It is the type of cold where snow doesn't fall as snow, but as tiny balls or flakes of ice. It's the third day of bitter cold, and this old house, three runs of brick thick, holds it's warmth for a while and then starts to cool off by the third day of cold. Then no matter how you heat it, the cold eminates from the walls. We've reached that point, and I wore a toboggan to bed last night. LOL.

I have checked the hen house early these days, as I worry for the fowl, although I've lain hay in their coop heavily. The water bowls were frozen this morning and I've increased their rations of corn for the calories. Two solitary eggs lay in their nest boxes, a couple of brave hens abandoned them to the freeze and never bothered to sit them.

The husband suggested flap jacks for supper, so I fried up a skillet of potatoes, and served them up with Canadian bacon as sides. I found a cache of the bacon half price, and scooped up enough for four meals. It's a little luxury I haven't bought in years and puts me in mind of the bacon I ate as a child.

The litte tree went up yesterday and it got decorated today between jobs and is cheerful and simple. The creche went over the new kitchen fireplace mantel, and the last touches of some fir boughs comes tomorrow. As the old saw goes, sometimes less is more.

My tom cat is sitting on the quilt I'd thrown over the dining room table, hoping to get some more quilting done on it today. Didn't happen. I'd like it done by Christmas, but I am not betting on it. Next week in the greenhouses shall be grueling, and before the you know what hits the fan, I'd like to get my plum pudding made. I didn't do one last year, and something seemed very missing, if you know what I mean.

I guess the Christmas spirit finally started to hit me. I've always heard it told that you advise depressed people to act happy, and it fools the body into becoming happy........chicken and egg analogy. Well, I guess the same thing holds for the Christmas spirit. I went through the motions and now am feeling it a little.

We got a call last week inviting us to a Christmas,
surprise retirement party for a nurse that worked for us
for years. Jimmie has been a nurse for 44 years.

Today was the day. I bought her some Opal & Diamond earrings
and I wrote a little poem for her. They wanted me to say
something so I wrote the poem and said a few words.

She is the kind of nurse you want taking care of you when
you are sick. The most wonderful, caring, dear person in
the world. She said today that when she first started, the
doctor she worked for charged $1.50 for an office visit,
and when they went up to $2.00 they got paid with butter
and eggs. She has delivered babies, sutured up wounds, you
name it.

Over the years she has held 2 jobs at any given time and
at one time she worked at one of the local Nursing Homes.
I went by one day when she was there and it didn't take
long for me to see that the people in the nursing home
loved her dearly. She would take clothes to the ones who
didn't have much, she used her own money to buy things for
them and once I saw her lying on the bed with a little lady
who was scared and lonely holding her close and patting
her hair and telling her everything would be okay.

Jimmie is a woman you're proud to call your friend
and so lucky if you go to see your doctor and she is there.
It's like the office manager said today, the patients don't
care if the doctor is there and scarcely pay attention to
the receptionist but let Jimmie Lou not be there and
they'll make an appointment when she is.

She was surprised today and somewhat embarassed to have
so many people saying nice things about her. We talked
about the good old days of course, our medical practice was
our family and we had the same office staff and nursing
staff for all those years. We cried, saying goodbye to her
was painful. Oh, we'll see her again, just not at the
office.

That's what Neil and I did today, we drove out in the
country to a surprise party where we paid tribute to one
of those rare women who comes along once in a lifetime.

Finished up my Christmas cards and got them all into the mail today. This the earliest I've been with the task for years and the most cards I've sent for years. I made my own card this year and so I was inspired to show off I guess. I must remember next year that showing off is expensive and go back to my usual cheapskate card list:)

This is the first year in my memory that I haven't sent my mother a card. That I haven't sent her a Christmas present. It makes me sad. I miss my Mum. Yet it's days like this that bring the memories flooding back and then I can wipe away the tears and smile. What a wonderfully warm and loving and nurturing woman she was and how lucky I am that got her. I can still feel the warmth of her hands when she'd put my little cold hands between hers to warm them up on a wintery day.

It's cold here too. In fact, since teh week after Thanksgiving it's been much colder than normal with temperatures going down into the low 20's at night and staying in the 40's during the day. I'm hoping that the sustained cold weather will cut down on next summer's bug population, especially the fleas and ticks that are a menace around here.

Yesterday, I finally got the last garland up in the house & decided that the decorating was done. I started on the present wrapping last night, so I'm hoping that the packages will be at the post office and winging their way to their assigned destinations by Monday or Tuesday.

The thought of being done with my Christmas obligations by December 11 or 12, gives me a good feeling. I'm looking forward to spending the next couple of weeks just enjoying some of the seasonal events without the normal frenzied feeling of having too much to do.