Season's Greetings!
I am very curious about how people are managing their holiday expectations this year and perhaps others are, too. In that interest, I am writing today to tell you how Andy and I and other members of our family are spending our Thanksgiving and Christmas. I will begin, however, with Veteran's Day, which was yesterday. At 8 AM or so, I learned that Albany was putting on a "Reverse Veteran's Day Parade " out in the parking lot of the newly constructed YMCA. The idea is that veteran's groups and businesses hosting veterans would set up an area in which veterans could stand or sit, some decorated and some not (I refer to the staged areas, not the vets themselves, many of whom, I'm sure, were very decorated!) and citizens could circle by in their cars and wave and call out their thanks. I immediately started painting some posters that said "Veterans, we thank you!" and "We 💜 you!" and blew up many balloons. I figured we would drive to the Y and then quickly tape up the posters and balloons to our ride. We took our Chihuahua-mix, Penelope, in a color-coordinated sweater to match our decorations. We left our lab-mix, Miley, at home as she is disturbed by loud noises and we were expecting a big turnout of motorcyclists. I felt really badly about leaving Miley behind and gave her extra pets and treats as we left. That is probably what distracted me and caused me to leave the bag holding the adhesive tape sitting on the kitchen floor. When we got to the parade route and pulled over, I was so excited to decorate our "float," but found no tape! We settled for holding our posters up ourselves out the open windows. As no other vehicles decorated at all, we still stood out and the vets really appreciated our home made posters and cute puppy. "Chihuahuas for veterans!" we called!
For Thanksgiving, our holiday will be largely unchanged. We will go to our cabin on the lake as usual. It has a propane oven and stove and we will cook a feast for two, read a lot and try to identify as many migratory waterfowl as possible. Autumn and winter are best for birding on Ten Mile Lake! Some years, we do attend a large family gathering in North Albany hosted by Nancy, my stepmother, who was married to my dad while he lived and is now married to my daughter-in-law's widowed father. It's all very interwoven and Appalachian. Our family tree twists around like a curly willow! This year, however, Nancy and Gary will not welcome their usual 12-15 guests, but will instead prepare a delicious meal and deliver it to the would-be guests who live nearby. That is the compromise they have chosen. It allows them to stay safe and opt out of hosting a dangerous dinner, but they can still have that feeling of connection by sharing their sweet potatoes and stuffing with loved ones.
My sister in Vancouver, WA, began planning a Christmas get-together a month or so ago. She is the youngest of us 3 siblings. My older brother lives in Eugene with his wife. Our mom is 84 and in good health, but does have some risk factors besides age. She will be living with my sister and her family in Vancouver from Thanksgiving through the New Year. Mom's age makes it feel timely and important, yet also risky for us to gather. We are still weighing the risks and it is entirely possible that we may scrap the whole thing, but for now, this is our plan; On Saturday, December 19, we intend to gather in my sister's old house, which is HUGE. It is a former sanatorium for cerebral palsy patients and has also served as a dance studio and church offices. It has since been moved high on a hill out of town. It features a large, square central "hall" which is open via 3 archways to a library, parlor and dining room. Since there are 3 households attending - my sister's, mine and my brother's, she will set up a table for each group in each of those 3 rooms. We'll be at least 12 feet apart, but will see and hear each other across the empty hall. We will all wear masks except for when dining. Windows will be open and sweaters will be worn. There will be no table of appetizers nor open bar to hover over. My mother will cook a simple, but delicious meal of turkey divan and, huzzah! will bake two desserts! One lucky teen niece or nephew will do all the serving so there will be no shared utensils. We will limit the gathering to 3 hours and will include a Christmas sing-a-long as I have been practicing carols on my ukulele! We will wear masks and stay distant during the singing.
My sister has recently suggested that we seek out COVID tests prior to our holiday. I received an order from my doctor easily and have an appointment for the drive-thru testing facility near the Albany hospital 5 days before the dinner. I will be quarantined as soon as school lets out. That test will cost $150. I have been informed that RiteAid offers free COVID tests and I will look into that as well. I want to point out that although I am traveling out of Oregon state for this gathering, it is early enough in the Winter Break that two weeks will have passed before I am reunited with the children and staff at PhMS.
As you can see, we are putting a lot of thought into our holiday plans. As COVID numbers rise in Benton and Linn Counties, this is the worst possible time to loosen up and become lax in defeating the spread. The urge to congregate with our family and friends is stronger than ever due to our love of holiday traditions and the forced separation we have all endured thus far. Unfortunately, NW winter weather is not conducive to planning outdoor gatherings unless one is hooked up with a sturdy canopy and outdoor heaters. Although I remember sitting on the front porch in our shirtsleeves on Christmas Day more than once, my dad still alive and enjoying the sunshine, that is a blessing one cannot count on. So we must all be self-sacrificing, creative, detail-oriented and disciplined this holiday season. We must show our love by, perhaps, not being with those we love. We may spread holiday warmth by sitting in a cold, but well-ventilated room. We may fill charity food boxes instead of the mouths of our relatives. We may feast our eyes on just the eyes of our masked friends.
You now know that I have, so far, not resisted the siren song of "Home for the Holidays," but my family and I are taking such precautions that I feel very confident that I am fulfilling my obligation to all of you at PhMS. My highest priority is to be a good citizen of our state and our school and rest assured, I am playing my part in keeping our kids and staff safe and our school open for in-person instruction. I know I can count on my PhMS community to do the same. Jessica, Madi and I wish you and yours a joyful and safe holiday season. We treasure you!
Warmest Holiday Wishes,
Doni
