Christmas

 It's been a busy week.  I got my appointment with the endodontist, which was interesting because as well as X-rays I had a Cat scan done, so 3 D image.  Joy oh joy - I get to have *two* root canals (side by side).  The only silver lining in that cloud is that the endodontist is really really cute.

Bob and I used to celebrate our private Christmas on the 21st (before plunging into the loud chaos that was the family Christmas).  We would watch the Hogfather movie and eat meat pies and sherry (which was what the children left out for the Hogfather).  Like making fruitcakes, this was a tradition that I have had to tiptoe around.  I had to take my emotional pulse to see if it would hurt more to continue the tradition without Bob, or to skip it.  I've opted to continue.

I can't quite wrap my brain about this being the fifth Christmas without him.  It still feels like I lost him yesterday.  

Bob and Zeke, Christmas 2019

Otherwise, this Christmas has been rather low key.  I went to the museum this morning (like any other holiday, the animals still need care), had lunch, rested a bit, and then took a coffee and went to sit by the stream to finish reading A Christmas Carol (another annual tradition).  In a few minutes I'm going to make a red pepper and prosciutto fougasse (a stuffed bread) for dinner. 

I got about another 70 feet cleared on the stream path.  It just makes me so happy to be out in the woods again, and the memories are coming in.  One day we were down there, and suddenly, across the stream, a little pure white goat popped out from the woods, looked at us for a moment, then disappeared again.  We decided that we had seen the Questing Beast.

Alas, the stream project has been halted for a few days.  Saturday evening I was walking the path behind the chicken yard, heading over to put the chickens up for the night, as I have done every night for many many years.  I have walked that path thousands of times over the last 30 years.  But this time, I somehow caught my right food *under* a vine (or something).  If it had been a mere trip, I likely could have caught my balance, or at least had a somewhat more controlled fall.  But no - most of me was going forward except for the right foot - and I fell with my full weight on my left arm - and felt a sharp pain a few inches below my shoulder before the rest of me hit the ground.

I just rolled over onto my back and looked up at the trees for a few minutes, trying to do an inventory of any damage.  I was lucky - the only thinkg that really hurt was my arm (although my left hip isn't too happy with me).  I got up and was able to move it.  It wasn't bad enough to go spend the night in the emergency room (I've had enough experience with the ER and my mother to know that if you're not actively trying to die, you're going to be in the ER for 6-9 hours).  But the next day I did go get it checked out and X-rayed and nothing is broken (how the heck I didn't break my wrist I'll never know - but it's not even hurt).  Broken or not, it hurts like hell and I need to be easy with it for a bit (so I say, because I've worked two shifts at the museum since then, but light duty - no pushing of the heavy wheelbarrow).

Once again, though, I got lucky.  That could have been bad.

Dinner's ready - time to pour the wine.