Merry Christmas

Ring, ring!

Gram: Hello?

Caitlyn: (singing) "chestnuts roasting on an open fire.."

Gram: Hold on just a minute.

Caitlyn: oh, ok.

Gram: Hello?

C: (singing) "jackfrost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir.."

G: Who is this?

C: (laughing) It's Caitlyn.

G: Oh! Caity-bird! I'm right in the middle of making Christmas cookies!

C: Oooh, what kind?

G: Well they're sugar cookies shaped like Santa Clauses. I dip their feet in chocolate and their hats in white chocolate. I'm so far behind! I still have the banana bread to make, an apple pie to make, and the Christmas cake! And I still have to get the room cleaned out that Ed and Hope are staying in.

C: Oh, wow, you're a busy lady! Well I won't keep you, I just wanted to say hi.

G: I am up to my neck. (pause) Actually I'm over my head. Caity, just give me until Christmas Eve and then call me again.

(pause)

C: Uh, Gram? Today is Christmas Eve.

G: (gasp) What? It is? I can't believe it!

(fluster, fluster, commotion, commotion, laughter)

Merry Christmas to one and all, even if the holidays snuck up on you this year!

Winter

Yesterday.... all my troubles seemed so far away....
Now I realize they're here to stay....

On Monday, after waking up to a frosted Chicago I headed out to the studio in the afternoon to teach my full line-up of lessons. I arrived, dropped off my bags, and walked a few blocks to the neighborhood coffee shop for a latte 'to go.' It wasn't as cold as I thought, so I left my gloves in my pockets while I carried my coffee back and chatted on the phone with Mom. Back at the studio all my students were cheery and accounted for. At 8:30 my last student and I were closing up shop when I realized that I only had ONE GLOVE! I searched everywhere, but to no avail. I even walked back to the coffee shop. Nothing. No lonely glove sitting on the snowy sidewalk waiting to be picked up. I went home dejected with the advice that I should send a prayer up via St. Anthony, the patron saint of things lost.

Yesterday, I had to venture out to choir rehearsal amid a storm of golf ball-sized snowflakes (who am I kidding--there was no flakiness involved) that splat and drenched whatever they fell on. Skidding through 2 inches of slush on the way to the train, I felt cold water slowly seeping in through the seams of my boots. I scolded myself for not re-waterproofing them the weekend before, but was quickly distracted by the wind whipping my umbrella inside out (repeatedly). As I hurried on, I could have sworn I actually had snow inside of my left boot.

I made it to choir, late, with soaking feet and noticed that indeed, the leather on my boot was split at the seam giving the slushy snow direct access to my toes. After two hours of singing with wet feet, I jogged the return trip home from the train, splashing through more than one puddle that went clear up to my ankle. Finally up all the stairs to my apartment and wondering if I'd ever feel my feet again, I pulled off my boots, peeled off my socks, and wrung out at least 3 cups of water from each.

Winter has defeated me.
And we've only had two days of it.
I'm in trouble.