Holidays Ahead!

We had our first hard freeze last night. The other nights when frost was forecast, I dutifully covered my lush ferns and orange fall flowers, blooming so brightly and bravely in the planter my husband made for them. I had written them off as goners after they were crisped by horrid temperatures this summer. But much watering, plus the moderate autumn weather had given them new life, now snatched away by the inevitable cold snap.

I checked on them this morning, since we haven’t completely vacated our house at our former address. My ferns are brown and wilted at the edges, with some of the fronds turned a dark, reddish color. I feel like a neglectful parent. But when we are away next week for Thanksgiving, I couldn’t have protected them anyway, so I surrender to the elements and the forces of nature in what could be an early winter.

My granddaughter writes that there is snow in Tennessee, and the annual Christmas tree has been erected here in the middle of a downtown intersection, so I must admit that the holidays are upon us. We are cozily ensconced and snug for the winter at the home of our son and family, so I will leave it to their traditions to decorate for Christmas. However, I am thinking of bringing my skinny, pre-lit tree to tuck in some tiny space in our small den for a seasonal accent and cheering spot of color.

Speaking of holidays, I called my five-year-old granddaughter, Anne-Marie, this morning to wish her a Happy Birthday, but I was informed she had gone on a field trip with her pre-kindergarten class. I asked my son about Maddie, the two-year-old, and found that she was on the field trip too, as her mommy was required to go as a sponsor. Their father told me that the Birthday Girl had received her card from me yesterday, and that the “Do Not Disturb Princess” door-knob hanger that came with it was hanging from her bedroom door. The other side reads, “The Princess Will See You Now” when she permits access to her room.

Only 5 days ’til we get to see the Princesses at their house in Houston! I’m so looking forward to seeing most of my kids and their families there! I think our day-after-Thanksgiving activities include the glitzy Galleria shopping mall, a spectacle of lights and color sure to put us in the Christmas spirit. No doubt the young teen grandchildren will be gliding on the indoor ice rink as the rest of us watch from the sidelines at the winter scene below, belying the fact that it is most likely a warm, humid Houston day outside. If it’s still as cold here as it is today, I’m sure I won’t mind at all!