Caroling and Partying

Friday, 21 December 2007

This morning, I went up to Auntie Stevi’s to see if she could help me come up with a cookie recipe. She ended up helping me bake the cookies, shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate and macadamia nuts. My friends are having a cookie exhange tonight, and I am so not a baker.

After “we” baked cookies, Auntie Stevi and Uncle Gary took me, Chase, and Auntie Jane out for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. They wanted to treat us for watching the house and their dog Selena while they will be gone on vacation.

We enjoyed lunch, then came home just in time for me to have another handyman take a look at the repairs that need to be done around the house. He may be able to build us a shed for starters, and will consult his brother for bigger jobs we may have.

I wrapped presents, while Auntie Stevi finished the cookies, then got ready for Chris to come home. Once he came home, we bathed Chase (during which we got a call that the carolers were already at the first house! Yikes!) and then hurried off to meet the carolers from the ALS Support Group. We missed the first house, but went on to the convalescent home and then to another home where we sang to bedridden clients who have had ALS for awhile. They are on ventilators and feeding tubes. In the pictures, Chase enjoyed holding Peggy Chun’s arm. Her house and room is always so festive and full of life. Though we didn’t get to stay and talk, I’m sure she enjoyed the visit, as did her cat Boo who sat quietly at her feet.

I wanted to go on to see Lisa, the young gal in her late 30’s who has ALS. She and Dad always talked to each other about their experiences and Dad always felt for her because she was so young, stricken with this awful disease. But, it was already past 8 pm and I had to stop to feed Chase, who was getting fussy, as were we since we hadn’t eaten dinner yet. I knew it would be another hour before we got to our next party, so we passed on seeing Lisa and went on to my friend Jenn’s house for our final stop of the evening.

Though we were late arrivals to Jenn’s Christmas party, we ate some food and got to take part in some games and the cookie exchange contest and exchanging of gifts. Our cookie didn't win, but we had fun tasting the six other unique creations. Chase was exhausted and slept some while the other kiddos ran around and played all night. By the time we got home, it was 11:30...a late night for all of us!