Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Twelfth Day of Christmas: Mom, First Cigar of 2026

 Monday, January 5, 2026

First cigar of the New Year. It's been since the day after Christmas. 

Mom was supposed to be transferred to the TCU this afternoon but there was a scheduling mix up and they're going to have to wait until the morning. The doctor called and said he felt confident they had done all they could for her and that she's ready for the next stage of her recovery. He also reported that she was feeling a little discouraged today. I think it's setting in for her that this is going to be a long recovery. 

Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Eleventh Day of Christmas: Mom

 Sunday, January 4, 2025

Visited Mom today and gave Dale the day off. He's been so wonderful with all the time he spent with her while I was sick. A couple of those days were really tough days for her too. She continues to do well. Hopefully tomorrow she will be moved to the TCU.

Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Tenth Day of Christmas: Eggnog, Livvy, Old Fashioned, Mom

 Saturday, January 3, 2026

Had some eggnog left. Added a splash of rum. It was delicious and the eggnog to rum ratio was perfect. 

Listened to a little Livvy. 

Dale and I went to lunch at The Howe. I had an Old Fashioned. It's nice to be feeling well enough to have a cocktail. 

Dale and I went to visit Mom at the hospital. It was my first time there since she was admitted on Sunday. They use this chair to help move to her lounge chair. She's doing well. 

Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Ninth Day of Christmas: Mom, Old Fashioned, and Kylie

 Friday, January 2, 2026

Finally starting to feel well enough that I'll be able to see Mom tomorrow. She had a tough day emotionally although she's making lots of improvement physially. This whole thing is just emotionally draining for her. 

Dale got home from the hospital around 2:00 pm and we were both starving. We went to The Lowbrow and I ordered an Old Fashioned, my first cocktail in a while. 

Listened to Kylie when I got home. 

Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Eighth Day of Christmas: New Year's Day

 Thursday, January 1, 2026

Happy New Year. I gave up a long time ago saying the new year couldn't possibly worse than the last one. Maybe someday I'll be pleasantly surprised. I guess I could say the silver lining to 2025 is that I along with millions of other Americans started to push back against bullshit in a way we hadn't before. I'm planning on more of that for 2026. 

Read a version of The Night Before Christmas from my childhood. The illustrations are charming. The verse is lilting and rhythmic and its familiarity is comforting. 

Still not well enough to visit Mom in the hospital. Dale said she was feeling and looking much better. They'll be getting the ball rolling soon to get her set up for a transitional care unit. Looks like she won't be discharged until Sunday. We'll know more soon. 

Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Seventh Day of Christmas: New Year's Eve

 Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Mom's doing marginally better. Her spirits are up. I'm hoping I'll be well enough in a couple day to visit her. Listened to the Carpenter's today. Comforting, nostalgic, familiar. Exactly what I need. 

Speaking of comforting. 

Since I'm sick I've been in my robe since Sunday afternoon. Actually got dressed today and put on my boots to be extra dressy for New Year's Eve. 

Quiche for dinner. This is the most low key NYE we've ever had. I'm exhausted from being sick and we've both been dealing with Mom being in the hospital. Today Dale visited her on his own due to my illness. She's maintaining and making respiratory progress slowly and steadily. PT came to visit her today and gingerly had her sit up and slide her legs off the side of the bed. It was taxing for her and she ended up nauseated and her blood pressure dropped so that's as much as she could do today. She was very upset that she could not do more, recognizing that progress is going to be slow and incremental. Otherwise once she got comfortable again, Dale had a nice conversation with her and her spirits perked up a bit - even got her to laugh a little. 

We were planning to spend tonight with Mike and Charisse and couldn't cuz, well, I'm sick. This was 2015.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Season 2025/2026 -The Sixth Day of Christmas: Gingerbread Man, Ghost Story, Pizzelles

 Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Moving through the package of gingerbread men I bought last week. They are delicious. Soft rather than crunchy and not overly sweet. 

Finished The Mistress In Black, a ghost story for Christmas illustrated by Seth, this morning. I really enjoyed it. According to the teaser on the back of the book: "From the moment Miss Anderson begins her new teaching job, she encounters ghostly figures and a strange scent of smoke. Whispers of arson and murder circulate among the staff, but Miss Anderson soon discovers there might be more to the tragic story of the women in black." Most of these old ghost stories I read from this series aren't overly scary but more subtly so. They're well written and atmospheric and mysterious. They can also sometimes convey a sense of sadness and melancholy like The Mistress In Black.  

Dale and I finished off the pizzelles tonight. 

Mom's maintaining in the hospital. I so sick I can't go see her and it breaks my heart.