What I really wanted for Christmas was a small flashlight which would sit on my nightstand and could be reached easily when I got up at night. The hazards of night travel in our bedroom have grown exponentially as the season progressed.
First came the Christmas tree, so we had to move my little antique desk with the delicate legs up the stairs (without damaging the walls). Of course, the only place to put it was in our bedroom – but my cherry cheval mirror had to go to another wall to make room for the desk.
Right next to my side of the bed was a box of gift-wrapping supplies. It was right there so that at any moment I could close the door and have secrets hidden away in the ribbon and the paper. It has to be accessed at any moment – no time to dig in the off-season clothes closet behind the three stored wedding dresses where it normally resides.
Then in our walk-in closet were two piles beside my boot rack. One stack consisted of gifts to be loaded in the car for the drive to the family farm where we spent Christmas; the other carefully hidden heap was gifts for the family here.
I had had a major wrapping session and had to put all the finished gifts (carefully so as not to crush the bows) in a huge cardboard box which had to be in front of the French doors in our bedroom because there were electric trains running in the never-ending circle under the Christmas tree.
My plan was to stack the gifts in my green antique wooden pony wagon near the tree. It looked so festive and surely worthy of a “Pinterest” pin. The only problem was the wagon; two large upholstered side chairs and round ottoman which doubled as a coffee table were out in the garage. They left the house when we moved the outdoor server inside to act as a wine bar for a Christmas party we held. On that same day, we moved our dining table to the middle of the room – all three leaves in place. Then we moved the couch smack dab up against the French doors (no, we couldn’t open them) so that the secondary table which usually acts like a sofa table snugging up against its back, could be fully opened.
Since the massive cleanup of china and silver after the party that night, no one has had time to put anything in its proper places.
So, as you can see, the cardboard box had to stay where it was until … no wagon, no place to put gifts.
I am not complaining, you understand, but navigating the bedroom was hard in the day, much less at night. I have one stubbed toe and a bruised shin to prove it. So all I really wanted was a pretty little flashlight to light my way in the dark. (No. I did not receive one. Maybe next year.)
Patricia Hall
From the Bible: Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
