Brisingamen End Of Year Note, 2022 (December)

Thursday, Sessrumnir and I had obedience class.  Tawbs stayed home with the family.  After obedience at the Wilmington Kennel Club, we all met at the Brandywine Zoo for a quick visit.  Not many animals were out but we wanted to see the zoo.  It was at this point that we found out my mother locked us out of the house.  She locked the door in the front with the chain and while leaving out the back, she locked the doorknob.  We don’t have a key for the doorknob.  When we got home, I tried unlocking the chain with a shoelace and it didn’t work.  All of our windows were locked for Winter that was coming.  My cousin looked inside the partly cracked door and said, “What if you unscrew the chain.”  I felt the screws.  They were Phillips.  I went and knocked on our neighbors’ door and asked Justin for a screwdriver.  Then all I needed to do was not strip the screws as I blindly unscrewed them.  And it worked.  We got in the house!  Also, the pirate that hides quarters in Catawba-Lynn’s sandbox struck again!  80 quarters were found!

            We did a lot of baking and subsequently a couple bottles of wine got opened.  Dancing around the kitchen commenced.  Dinner was taking forever because I started it late, so I sliced up some sausage and cheese, found a box of crackers and we had a delectable snack while we watched a Varsity Tutors special, Winter Holidays Around the World.  We all learned a lot and it just felt real good.  It wasn’t just the wine; it was holiday happiness.

            Friday was the last full day my family was in town.  We had a calm stay home day.  Mary and I took the 4 dogs for walks around Norwood.  We went to Produce Junction to get a bunch of fruit to use to put together two fruit boxes.  I enjoy giving these out and Luke likes that I do it.  I was working on wrapping the boxes when dad happily took over.  I found the other four boxes I was going to use for fruit boxes and brought them down so he could wrap those too.  (I know it is supposed to be a fruit basket.  I know that.  But baskets cost money.  And I have a free box with free reused wrapping paper.  The gift may look nicer in a basket – but what is the average person going to do with a normal basket?  Probably throw it out.  Environmentally, I’m just repurposing “garbage” and that truly makes me happy.  The gift is still the same quality gift – I am just very happy to give it).  Essentially my dad wrapped his own gift, which made me chuckle, because I didn’t tell my parents that one of the boxes were for them and another was for Matthew and Nicole until they were leaving the next day and I handed them their completed boxes.  I even had them take the price stickers off their own chocolate!  Made me smile – really made me laugh.

Mary and I quickly ran to get her a 24 pack of Yuengling beer.  And she bought me a brunch sampler of Woodchuck Hard Cider.  *Speaking of which, it’s 10:30.  Brunch time – Bellini tastes real good…*

            Saturday, I started the morning out with pancakes.  We loaded up the SUV and waved bye to my family!  In total, it was a great visit.  It’s hard sometimes because I don’t always believe that we’ve moved out of the Midwest.  I’m not sure a move is supposed to feel like that.  I’m not sure you’re supposed to be lost in thought and snap back to reality to find that you’re not in Wisconsin and not quite sure why. 

“Yesterday” I was determined to finish this beast – to get it all on paper – I write this thing out first, then I type it.  *My wrist is done, it’s going to need a cool compress/wrap.  My thumb is bruised and yep, it’s bleeding from the pressure I exert on the pencil and my thumb as I fervently scribble my thoughts as fast as I can.  I’ve already wrapped my middle finger in bandages, as it has blisters on it.*  And as the words flew on the pages, my pine candle flickered, my festive drink sat in front of me.  Mannheim played on my Google Dock as all of Catawba-Lynn’s family share pictures changed beside me.  The dogs snored.  The guinea pigs cooed.  Gram flew overhead in circles like a maniac.  Lucas and Tawbs watched anime.  And I wrote.  And Tawbs trotted out to the dinning room where I scribbled the year down.  I stopped.  She held her mock countdown to Yule – to Santa – to magic – to our year end – to the wonder of the holidays – she held her chocolated calendar – with messy, family has been here for a week, ratty hair, a flamingo shirt with a new mysterious hole in it, and overly stained, worn out, with a hole in the butt pants (because she was playing outside, I’m not going to give her good clothes to play with debris in), the essence of my child.  She held that calendar, that I got early this year because last year ‘they’ almost ran out, and so sweetly, contently said “And we are going to the Nutcracker tonight too.”  I dropped my pencil, grabbed my face and gasped in horror!  OH NO!!  The Nutcracker!  The last showing that her dance studio was putting on this year was *TONIGHT!*  At 19:00!  It was 19:03!  No!  Tawbs cried.  I forgot!  This letter.  Was not.  Supposed.  To.  Take.  This. LONG!  Luke came running out.  “It’s okay baby.  We will take you to a Nutcracker.” he hugged her.  “My friends…” is all she could say.  He looked at me.  “No!  Her friends are in it.  We have to support her dance studio!  Put pants on!”  (To Lucas).  “Put socks and shoes on – anything!  Get to the garage!!” I yelled as I blew out the candle and grabbed my purse and the car seat.  (We had it out from my dad’s SUV).  I threw the seat in the iQ.  Lucas finished locking it in.  Tawbs was in.  We were out the garage – with a weird breeze…We left the back hatch open!  I jumped out, slammed the hatch.  We drove there – the whole while I’m shouting – “Maybe they started late!  Maybe there were announcements!  I don’t know!  We’ll get there!”  The iQ pulled up to the front in a blaze!  Luke and Catawba-Lynn jumped out of the car, hand in hand, running under the blow-up arch which is getting accosted by the wind – thus beating my family in the face as they try to make it to the door.  I parked the car and the street – the lot was beyond full.  I ran in a full Dianne sprint to the front door – passed the men’s dressing room – which curtains they’ve left wide open.  Boys looked out the window as I look like a loon running to the front.  Lucky me – the mom’s taking money for tickets are Catawba-Lynn’s friends’ moms – they know me!  I’m so happy they get to see my family in this state – because I forgot something so important!  The mom said “You made it!  Only missed the beginning!  Look – you didn’t even miss the little angels – Catawba-Lynn’s classmates!”  I looked at the line of tiny angels, little halos, perfect wings, white dresses, tiny fake candles.  They looked at me, ripped up jeans, Thor’s Hammer, Metallica Ride The Lightening T-shirt, and a faded flannel.  I caught some of their glances.  Some slight shock – most of them used to me showing up like this.  The mom then said “Lucas must think I’m an idiot – I didn’t realize he gave me a $50 – I thought he gave me a $20 and I didn’t give him any change, then when I did give him change, it was still wrong!  Here’s his change – he really has to think I’m an idiot!”  I smiled, almost laughing like a Disney Villain.  (Envision Ursula).  “No.  No, he does not.” I said, “The reason why we’re late is because I am working on our End Of Year Note – which is basically a book of my blunders throughout this year.  You’re great.  I’m happy to be here.”

I only missed the beginning – the part where family frets about and squabbles.  Seeing as I lived it for a week (Mike) I missed nothing!  : D

I didn’t talk too much about the constants that Catawba-Lynn had this year.  She started the year in Kinder Dance and after Summer, was in Elementary 1 Dance and she is also taking Irish Dance now.  She was in a Science Cubs class at the Brandywine Zoo and also was at almost every story time at the zoo this past summer.  She was in swimming.  She was in the Ridley State Homeschool Group.  They met every other Friday from the end of March until the end of October/beginning of November.  The only missed 3 classes.  The two big ones this year were her attendance with Varsity Tutors classes and Library programs.  Tawbs went to 90 library programs this year (and counting as the year keeps going) and attended 171 Varsity Tutors classes (again, more since I wrote this).  She was also gifted a monthly Kiwi engineering crate and Lucas bought her the monthly Crunch Lab, Mark Rober box.  She keeps us very busy.

Happy Holidays, everybody!  You all mean a lot to us and that is why we do this.  We care about you and want to share this with you.  But I can’t do another year like this.  It’s too much.  I don’t know where to cut from – but it’s not sustainable.  I have no idea what the Brisingamens will be sending you next year, as I think I am going to go into a spiritual hibernation, and I’ll see what comes out on the other side.

Have the absolute best of the holidays – hope 2022 treated you all well.  And we are wishing you the best 2023.
Take Care!
Happy Yule!

The Brisingamens
-Dianne, Lucas, and Catawba-Lynn
-Jude, Bulma, and Sessrumnir
-Gram
-True and Bartleby
-Masha, Bear, and “Stripes & Whiskers”
-Catawba-Lynn’s two, three, new, comet goldfish: Skadi, Girrodr, and Jormungandr