Checking In

Yesterday was Christmas. We gathered as a family, ate the traditional lasagna, and watched A Muppet Christmas Carol. It was a good day. I didn't feel stressed aside from the knotted muscle that made it feel like there was a knife in my shoulder blade. I haven't yet decided if I slept wrong or my body is stressed when my mind isn't.

I had a surprise package awaiting me at the house. I should have taken more pictures, but in the midst of the chaos that is Christmas, I didn't. It came in a Barnes and Noble box. I'd ordered a few books from Barnes and Noble but they for pick up at the store and I hadn't paid for them yet. The return address said Owego, NY. I looked at the name on the box and realized it was a package from my cousin Ondra. Inside was a card, a pound of coffee, and a box that contained something that looked like a camera lens.

I took it out of the box and handed it to my small grandson. Number Nine knew just what it was. He held it up to his mouth and tipped his head back. (He's brilliant, I tell you!) The Cabinetmaker hadn't seen it yet. "Hey, James," I called. "Catch!" And before he could think, I tossed it to him. He looked startled, then worried, and scrambled to catch it, hardly believing I would carelessly toss such an expensive piece of equipment. He fumbled and dropped it on the floor and was terribly relieved to find it was a travel mug and not an actual camera lens. Ha ha!

Surprise gifts are the best and this one is very cool.