Christmas Eve

We drove to the bike path and the beach, and stopped at Eastman’s for keys, a bow saw and clamp.  At Falmouth Heights, we checked out the function room at Casino Wharf and picked up a gift certificate for Candy and John at the BBC.

Ron set up the mitre saw and fixed the book case in our room.  I’ve hit my head on it twice so he removed all the excess wood on the top.

I threw a chicken in the rotisserie for a late lunch, wrapped presents and immolated some wings.

Had Peter, Bonnie and the kids over for dinner.  Pot roast, squash, green beans, salad, and they brought apple pie and ice cream.

Christmas Shopping

Yesterday, I made bread and granola, booked an appointment with our attorney, spoke with our investment manager about 2010 contributions to the kids’ 529 accounts and did laundry.

Ron got acquainted with the water shutoffs and the fuse box, replaced the furnace filter, started troubleshooting a problem with the lights in the bathroom, refilled the bird feeder and shoveled off the deck.

I also made us late for a Harvard-Pilgrim seminar on Medicare supplements by asking to drop off Christmas lights from Franklin Street at the St. Vincent DePaul thrift store and by messing up the address.

Just as well.  The information was pretty much a duplicate of what we’d heard earlier in the week, and we were spared a droning monologue by another attendee, part of which we listened to while waiting for a private meeting with the H-P representative.

We stopped at Home Depot for a few items, including a gift certificate for Peter and Bonnie, then picked up gift certs for the kids at Borders plus some cheeses and other good things at Trader Joe’s.

We took the back roads home to avoid traffic and to drop off a Christmas gift to the Robbins children.  Saw Jeremy, who looks very much like his Mom.

By that time, it was too late to stop at Town Hall.  Next week.

Supper was cheese and crackers and Medjool dates stuffed with melted Manchego.

We talked about visiting Nova Scotia, where Ron has been told that everyone looks like him.  Could be interesting!

Bored of the Rings

The wedding ring saga continues, with yet another disappointment.  Trying to find something we like in our size that’s reasonably priced has become not a lot of fun but rather a bloody bore.

Yesterday, while Mr. Fluffles was being groomed, we checked out a furniture store in Teaticket and then went across the bridge to a jeweler in Buzzards Bay to look at wedding bands.  Our generous friend Candy gave us her old ring for trade.

Unfortunately, we weren’t impressed by the offer we got or the selection.

We did get cheap gas in Wareham, some nice gourmet treats at Mazilli’s, and a few more items at Job Lot.

Back on Cape, we picked up Fluffles, had lunch at the house, then hustled over to Edgewater to load up the truck for a transfer station run.  Made it with about four minutes to spare.

On the way back, we stopped at Town Hall so we could see what the Mass. version of a marriage license application and certificate look like.  Our excellent Town Clerk offered to phone her counterpart in Washoe County to see if anything could be done to get me a document with my first name and Ron’s surname.

By evening it had started snowing again, but we went out anyway to deliver Mary’s Black & Decker jar opener and Cathy’s bowl.  We picked up a a pair of bedroom slippers for Ron, too.

Frozen

I’m afraid Ron won’t move here from California, that whatever is here won’t be good enough, or that Malevolence or the Fates will keep us separated.  It’s like being crushed by a glacier.  And every so often, he’ll say something that is so uniquely Ron that it tears into my heart because I might never see him again.

It’s an adoptee thing.

Shortest Day, Longest Night

Ron and I packed a lot into yesterday, the shortest day of the year.

I was up at 4 and got oatmeal started in the slow cooker.  After breakfast, Ron shoveled out the driveway while I cleared the back stairs and the truck.

We drove to the Sheraton in Hyannis for a Blue Cross/Blue Shield seminar on Medicare and their plans.  The speaker was excellent and we picked up a stack of printed plan descriptions and applications.

We stopped for lunch at Lambert’s, then dropped by the Sears outlet on Phinney’s Lane and the Sears store.  We found a great bathrobe and flannel pajamas on sale for Ron.

After that, we drove to the Barnstable County Registry of Deeds & Probate Building to pick up the can opener I won in a raffle for Mary.

I wanted Ron to see 6A.  We stopped at Sturgis Library, the oldest public library in the country and at the Friends meetinghouse in Sandwich, the oldest continuous Quaker meeting in North America.  We saw Lori at Lavender Moon and got cider and apples at Crow Farm.  We drove through Sandwich Center and picked up chicken pie at the Sandwich Lamberts, then shortbread at MacKillop’s in Forestdale.

I fell asleep very early.  We skipped supper.

Best Christmas Present

Ron is here!

We’re in the midst of a snow storm that started around 6 last (Sunday) night. And rather than being in Berkeley or on a plane, Ron is here; I’m waiting for him to wake up.

I was able to book him the last seat on the US Airways red eye from SFO, landing at Logan at 6 am yesterday.

It was a clear day and an easy drive to Logan and back to Mashpee.  Needless to say, I’m absolutely thrilled to not have to do that run this morning.

I’d planned a Christmas luncheon for “the girls”, and Ron graciously agreed to let me go ahead with plans.

As always, we had a terrific time with lots of good conversation and great gifts, and everyone got home well before the snow started.

Later, we dropped by to see Candy and John, cleaned up the kitchen and set up Ron’s computer.

Volunteer

Not to toot my own horn (well, maybe a little), I’ve done volunteer work every year of my life since I was about 15.

This year, the main projects were my personal STEM initiative Mentor TechWorks, Highfield Hall in Falmouth, Hope In Bloom, a Microsoft-sponsored event New England Give Camp and judging for NCWIT‘s Aspirations in Computing and Odyssey of the Mind.

Right now, I’m working on a database project for a terrific local organization that cares for stray and feral cats, NESAA.

I only wish that Ron and I were wealthy enough to be able to give money as generously as we’d like to these and other very worthy organizations.