Family time

I regret while writing this that I cannot include a most important part of my family in this posting about "family bonding time." That would be my son Willie and his lovely wife Debbie. They will not be home for Christmas for a variety of reasons. It was at this time last Christmas that the holiday, instead of festive, was sad. Debbie's grandpa Guy was dying in Boise.

We felt the sadness here in Sandpoint where Guy had come nearly five years before to escort his beautiful granddaughter down the aisle of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. Guy removed his top hat for the wedding ceremony but wore it proudly throughout the festivities before and after. He was a hit with all the guests, just as he'd been a hit with Debbie throughout her life.

Shortly after Christmas Guy died, leaving his loving wife Louise. So, this Christmas Willie and Debbie will be with Louise as she moves on through this sad anniversary. That's where they should be, though we, of course, would love to share them. Besides spending Christmas with Louise, Willie will be working on Christmas day. After all, sports keeps happening, and sports fans keep reading. Someone needs to see that that news gets to the readers every day of the year.

We're grateful that our friends Bill and Kathy headed south to visit their son and Willie's SHS classmate, Chad. They're the North Idaho Santas who will see that the North Idaho gifts of Love arrive in time for the South Idaho Loves to open them for Christmas.

In the meantime, the North Idaho Loves have been having family fun with Annie who's home this week from Seattle. She brought her snowshoes, her ice skates and that wonderful camera. Only the skates have not seen use since her arrival the night before last. Yesterday was a beautiful and warm winter day, so Annie did a photo shoot of Miss Lily who finally had her blanket off for a few minutes.

When Annie gets the photos (which are of calendar quality) downloaded, I'll post a couple just to let folks know the real Miss Lily. She's stunning, to say the least. That horse blanket hides a lot of drop dead Appaloosa beauty, and when it's off, Miss Lily could steal the eye of even the most cynical horse hater. Annie caught some nice horse shots, then headed down the lane on her snow shoes. She caught lots of nice shots of her snow shoes with the forest in the background as she lay in the snow snapping her camera shutter.

We were treated to her first picture show last night, and I have a feeling we'll enjoy many more before the week is out. Before settling in for a long winter's eve, we drove to Slate's for dinner and saw our usual Friday night diners, Bill and Connie (Madsen) Malone and family. Seems like wherever we go for dinner at the end of the week, so go the Malones----or vice versa . . . depends on who arrives first, I guess.

Later, while Ma and Pa Love slugged on the living room couches watching a really bad adventure movie called Poseidon, Annie took over the kitchen, making chocolate-covered marshmallows, chocolate-covered peanuts (unsalted, all individually shelled) and chocolate-covered pretzels. In all cases, both white and dark chocolate provided the coatings.

Later, as we continued to slug, Annie brought around a tray and told us to pick out what we wanted. I chose a chocolate-covered marshmallow, spruced up with pink sprinx. Bill and I agreed that these were pretty rich treats, and we doubted that anyone would be stealing half a dozen at a time. Definitely yum, yum.

Well, on this Saturday morning while Annie snoozes away in her bedroom, I've got peanut butter cookie dough waiting for its trip to the oven. Then, I'll be making up the cookie plates so Bill can deliver some to the old neighbors.

I'm glad when this time of the Christmas season comes, allowing us to relax, to enjoy family, to listen to some beautiful Christmas music and to think about why all this hoopla happens in the first place. Somehow, that seems to get lost in the insanity----more so every year.

The kitchen calls. Have a wonderful Saturday and safe traveling wherever you are. Willie and Debbie, we're thinking about you.