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| Cousins' Christmas Crowd |
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| 7:01 |
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| 7:42 |
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| 8:08 |
Well, it's finally getting light after getting up at 6:15. I waited for the fishing huts and shanties to appear and just noticed a line of them off of Long Point at 7:45. They were not out early, surprisingly, the first one setting up around 7:00. It's 30º out and the temperature will drop during the day as we near the beginning of the Super Bowl? Coincidence or cause and effect.
Yesterday was a mostly sunny day, as the lake was as crowded as I have ever seen it, especially in the afternoon. Fishing huts galore, cross-country skiers, people out for lake walks, and kite skaters made for an interesting afternoon on the lake. We had a relaxing morning, in no hurry to get cooking. Around 10:00, I needed to get outside, so I went for an easy half hour of cross-country skiing, mostly to check out the conditions, to see how windy it was. Heading up the lake was fine, coming back it was windy but bearable.
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| Cross Country Skiing |
When I got home, Evie was busy getting our appetizer ready for last night's Cousins' Christmas. Since we could not come up with an appetizer that sounded good, so Evie decided on her most current appetizer, breaded and cheese stuffed Clausen's Pickles. Everyone seems to like them and she had never made them for this group. So she was busy goring them, before stuffing them with cheese and breading them. While she worked, I gathered the trash and drove off to the Transfer Station and returned home, in time to help clean up the kitchen.
Lunch was one of my favorites, leftover schnitzel sandwiches with mayo, of course. And I watched the penultimate episode of Bloodline, Season 1. It ended with John drowning his brother Danny. Somehow, I think Danny will live to threaten the family another day. I cannot wait to find out. I then watched some basketball, as Kansas loss to Oklahoma State, a big upset on another day of upsets. And I took a nap even though I slept in till after 7:00 yesterday morning. I must have needed it.
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| A Busy Afternoon |
Evie meanwhile spent some time wrapping the two presents we were bringing to the Cousins' Christmas. Part of the fun is having cool, wrapped presents. And Evie's was even wrapped with Christmas lights. Cool beans.
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| Evie's Much Desired Present |
We went over to our neighbors', Bud and Debi's at 6:00 and found a house full of people drinking beers, eating appetizers, looking forward to the present exchange. Everyone brings a present and no one knows whose present it is. We then have a what some call a White Elephant exchange, 'the goal to entertain rather than gain.' Gifts are usually funny if not outrageous and the only requirement is that the recipient must take it home. Crazy Christmas hats are passed around:
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| Hats Are Us |
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| Opening Presents |
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| Arlo, A Wide Awake Grandson |
Gifts are given, exchanged or taken before they are opened, one at a time to cheers and jeers. I have to admit Evie's was the most traded or exchanged and would have won the best gift, or the most wanted, a clear toilet seat with fishing lures embedded in the seat and cover. I walked out with a radio combination beer cooler and Evie received five 3 foot panels of sunrises, perfect for any motel room or garage.
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| Excited About A Wine Bottle Glass |
It's always a fun night and our neighbors have been exchanging gifts for years. They were nice enough to invite us the last couple of years although we are not cousins. We didn't get home till 10:00 but before leaving, I got to hold Louie, Bud and Debi's year-old grandchild. He's a cutie and was happy to sit on my lap for a bit. A good way to end the fun.
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