HAPPY Boxing Day

Yesterday, I went to Christmas dinner to Lena & Gareth's. This was my gift to them:

I fashioned a gift bag out of a PG Tips tea box. This is the family-size, industrial tea box! Being fans of PG Tips, I knew they would appreciate it. I gave them a labyrinth steno notebook, homemade trail mix, and a set of microfiber towels. Love those! I have one by the door for when the dogs come in all wet.

Here's the view crossing over the river a couple miles from their house:

Rather a grey day.

You know when you walk into a house and you feel all warm and welcome? It was just a really nice gathering of friends--and dogs, of course. Mum was there and when I walked in, was helping Lena's daughter sew a sew-your-own-bear bear. Lena had provided lots of GF options, even a GF stuffing. And delicious bread rolls. Heaven!

It started to rain, but it wasn't freezing. I had wanted to get home before dark, but left a bit later. Heading home was a bit treacherous on the paved part of my road. But then. THEN! I've never been so alternately scared and focused behind the wheel. See this hill looking all springy & innocent?

You know those ski ramps you see in the Olympics? The ones where the skier goes straight down? That's what this road was. I thought, "I'm never going to make it down this road without turning sideways & possibly going off the side. And even if I do, how am I going to make it up and over the mountain? I'm either going to go off the side of the mountain, or plunge into the freezing river." I was really getting a bit frantic. And I said out loud, "All right angels! I need some help here because I can't do this alone!" And then I heard my father's voice telling me to tap the break and inch my way down. "Don't let the car gain any momentum. Just go an inch at a time and you'll make it down." At first I was banging the break really hard & realized, I just had to tap. I noticed my left leg was all tense & I had this funny thought, "What are you doing all tensed up? You're not even doing anything." I had to remind myself to breathe, because I was holding my breath. I finally made it down the hill & along the river.

The next part was over the mountain and that's a bit tricky even in clement weather. I called Mum & told here where I was. I told her to give me half an hour to get across & if she didn't hear from me to call the police. Ha! Like she would. Oh, you'll be fine. I said, "I'm joking about it, but I'm really not." Again, I inched my way down. Thankfully no one else was on the road. I thought, "Who would be out in this kind of weather?" Who, indeed.

I called Mum after each part. The last part was making it up my driveway, which I did. But Neighbor Chuck's deer were sprinting about. Really, guys? I make it all the way home and I hit a deer? But I didn't. I made it home safely. My legs were noodles. Firewalking has nothing on driving on ice. I'm not going anywhere until the spring thaw.