer work and being awesome.  Mom and Dad have taken a variety of trips this fall.  Presently they are talking about where to go next.

We anticipated that this Christmas might be tough as it was the first one without Larry. Mom and I have participated in several activities specifically to commemorate Larry.  We attended the Love Lights Ceremony at the local hospital.  This event supports Hospice and was a sweet remembrance service.  She and I also attended the Living Christmas Tree at her church.  Larry loved that event.  Attending it last year was actually his last fun outing from the nursing home. (The Nursing Home was quarantined last Christmas and he was not able to be with us Christmas day.)  The year before, I think Larry went to three performances of The Living Christmas Tree.  So although I have not been a regular attender of the event, Mom and I made an appoint to attend it this year "for Larry." Today Mom and I went to the nursing home to visit some of the nurses and residents.  It was the first time I had been back since Larry's death.  Though I wasn't sure I could do it when we first got there, it was a sweet visit.  Though I have not been particularly emotional about Larry throughout the holiday season, today was harder than I anticipated.  I just found myself a little on edge emotionally and kind of unmotivated.  I think that for me  grief's greatest effect has been in my feeling unmotivated to do things I might otherwise do.  I trust it will pass with time. 

 

So that's the Plants Status Report for the Holiday Season.

 

Merry Christmas to You and Your Family.