On the trip, now I'm home

Christmas: Always better with small children getting over-excited and my mom making Swedish pancakes.

Family: Lots of family but not my dad. He stayed home in California. I feel guilty for being relieved about that. But he called a few time and the phone was passed around so he could be there as much as possible. I think I was possibly over-clingy to Margaret at first, but what can I say? I really like my sister in law!

Niblings: I spent lots of time with Julius, frequently in the snow. I gave books to the boys (cause they're older), a journal to Eva (full of unicorns, she was far more delighted than expected) and to Savannah and Viviana I gave a session of truffle-making. Everyone was jealous of the truffle making, until Savannah shared. I started reading Soren's and Julius's books to them while I was there. (Both by Diana Wynne Jones. Nathaniel's was by Brian Jacques.)

Doctor Who: Margaret and I snuck away from Christmas Story to watch the Doctor Who Christmas special, which was good but not a favorite. BUT WHAT DO THE YETI HAVE TO DO WITH IT?! Anyway. I know, I STILL haven't written the reaction post, sorry, I've been really busy and I'm still catching up on internet things. Encountered a neighbor watching A Town Called Mercy in the common house and started watching with her, then Julius joined us, but Mike took him away because he doesn't like Julius watching things in the middle of the day when he can be doing physical activities. Two days later, arranged to watch Fires of Pompeii with the boys while the youngest three were asleep. (*sigh*). Chose that episode due to some excavations Julius and I had been doing in the snow.

Snow: Hiking at first, even before snow. Lots of sledding once it got deep enough. Lots! We discovered that the sled run we made on a hill between some neighbors' houses was better than the large popular one in the next town. Woot! Also made oodles of tiny snowmen scattered between Victo's house and the common house. Tried to make one big one, but got too cold. The little ones got buried by further snowfall but Julius and I rescued them while I told him about Pompeii (with emphasis on how well it was preserved by being covered in ash)

Health: I was coughing the whole time for one reason or another. At first it was just leftovers of a cold, then a post nasal drip from the chilly air, then I actually got a sinus infection. Then I fell down the stairs Thursday night, knocking my breath out and pulling a muscle in my back. Finally, Saturday morning very early, got a minor GI sickness, and was very worried that I would be having to get up to go to the bathroom on the plane all the time, extra unpleasant prospect because of my back. Fortunately felt much better by the time we got to the airport. My back still hurts though.

Community: So friendly and beautifully nerdy. Had good conversations about fandoms, played good games, generally liked the people there. If I could afford a house there, and had clients set up, and had a car because it's pretty rural, and various other things I don't have, I would totally live in Victo's community. Probably in the half that is full of SCA people but only so I could have breathing room from Victoria and Mike when needed. I love them, I just can't constantly handle them.

Sights seen: Not many, not the point. But Victoria's church is pretty and old fashioned, and there were children's museums, and we went to the Higgins Armory Museum, which was pretty nifty.

Things to catch up on (fandom edition)

1. Submit my 50 years of Whovians picture (which I finally drew last night)

2. Fill the queue for OMFU (I don't think there was anything in it for yesterday oops)

3. Write my reaction post already

4. Rewrite my DtCA

5. Read most of the last two weeks of mfu_shortstorie

6. Get creeped out by the new cyberman design.

7. Figure out what the YETI have to do with it. (Yes, this is now my running gag.)

My friend Kat is a blessing and so is Teacup

Whether a blessing of a loving god or of their loving selves or what have ye, they are a miracle of goodwill and effort and talent.

Kat sent me a message a few days ago saying she missed me, so we arranged to hang out for dinner.

This translated into her bringing three varieties of Russian Tea Cakes plus chocolate dipped candied orange peel. And she gave me a Christmas present of black garlic.

Then she baked me a pumpkin quiche from the random ingredients in my kitchen, including a pumpkin I had just roasted. Then Teacup appeared and the three of us ate the amazing quiche while talking about personal matters. Oh, and Kat made us each a unique variety of hot cocoa.

Then we moved into the living room, opened a bottle of my favorite port and Teacup led a discussion of intellectual and theological matters.

I feel as loved after this one evening with two friends as I do from two weeks of family, and much more relaxed. This is what Kat and Teacup are to me: what makes me wonder how, in a sea of humanity, I found people so uniquely able and willing to give. So natural to love.