The News From Whispering Pines

It's been a good week, all in all. It started out last Sunday afternoon when I chopped up onions, green peppers and garlic; browned some round steak and threw it all in the crock pot with a few cans of stewed tomatoes for Sunday Night Supper. With boiled potatoes and a vegie on the side it was the perfect winter night meal. The relatives showed up after watching a basketball game at MSU. Good conversation and a few laughs helped to launch us all into Monday. Tuesday night after work Lenny and I met Darrel and Teresa (my brother and his wife) at one of the newest restaurants in Minot, Spicy Pie, for pizza and beer. My neice is a bartender and server there several evenings a week after she is done with her day job. The pizza was my favorite, the kind with thin, crispy crust. Whitney was busy scurrying around to all of her customers, but managed to give us superb service! I'm thinking we'll be back. Thursday was another night of dining out--that's how it is at Christmastime--lots of good meals, at home and out. One of the physicians I work with and her sister own and operate a Thai restaurant, Baan Rao. She invited the CancerCenter staff for a Thai meal. Wow, was that a treat! Their restaurant is very elegant and the food fresh and traditional. I'm glad my stomach empties regularly so there's always room for more! On Saturday Lenny and I spent the day together doing some Christmas shopping at the mall and watching the NDSU Bison game at a Sports Bar. It's fun to get caught up in the excitement of a crowd of people watching a sporting event-especially when my team was on the winning side! I put up and decorated a mini Christmas tree. I just didn't feel like decorating a big tree this year. The weather has been so balmy with hardly any snow that I don't feel very Chistmassy. I sure don't know how people in warm climates manage to conjur up the Christmas spirit! Mixed in with all the eating was sadness. Several long-time patients at the CancerCenter died this week. It's especially hard for folks who lose loved-ones this time of year. Kind of puts a sting on holiday time for years to come. Life sure is a mixture of joy and sadness. It makes me truly relish the times of joy!

Now I'm back to Sunday. Lenny had to work, as a worker on one of his rigs fell 15 feet and crushed his knee. Ouch! His Christmas won't be so much fun, either. I'm catching up around the house. Laundry and dishes and maybe wrap some gifts. I'll also try to get some reading and quilting time. It's nice enough to take a walk and oh, maybe a nap?