Well, about a week ago, I got our house decorated for Christmas. Who knew that there was some kind of Christmas tree shortage, this year, and so, by the time I got to the tree lot, well, it was a tragic situation. Something about a bad growing season, blah, blah, blah. From the parking lot, I thought they all looked quite small and one of the first things I ask of my Christmas tree is that I not look down at it. However, in the distance, my eye was drawn to some fuller, taller trees which sat off to the side and so, as I walked through them admiringly, the tree lot attendant informed me that they were all sold and that there were only two left in that height range. He told me to follow him and we walked for what seemed like forever, all the way to the back of the lot to the section where they take people who wait until the last minute. The island of misfit trees.   

There they were. The two remaining trees over 5' tall. Oh, what a sight, they were. Sitting next to the tent where they make fresh wreaths. My suspicion is that they'd be hanging on a door by a nail right now if I hadn't come when I did. Anyway, I'm sure it was my imagination but even the trees looked embarrassed.....kinda like you feel when someone knocks on your glass door and there you stand in your pajamas, bedhead, un-showered, and with no bra. You fully recognize that you look really bad and desperately don't want anyone looking you over. Yeah, the two trees looked ashamed like that. But, I'd already been to another store and the contestants there were even more homely, so I had a decision to make.   

There were obvious flaws, yes, like maybe they'd fallen off the truck and then were backed over but that's just mere speculation. One had a large, gaping hole on the side and looked awfully sparse at the bottom......like perhaps where truck tires had been. The other one, well, it was one that only God could love. So, I decided to go with the gaping hole, sparse bottom choice and paid the man in arms and legs and was on my way. Trees are apparently priced strictly by height. Beauty is not something that is factored in.

I imagined us carrying it home and bringing out its hidden beauty. And I think we did......if you keep the lights dim enough and tilt your head to the left.

Well, we get there and take a number and turn to see that there was quite a crowd gathered. We found a couple of chairs together and settled into our seats as we assumed they'd be our home for the next little while. In true southern fashion, she and I both spoke to the people on the other side of us and made their acquaintance. We used the ice breaker, "How long have you been waiting?" as our lead question. Two hours on my side and an hour and a half on hers.

Then, we hear the automated announcement, "Now serving J019 at window 2." We looked down at the number on our slip of paper and, with a little subtraction, knew we had a ways to go.....not only numerically but alphabetically. It's bad when you've got numbers and letters to work through. Periodically, the Siri sounding voice would announce another number and, every time, we'd look down at our paper like maybe it had changed. I felt like we were playing bingo and had a really bad card. 
Well, minutes turned to hours and Mrs. Jean kept insisting we leave and that she'd come back another day, but I was in it to win it. You know, sometimes, you cross a certain threshold where there's just no going back. We were too invested, at this point. So, we listened to the numbers and chit-chatted as we stared ahead at the poorly decorated Christmas tree. I thought, at one point, what a shame it would be if we had to spend Christmas there at the Mississippi Highway Patrol Office but with only 2 of the 6 windows open, I wasn't ruling out the possibility. They must use Wal-Mart's equation for figuring windows open/customer ratio. It was then that I was forced to think about how all I had was the half pack of gum and tin of Altoids in my purse that I could give Mrs. Jean on Christmas morning, I mean, if it came to that. I felt so ill-prepared for all the scenarios that were becoming possiblities. 

When the two open windows became one due to it being someone's lunch break, I began to plan our Christmas breakfast through the vending machine glass. Honey buns, powdered donuts, and orange Fanta looked like the most fitting combination that I could come up with and so I made a mental note just in case.

Approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes after we arrived, we heard the most glorious alphabetical/numerical combination ever to fall on the human ear. "Now serving A056 at window 2."  You've never seen a woman in her 90's move so fast in your life. And being in her 90's, she opted for the 4 year license and not the 8 and, after taking a pretty picture, we were on our way.

I thought about how much I'd enjoyed those over 3 hours with her. While everyone else looked down at their phones, we laughed and giggled and had the best time joking about our situation. Even the most mundane things can be fun if you're in the right company. Mrs. Jean is always the right company for a good time.

Today, I went to visit my longtime friend, Michelle, who's recently had surgery. I couldn't be there because of a decorating job, so I just wanted to see her and get a hug albeit a gentle hug. I took lunch and we had a good time together......well, as much fun as you can have with a person with stitches, but still. We enjoyed eating, lounging, and talking. Never let it be said that I will not eat and lounge with a friend in need. They're some of my most sharpened skills.

Anyway, Michelle lives in another city.....one that is blessed with a Krispy Kreme and so, as I was leaving town, I saw the red star in the East blinking HOT.
And maybe most amazing of all, we got snow way down here in the deep South! Not just our normal once every 5 years, anemic, nappy snow with pine straw poking through everywhere. No, we had 7 inches at our house and it was the only snow before Christmas that I can ever recall. It was a pretty special treat for those of us who are just going through the motions when we sing about dashing through the snow and white Christmases like the ones we used to know. These are things we know nothing about.

Those of you who live in the North, just scroll on down past the snow pictures. These are for the enjoyment of our fellow Bible belters for whom this isn't an everyday occurrence.