Christmas is not a myth, not a tradition, not a dream.  It is a glorious reality.  It is a time of joy.  Bethlehem's manger crib became the link that bound a lost world to a loving God.  From that manger came a Man who not only taught us a new way of life, but brought us into a new relationship with our Creator.  Christmas means that God is interested in the affairs of people; that God loves us so much that He was willing to give His Son. - Billy Graham

     I watched the Agatha Christie movie early last night – “The Man in the Brown Suit.”  Nothing to do with Christmas but it was entertaining.  I was done with that by 8:30 so I talked with Barbara.  A friend with four wheel drive brought her some milk and told her she had a branch or tree down across the “in” part of her driveway.  She planned to check it out today so we told her to be sure she takes the cell phone with her.  I talked with Nadine tonight and learned that someone broke into her g’daughter Catherine’s house in Oklahoma.  They stole both Catherine’s and Dan’s computers.  Dan’s computer had all their honeymoon pictures so they are distraught over that.  These were very selective burglars because they opened all the presents under the tree and left what they didn’t want.  We also called Jerry, Clint’s helper, and had a nice chat with him.  He was at work at Western State, the mental hospital, and a patient had broken out a window and was trying to escape.  Jerry will always be special to us because of his tender care of Clint.  He is no longer doing the in-home care.  Of course, we always told him he was killing himself working two jobs so we’re happy he’s done with that. 
     I’m reading a book that is set in Charleston, South Carolina.  I was reading along and it said that two of the characters “reached Roper Hospital….”  Clint was there on numerous occasions when we lived in South Carolina.  That is where he had his original brain tumor surgery in September 1976.  He was in there for 60 days while he recovered from the surgery and then had five weeks of radiation. 
     I went to bed around eleven and got up at 7:15.  Yep, the snow was still there!  I called Doris at 7:30.  She is at her mother’s in Pennsylvania.  They already opened their Christmas box so she thanked me for the various little goodies.  Then I opened up one of the four remaining boxes from Linda.  It contained nuts, candy, cookies, etc.  The next box had a pair of house slippers which will be nice when the weather is warmer and I don’t have to wear three pair of socks!  There were three more bottles of macadamia nuts in that box. 
     The eight o’clock news reported several spinouts on Hwy 16, the road we would have to travel had we been able to go to Christmas Day dinner in Port Orchard.  I called Ellen and we had a nice long chat.  She loved the sea shell towels and the spa wrap.  I had to explain what that was and she said it will be perfect for her to wear as a skirt at the beach.  Yet!  She will be going with her husband to have Christmas dinner with his ex-wife and all their kids, grandkids and great-grandkids.
     It was nine o’clock when we got off the phone with Ellen so I figured it was time for a crab and shrimp melt for breakfast.  Ten o’clock rolled around and it was time to hit the shower.  Just as I headed in that direction the phone rang.  It was the folks who live in the new white house just up the hill.  Bill met them awhile back but I haven’t yet.  She said she woke up thinking about us this morning and wanted to make sure we weren’t trapped and in need of something.  Bill assured her that in spite of having to cancel out our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day plans, we had plenty of food and would still have a nice Christmas dinner.  I feel worse about Barbara being totally alone on Christmas Day. 
     I dawdled in the shower, slathering myself with lavender bath wash so I would have a “Clint scent” (the lavender lotion the masseuse used on Clint).  If they had “pizza bath wash” I would REALLY have a Clint scent!    I put on his Snoopy “Ho Ho Ho” Christmas shirt and then I was set for the day.  I called Barbara at 10:30 but got the answering machine.  Then I call Nancy.  They managed to get out a couple of times from where they live.  Now they are pondering whether to go up to Seattle to her brother’s house today.  They had decided not to go but he sounded so disappointed that she thinks they are going to try.  Of course, she says she gets so jittery in the car in this weather she can hardly stand it.  I told her that’s when I knit and don’t look! 
     I got a report on the Angel Card project this morning.  Out of 800 volunteers, 400 had reported the number of cards they sent.  The 400 sent 15,310 cards for 2008.  I pray each person who received a card was touched by it in a special way.
     We talked to Beth today.  As expected they were having a hard time on this first Christmas without Jessie.  Nadine called and it was raining at her house.  She said they were having a quiet day.  I also talked to Barbara who had checked and found that it was just a large branch and some smaller branches that fell across her driveway. 
     We watched the movie “Fred Clause” while dinner cooked.  Dinner was ready about four and our Christmas menu featured Sherried Rabbit.  We prayed over the food and shed tears that Clint wasn’t here with us.  Dinner is over and the dishes are done.  I finished the Lillie sweater and started the Kyler Cardigan pattern.  I’m off to continue relaxing in Clint’s recliner.  I'm sharing a poem that was adapted for Clint from a poem my friend Doris B. wrote for her mother who “moved to Heaven” just before Christmas many years ago.
    

Home for Christmas
   
He went Home for Christmas,
Yet left it all behind;
The tinsel, light, and glitter bright
And gifts of every kind!

He went Home for Christmas
This celebrated day.
Yet those of us who said, “good-bye”
So wished that he would stay!

He went Home for Christmas
While bells of Heaven rang.
The golden gate swung wide for him
And hosts of angels sang!

He went home for Christmas
His humble praise to bring.
Yes, he went Home at Christmas time
For the birthday of his king!

    

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Answers to yesterday’s Christmas Song Puzzle:

1: H Y A M L C= Have yourself a merry little Christmas
2: T F N T A D S= The First Noel
3: G R Y M G L N Y D= God rest ye merry gentlemen
4: I C U A M C= It came upon a midnight clear
5: S N H N A I C A I B=  Silent night, holy

Answers to Unscramble these Christmas Carols!

1.  ATNSA LSUAC SI NCIOMG OT OTNW  Santa Claus is coming to town
2.  KEDC ETH LASHL Deck the Halls
3.  LOPRHDU HTE ERD SNOED EREDIENR    Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer
4.  LIGNEJ SLEBL    Jingle Bells
5.  TORSFY EHT WONASNM   Frosty the Snowman
6.  TINSEL GHINT    Silent Night
7.  HET TILLET MEMRURD OBY    The Little Drummer Boy
8.  IHWTE SARTCMHIS   White Christmas
9.  ODG SETR EY REMRY LETEGNEMN   God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
10. HTE STIRF LONE    The First Noel