Fireplace Matches

That was Dad's thing every Christmas. Each year, we'd get him a package of fireplace matches. Whether he needed them or not! It was a tradition that I started when I bought a package for him the first year in their last house. Then he teased me about it, and dropped lots of hints about needing them the next year. So I got him another package. And then we just kept it up each year. He had a lot of fun with that. When Bill was starting a fire the other day, he couldn't reach the fireplace matches and I had to hand him the box. Since then, I've been thinking of my joke tradition with Dad and I really miss it.

I did what I said I wouldn't do. I went to WalMart this morning! But only because we were out of eggs and we need them for the baking that Otter is going to do this afternoon. While we were there, I grabbed a couple of other grocery items (and Bill got cookies) but we avoided the busiest sections of the store. It was a little crowded, but it looked like most of the shoppers were on the opposite side of the store from the grocery section. They seemed to have trouble keeping the grocery basket area full. We also went to a dollar store while we were out and to the post office. I don't think we'll need to go back out again today. Thanks to Bill and the dollar store, we now have a freezer full of chocolate candy. :) That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Otter and Bill have a discussion going about coal. Specifically about who should get it in their stocking. Otter discovered this morning that there was a note attached to her stocking. "Dear Santa, I've been very bad so I need lots of coal. Love Otter." She was not amused! I seriously considered buying a bag of charcoal at Wallyworld and splitting between their two stockings.

Bill wanted to work on taking the tree down today, but I told him I'd prefer not to celebrate Christmas with him in traction. Wednesday is tree day. I'm thinking of calling the ambulance service and putting them on standby.