Santa Got Run Over by a...................Cold!!!!!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Yesterday, I picked my mom up from the airport and she is back to spend the holidays with us.  Last week, I came down with some kind of head cold and I am still battling this bug this week.  My daughter and son-in-law arrive on Friday and I do not have time to be sick.  I have been talking to a couple of my female friends and it seems I am not alone when I say I think Santa is really a tired, overworked at the Holidays, superwoman.  I may be oversimplifying, but I think it is the women of the world who, for the most part, make the Holidays happen at their house.  My one friend makes the most wonderful nuts and makes batch after batch for days to give away to family, friends, and co-workers, for Christmas. On top of that, she works long hours at her job and she told me yesterday that her husband said to her that she needs to relax more at the Holidays and all she said back was, “Are you for real?”  Personally, I thought he was pretty daring to tell an exhausted woman cooking nuts to take it easy. 

 

I would love to curl up in bed with my box of Kleenex the entire week before my company arrives, and count how many times I can blow my nose in one hour, but I don’t have time and there are no Merry Maids at our house beating the door down to help.  In fact, there just seems to be one not so Merry Maid, coughing and hacking and contemplating packing her nose with Tampons to avoid having to blow it one more time as she goes about getting everything done. The problem with that idea is in my harried, sick state I could wind up at the grocery store, completely forgetting how I solved the problem of a dripping nose and have the check-out lady say to me, “ma’am, you might want to read the directions on the box next time because I don’t think you are using those correctly.” I really don’t know how I would explain the situation other than to say I probably saw it on an old episode of MacGyver.

 

So, while waiting for my mom’s plane to arrive, I took the dogs to their grooming appointment and came home to vacuum one last time and throw in another load of laundry and was thinking everything was running pretty smoothly when the first hiccup happened. I made the mistake of answering the phone and there my mom was letting me know her plane was delayed due to fog. My mom is a firm believer in the old adage, “if mama isn’t happy, she is going to share it with you,” and her cheery voice told me this was one of those times.  While we were talking, I could hear an announcement overhead and I asked her what was being said and she answered back, “I have no idea what they are talking about, “ only to have some nice passenger tell her they said they were boarding. 

 

She hung up rather quickly and probably didn’t hear me tell her I appreciated having to run up from the basement to answer the phone only to hear from her that her plane had been delayed by a matter of minutes and as soon as she landed, I would try and have Diane Sawyer there for the interview. That wasn’t the end of her calls and I got another one after she landed in PA that there was no wheelchair waiting for her and she had no idea what to do. I could see me now trying to get through the security check point and trying to explain to the officer that I don’t have time to empty my pockets of all my cold medicine paraphernalia because there is an impatient woman with a cell phone and my number waiting at the terminal gate for a wheelchair. I really was expecting at any moment to hear an 85 year old woman on the overhead speaker yelling, “ Laurie, where is my damn wheelchair?”  Instead, by the time I gathered my thoughts, she told me the wheelchair had arrived and she was on her way. Another crisis averted, and when she got in the car the first thing she said was, “I told myself to come out with a smile on my face, “ and all I said was, “when did you decide to go with plan B?”

 

What does all this mean?  I think my point is that Santa doesn’t get sick days. There is never a good time to get sick, but Holidays are the worst. People still need picked up from the airport, company still comes, dinners need to be cooked, gifts purchased and wrapped, Holiday programs and pageants attended, and unfortunately, there are no do overs.  Being sick, I have let a couple of things slide and was very thankful on Sunday when my husband took the dogs for their daily walk and let me sleep. I tried to get up and go with him, but he took one look at me and said, “will your hair be sticking up like that on our walk?” and when I shook my head “yes” he opted to go solo.  Tomorrow morning, I get to see my daughter for the second time in one year and I don’t care if my nose is still dripping and my eyes are still weeping and she yells out, "Rudolph!" when she first lays eyes on me,  there is going to be a big smile plastered all over my face all day.  Yep, I am feeling better already and it is nice to have my family home. I wish for each one of you a happy and healthy Holiday and to be surrounded by those you hold dear, either two legged or four, and to Jennifer, who makes my cold seem like small potatoes, to get home to her Jack for Christmas.

P.S. Well, it is twelve hours later here and my mom woke up with the flu! My daughter missed her connecting flight by 10 minutes because her plane was delayed, as did 9 other passengers, and had to wait until morning to get out of Portland. She won't be here until dinner time. I hope they don't turn around and go home when they get here and see some of the occupants of this house :) Meanwhile, my husband just gave me an early Christmas present when he came home from work early to take care of my mom, me, and two dogs that are wondering why no one wants to play with them. No wonder Santa has so many helpers. Every now and then, he needs a little help!!

 

[Jennifer and Jack]

Oh dear my sweet friend my mo. Is I'll as we'll so picture us two sick people sitting across the room for each other with mask and gloves on dinner is snacks,,,,but I have my loved ones sick or not and I can breathe on my own sort of so I will raise a tissue to you by the way their is such a thing as nose tampons when I worked in the er we used them for nose bleeds that wouldn't stop

If I left the hospital today in my pjs oxygen tank and ivs with fuzzy socks you certainly can go to the store with a tampon in your nose!!!!

I hope you feel better thanks for being so good to me and remember food and gifts mean nothing without the love behind it!!!!!!

You are loved and Appreciated. I will be catching up on here a lot in the next few weeks since I am not able to use my voice for more then a few minutes a day at least I can blab on here tha is again for your support oh and if the kid that coughed through your thanksgiving meal is there fir Christmas make sure you share with him!!!!!! Just kidding

[Carol and Banjo]

Women do make the holidays happen...at least in this house.  If I left DH to take care of it....well...Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, 4th of July, Weddings, Graduations...you name it....they'd all just be any other day.   I consider myself lucky that he does participate gladly, with a smile and sometimes even helps out given sufficient direction.     Laurie, I love the tampon idea.....you ought to write the company and share your "handy tip"...you may even get a Royalty!        

Thank you Laurie for the many laughs this year and we will have our fingers, toes and paws crossed that you're feeling better SOON (and Mom too!!!).   Merry Christmas!

[Leslie and Halas]

Sorry you're feeling sick.  At least all of you will be together, sniffles, snot, and all.  Hey, I think that's a line from some Christmas song.  If not, it should be.  Have a great time with everyone!

[Sharon & Monty]

Boy do I feel you.  So sorry you are sick and mom with the flu, ugh. I took yesterday and today off, because I refused to be rushed and stressed at the last minute doing all the last minute things.  Yesterday at 5 am I woke up freezing to death, shivering with everything my body could shiver with.  I knew I was screwed.  I was to prepare for guests that were coming last evening.  Yah, right.  I spent the day under many blankets unable to move.  Thank goodness DH came home early to pull together some things for their arrival at 4:00.  I met them at the door in my house robe.  :(  I did eventually put on clothes and sit at the other side of the room watching the kids and dog and adults have a merry time.  sigh.   Today I'm much better. I think sometimes a higher power lets us know we need a rest whether we want one or not.  

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Regardless of the all trappings and chaos, the important thing is that you will all be together once more!  Remember "All we need is Love"! :) And you have plenty of it at your house! Blessings and good health to all of you!

[F, Calla & Luca]

Ugh, the best laid plans... I hope you, and Mom--no wonder she was impatient in her prodromal flu state--I always have to stick up for her, recover  immediately if not sooner. Wishing you all a fabulous holiday and reunion. Take it easy, a little dust and take out food never hurt anything. Hope you all have a happy, healthy New Year-you've made our old year a lot jollier.