merry christmas and all that...

This will most likely be my last post until after Jan 1. Today is the last day of school at DC3 and hopefully, I'm headed north, to Colby. Snow is in the forecast, in fact, DC got a trace of snow last night. In Big E, all we had was heavy heavy dense thick pea-soup fog. I drove in that fog until I came up out of the Big Basin. Then, it was hazy and slight fog, but not the heavy stuff where you are afraid to drive very fast cause you can't see a foot in front of your headlights. (Remember, I told you the Basin was a weather line...) Come to think of it, I'll bet what I thought was frost on the grass, north of the basin, was probably snow.

I told Kev, on the phone last night, that I was coming home come hell or high water...or high snowdrifts; whichever is more appropriate. I need my family. It's become a physical need, I ache to see them, to hug them, to just visit with them. While I've spoken to Kev about 3 times each day, and Kat at least once, I haven't been able to talk to Andy. He's been at practice or school every time I've called home, so I need to talk to him and see him.

What's made this whole separation work as well as it has is the simple fact that I've had my parents so close. When I've gotten lonely for a loving face, I've had them to go to. They have been my lifeline these past six weeks. They really have.

Last night, Dad and I made supper. He was hungry for scrambled eggs and bacon, so I took over my eggs and bacon and cheese to use, since I'm leaving today. We cooked together and ate and visited. Then, after supper, Mom and I made bath bombs. They are a Christmas gift for her girlfriends, the gals in her local "red hat" group. I had the fixins, cause I made these a couple times each year for myself and for my friends. I didn't have my recipe last night, so we winged it. And, we got it right! We made rain scented bombs and cranberry bombs and lemon bombs. We colored them green, red and yellow. They looked and smelled wonderful. The best part was the fun Mom and I had mixing them, trying to find pans to set them on to dry, keeping our hands away from our faces...

You see, bath bombs are made of citric acid and baking soda. Citric acid is what candy makers use to make those sour candies like sour straws and warheads. Citric acid is that powder that is on the outside of all these candies that makes you pucker. So, we'd have citric acid AND baking soda on our hands, wipe our faces, or touch our mouths and, whoo whee, was that ever tangy and sour! And we'd laugh, and talk and laugh and talk. It was wonderful.

But, today, today I am going home. Home to my children and to my better half and I'll feel and be complete again. Weather permitting, we'll get a truck next Friday and will pull into Bucklin that afternoon, our new home. Hopefully, this move will be a good move for us, changes for all of us and i hope and pray that these changes make us all stronger and better people, together as a family, and individually.

See you all in January!

the joy of hotel beds

I've spent the last two nights in hotels. Monday night, it was sleeting and icing. We winded up with an inch of ice on everything. While the roads in town weren't bad, I think I made the right decision. I spent last night in a hotel because...well, while the storm stopped, the streets and roads were very icy and slick. The temperature last night got down to 16 degrees and that meant that highways which were wet during the daytime, would freeze overnight.

On Monday night, I stayed at a new hotel in town, not far from the college. I picked it because of it's location to the school--less driving in hazardous conditions for me. And, since the college was uphill, I wanted as little driving as possible. This hotel was so comfortable and nice, wonderful soft bed, nice pillows--4 to a bed. It had a fleece blanket and very soft sheets. The tub was long enough for me to stretch out and the plug actually held the water in the tub, so I filled it up, and relaxed in a nice hot bath. I had an alarm clock that I set and I slept pretty well, waking up at 6 a.m. just like normal.

Last night, I opted for a cheaper hotel. I went cheaper primarily because Kev went ballistic when I told him my room the night before was $100. He went on and on about how, whenever he stays in a hotel, it never costs any more than $75.00. I pointed out that he doesn't usually stay in a touristy town, but stayed in small towns with only one or 2 hotels.

He didn't buy it.

So, being the kind and considerate wife I am, I went cheaper. I went to an older hotel and got a room. This hotel is a "convention" center. But...it's seen happier days. My room, while ok, was in the back 40. The desk clerk told me to drive around to the back and to enter door #4. So, I drove around back, but door #4 wasn't marked and I noted that the parking lot was higher than the hotel and all steps leading to the building were ice covered. Not a good sign.

I drove back around front and decided to go through the lobby. My room number was 840. But I wasn't on the 8th floor, there are only 2 floors. I was on the main floor. I found the odd numbers of the 800's, but no even numbers. So, I went up a short flight of stairs and down a hallway, where I found another hallway. I trudged down this second hallway and found the even numbered rooms. Yep, the back 40. My heater had one setting, high. The tub wouldn't hold water. The pillows were thin, worn, and flat. I used three to sleep on, that's how thin they were. The bed...well, the bed wasn't a new mattress and sagged. I woke up at 3:30 and 4:30 and 5:00 and gave up at 5:44.

Today, I'm tired and I hurt. I have a kink in my neck and back. I'm going home tonight though--come hell or ice, I'm going to sleep in a bed that's comfortable. No more hotels for me.

"weather" or "weather" not

I'm trying to decide what to do.

You see, the weather forecast isn't good. We're supposed to have freezing rain and snow starting this afternoon and on through the night. Tomorrow's forecast is for snow.

I can:

• drive to Big E tonight and hope and pray that I can get here tomorrow.
• stay in a hotel room tonight here in DC, ensuring I can be at work by 7:30 a.m.
• drive to Big E and get stuck there tomorrow, which would leave no one to work at the library.

Then there's tomorrow...

• I can plan to drive home tomorrow night on slick and icy roads.
• I can plan on spending the night again in a hotel.
• I can be stuck in Big E till Wednesday.

I just don't know what to do. I have to decide though before I leave here tonight. I'm guessing that I'll get a hotel tonight, but...well, we all know weather. It might not DO anything at all, and then I'd be out $80 for a hotel room that I didn't need. But, I'd save $30 on gas too. And, then tomorrow, do I plan for the worst and go ahead and get a room, or risk it and drive. I'll wait till tomorrow, because...well, you never know when it comes to weather.

**********

I didn't get to go home to see my family this past weekend--because of weather. I stayed in Big E, alone and lonely. Well, sort-a.

Mom and I drove to DC on Saturday and I ordered my new refrigerator. We did a small amount of shopping, but not much. Then we drove home. I'd stopped at Blockbusters and rented some movies to watch, so when we got home, I watched one. Then I got ready for Big E's Christmas potluck. Mom told me to walk over to their house around 6 and I could ride up to the school house with Daddy. (The school house is now the community center. The school closed in 1970 when Englewood consolidated with Ashland.) So, around 6, I drove over to Mom and Dad's house--no one was home. They'd already gone up to the school house--without me!

I got myself there just fine. Because the weather was nasty, the numbers of people at the party was pretty small. I think we counted 32 people. And, I was the youngest adult there. There were 3 kids there, but they came with their grandparents. I was surprised at the number of people who I didn't know! I mean, the total population of Englewood is 60 people--not counting those who live in the country, so add another 30 to the area population. But, I'd guess there were 10 people I did not know. (Some drove over from Ashland and some are recent "emigrants" to town.) Unbelievable! That's 1/3 of the total group! But, I had a nice time visiting with those I did know. But...most of them are getting old and are looking old. They should still be in their 40's - 70's; just like they were when I lived there!

On Sunday, I watched more movies and went to Mom and Dad's to do my laundry and just hung out with them for the afternoon. I feel just like a college student again.

So, while I missed my kids and my husband terribly, it wasn't a bad weekend at all...

The Big Basin

While I'm really getting tired of my 53 mile and 1 hour drive one way each day, I always look forward to driving through the Big Basin.

The Basin is a large sink hole. It's a mile in diameter and about 100 feet deep. The walls are very steep. The State owns 2/3 of the Big Basin and have a prairie preserve on it with a herd of buffalo. The buffalo don't spend a lot of time down in the basin, and it's always a treat to see them. I've seen them in the bowl of the basin twice in the 6 weeks I've been driving. Yesterday, some of the bachelor bulls were in the basin grazing. They are huge!

I like the Basin. It's beautiful. When I was a little girl, I used to imagine seeing the Indians swoop down the hills into the basin to attack a wagon train. Something about that terrain just always make me think of the Indians and horses and buffalo. I also used to imagine building a house on the north east side of the basin. The house would be down on the side of one of the hills facing the basin. I imagined sitting and looking out southwest facing windows watching the sun set, overlooking the basin itself. I'd still like to live there...if the State didn't own it and if I could own it.

Legend has it, that when they built the original highway through the basin, that some of the large equipment fell further down in more sinkholes. I don't know if that's true, but that's the story we all heard as kids. It could be true, as there is a small wetlands area on the west side, and since this is one big sinkhole, it could still sink.

The basin is kind of a weather changing area. By that, I mean the weather on the north side of the basin might be better or worse than it is on the south side. And, during the winter, the road through the basin can be pretty nasty. I don't know why, but the weather from the beginning of that mile across the bottom of the basin can be completely different than the weather at the end of that mile.

Yes, there is a "Little Basin". It's south east of the Big Basin and is the home of St. Jacob's Well, a natural spring that was used by the cowboys during cattle drives. They'd leave the Cimarron River in the morning and drive cattle up to the Well then on up to Dodge the next day. St. Jacob's Well has never gone dry. Never. We went down there one summer several years ago. You drive on the Preserve around the Big Basin and park and walk down to the Well. It's not an easy walk. Personally, I didn't think I'd want to drink the water there...it was covered in cottonwood leaves and cotton pods and was rather nasty looking to my mind. But, I'm sure to cattle and cowboys, it looked wonderful. It's fenced off from the Buffalo now, to keep the water "clean" and to protect those hikers who venture down. Buffalo are tempermental and very dangerous.

Anyway, I digressed a little. The Basin is my favorite part of my drive and probably the only part I'll miss. I'll be driving one more week, then we'll move into our new house and I'll have a much shorter drive, and more importantly, my family will be with me again.

(The attached photo is of the basin It's taken from the highway looking southeast. I borrowed it from http://www.naturalkansas.org/) And, a note. For some reason, my formatting didn't come out right on this. I left blank lines between the paragraphs, I swear I did...Someone doesn't like me today...)

Things about Christmas...

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both. I don't mind wrapping nice neat boxes, but anything else, gimme a bag.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. But I might think about a real one next year since we'll be close to the farm and can just cut a ceder tree...we'll see, haven't run that by Kev yet. On the other hand, Mom offered me her tree--6.5 foot with fiber optic lights...

3. When do you put up the tree? I usually do it Thanksgiving weekend. But with the move and all, we didn't put anything up. I did bring our tree to the College Library cause their tree fell down when we tried to set it up.

4. When do you take the tree down? January 1. The 6th at the latest.

5. Do you like egg nog? Yes, I do. I made some last year, but put to much rum into it. Undrinkable. Kev and Andy like that store bought stuff.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I really can't think of one gift that stands out. So, I'm going to go with all the homemade gifts that Grandma W. made me over the years. She'd embroidery pillowcases or tea towels or she's crochet pillows or blankets or rugs. Always something different, but always special.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes. I have at least 2, maybe more. One is Miss Kat's, one is one that I made in High School.

8. Hardest person to buy for? Kevin's folks and my folks and the grandparents.

9. Easiest person to buy for? This year, it was the menfolk. But usually it's Miss Kat. It's becoming harder to buy for Andy too. I like to get special gifts, something that you wouldn't normally buy, but also something that you need. I have to be practical!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? What are these? Are they something I should be sending out to people? Really? I like getting them, but hate sending them. This year, well, don't be lookin' for one, cause it just ain't happenin!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Gosh, maybe those crotchless pantyhose? Yeah, that's it. (You can read about it in the January 06 archive if you missed the crotchless pantyhose story.

12 . Favorite Christmas movie? It's a Wonderful Life.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? No particular time, I usually start thinking about it in September. This year, it's haphazard at best. I'm thinkin' that everyone will be getting jars of pickles, jelly or salsa. So don't be disappointed gang!

14 . Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope, don't think so. Can't remember doing so anyway!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mom's pecan pie. It's not as sweet as most pecan pies.

16 . Clear lights or colored on the tree? Colored

17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Whichever. I like having family come to our house, and I like going to their house. I just really like being with family.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Yes.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Neither. I usually don't put anything on top. Mainly because most of my ornaments are Garfield ones and...well, I haven't found a star that I like and an angle surrounded by a fat orange cat seems...wrong.

21 . Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? I think Kev and I both grew up with the tradition to open the presents on Christmas morning. We let the kids open one on Christmas eve though. But, we usually have 3 different Christmas celebrations, so it's often the week before, the week after, and Christmas day.

22 . Most annoying thing about this time of year? The mass of people shopping every weekend.

23. Favorite Christmas ornament? I think all my Garfield ornaments are special. Guess I don't have a favorite one.

24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? Dessert