CLAY AND WATTLES

Lots of Reading Time

I called Mike this morning to see how he's feeling and he answered. He isn't having to take too much pain medication. He and Marsha got home around 5:00 yesterday evening. The device he has on his wrist is anchored with pins in his lower arm/thumb and can be adjusted by the doctor at his visits. Somehow this will allow his wrist not to freeze or the bone to knit back incorrectly. It sounds like he has a good doctor. He said he knew he'd have cabin fever, but likes to read, so that'll help pass the time. As for writing, yesterday he could only make an X with his left hand where he signed hospital papers.

The days are drawing close and Christmas will be here in one week! There are at least three little ones I need to visit, Sunday School pictures to have printed for class members, a casserole needed for Sunday, but other than that, I'm ready. I think. Deciding to stay home for Christmas this year has really lightened the preparation and stress level. We love our families. We love Christmas. We will miss everyone and Christmas Breakfast at David's and being with Mike and his family. But - at least for this year, it will be a good thing to stay home and not pack, travel, sleep in someone else's bed, get used to someone else's temperature level, feel stressed because we need to be at several different homes in a short time. People who travel to relatives' homes understand. When we were young and Amy was little, it was much easier to pack up "Santa" and heigh-ho through the Delta and over the River to the grandmas' houses.

Maybe I'll start that gigantic task of sorting through books and doing something about getting Mama's dresser to my house. Or just read.

Speaking of reading... The Commercial Appeal was no longer being delivered to NE Mississippi, Mama Nick told us at Thanksgiving and now she gets the Tupelo Journal. I learned this week they are no longer having paper boxes to buy the paper here! (Not sure if they are still delivering on routes, but no boxes...) Several years ago, I recall that the Commercial was formatted to narrower pages. The Commercial, to me, has always meant - Memphis, the South. a sort of connection to home. Just like the old Press Scimitar, which was put to rest October 31, 1983. I remember Papa and Goobie reading both and working the crossword puzzles in them, and reading the Sunday comics on their living room floor. E-papers are getting more popular, circulation has declined, the economy has affected so much, too. It's a sad day when the newspapers begin to be memories.