Christmas Past

We're half way through the holiday season -- and, it's been an interesting one. I am mostly recovered from the deadly croup although The Phenom has developed it and much of my time is spent spooning crushed ice into the Phenom's mouth or holding up glasses of gatorade for the Phenom to sip or thinking up what unusual food stuff might appeal to the Phenom. The rice with broth was a bust - but the chocolate milkshake was a hit.

I did take the slowing down of the commercial world as an opportunity to visit the old folks. The male old folk had a medical event during the visit and it was rather frightening. I know I've commented before that they are aging rapidly. It seems that the last year has really taken it's toll on them. I suspect more than the passage of time, the toll was really from dramas within the family -- the everyday worry of parental humans. The old woman once told me that she can sense when one of her children is hurting. I actually have witnessed her spend a day or two scratching her palms and wondering aloud which child needed her and hoping someone would call -- and generally - one of them would.

There was the human process of giving and receiving of gifts. This seems to cause all sorts of concern - the cryptic process of determining what a person might like and then obtaining it. I have a relation who is fond of the homemade gift, and I'm beginning to think this may be the best sort of gift. I received a lovely knitted hat from this relation. I made several beaded necklaces for various female relations. The Phenom presented me with a wonderful fancy watch and even managed to find one with a band that fits my rather oversized arms while also maintaining flash and style.

I made two chocolate pies for the family - which were heartily enjoyed.

Next in the festival of winter fun is celebrating the New Year. Humans are particularly interested in marking the passage of time and find all sorts of ways to keep track of time -- there are calendars, anniversaries of events large and small and personal and global, birthdays, holidays, and every year celebrations of "new years." The Phenom and I generally spend the new year holiday with old friends - eating, talking, laughing, and drinking alcoholic beverages on the evening before the New Year. On the New Year, we return to our friends' home to share in a wonderous meal. I think there is some pause given, individually, to reflecting on the past year and creating wishes and hopes for the new year.

I approve of this time given to looking back and applying lessons learned to the future. This new year has afforded me the opportunity to find closure on a troubling series of events in the past year. It is far to complex and not nearly amusing enough to report details - only to say that karma has borne out once again. Also, I will be starting the new year freeing myself of the steriods that I've been taking for several years now -- which leaves me hopeful that I will once again be able to enjoy a return to a level of physical activity I've been missing. However, what is troubling is that I have let another year pass in which I have not yet achieved a specific goal I set for myself several years ago.

Human cultures the world over prize treats made of deep fried dough. Nearly every culture has some sort of fried dough that is usually consumed as a celebatory treat. Humans in the United States have something called a Krispy Kreme doughnut. I've had straight Krispy Kremes -- and filled ones. I am told that the real treat is to eat straight Krispy Kremes when they are hot from the boiling oil. I have seen human eyes glaze over while describing the joy of a "hot krispy kreme." A very good friend of mine (miss grassy creek) once said that her idea of the perfect date was to sit outside a Krispy Kreme shoppe with a gallon of cold milk and wait for the "hot sign" to come on. I have endeavored to try this delicacy -- but have for several years now, failed in my quest. Perhaps 2006 will be my year of the Hot Krispy Kreme.