JANUARY

Hi Family, wherever you are.


Alex and Brynna left yesterday.  I guess Christmas is officially over.  We had so much fun.  Monday was officially (but not here), the most depressing day of the year.  Apparently the Monday after New Year's has that distinction.  But I survived it!  Yesterday might have been the most depressing day for Alex.  He left in a snowstorm on the shuttle at about 1:30 to catch his flight to Detroit and then to Ithaca.  Salt Lake was flying, and so was Detroit, so all looked well.  For some insane reason his plane to Ithaca left Detroit on time, circled the Ithaca Airport, and returned to Detroit.  The passengers were told that Delta couldn't fly them to Ithaca until Friday afternoon, and all the hotels in Detroit were full.  (this was announced.)  He and some other grad students from Cornell rented a  van and appear to have left Detroit at about 5:00 a.m. (without luggage).  They drove on dry roads to Ithaca.  They arrived at about 9:00 a.m.  (without luggage.)  Yeah.  Go Delta.  It was told to them that the weather station at the Ithaca airport was down, so they wouldn't land there.  (Why not at any of the other three airports in the region?).  I guess we have the illusion that they take care of us when we fly, but really, they would rather have one plane of completely mad passengers than disrupt anything else.  But he made it home.  No polar vortex got in his way.


Travis wisely flew the red-eye from SLC to Paris and avoided U.S. hubs.  He met a co-worker on the plane to Warsaw and they shared a taxi.  He will be very busy at work for the next nine months.  It was hard to let him go.  What a unique time Christmas is for us.  We have (thanks to Dad's work schedule and holidays) a two-week house party.  Travis brought me a game about a Princess.  We played it again the day he left.  Laurel said it was her favorite game ever.  He loved his Christmas with Danny and Jenni and boys. (thanks for the bracelets, especially mine with the rosettes).  Ty and Dawn were busy working at a busy restaurant.  We saw them several times.  Dawn's folks and Ty and Dawn and girls came for our Friday after Christmas all day meat barbecue.  It was delicious.


Tommy and Rilee stayed here most of the time.  What a treat to have so much of their time!  We watched movies and played games, fixed I phones and Mac's at the apple store and shopped for post-Christmas bargains.


On our anniversary, Tommy, Travis and Dennis and I drove out of the smog to Park City, shopped at the outlets then bowled in Heber and ate great hamburgers and fries.  I loved it.  Bowling was hard work and we could only play two games.  So much fun.


Now I need to sort through just about everything in this house.  and clean.  I now belong to three book clubs.  My downtown ward bookclub consistently picks the best books.  But they are all fun.  It's nice to keep connected with people here.


Dad and I saw some movies before Christmas.  That was fun.  We loved seeing Danny and Jenni and boys at Thanksgiving.  And Grandma and Grandpa.  Brisky Canyon was beautiful.  So was Seattle.  I love Seattle at Christmas time.  I think what I love is that we are outdoors all the time.  It's cold, but different than hear.  Alex agreed he had little desire to run on ice through the smog here.  (it's been one of those winters.)  This week we have storms every day, so no smog.


Well, chin up, fresh courage take, tackle the New Year and enjoy it!  Good luck to Brynna on her flight home.  I hope and pray it goes smoothly.  ( Brynna is in Orem at her grandparents' house.  She leaves tomorrow.)


We've been married for 35 years now and are looking for an adventure to celebrate out anniversary.  Wow, this is fun.  I take all my travel websites seriously now.


Love, Mom