Wednesday, January 4, 2017

READY OR NOT - HERE COMES THE NEW YEAR


Here we are, a few days into the New Year, and I'm still wondering how time passed so quickly between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As much as I love the holidays, I almost always feel a bit tired after the celebrations. We made some great memories over the holidays though.

Our daughter and her family gave us the most amazing gift of a weekend in a secluded log cabin in the Hocking Hills of Ohio. We were there from Christmas Eve day until the day after Christmas. Glenn and I arrived at the cabin around 3pm on the 24th. He started a fire in the fireplace while I fixed a simple supper. We unloaded the car and set about making the cabin our own for the weekend. I took along a small tree, candles, and white lights - for a bit of decoration - as well as sandwich-makings, cocoa, spiced cider, a CD player with Holiday CDs, Christmas movies, popcorn, games, and homemade goodies to share with family members when they joined us on Christmas Day.




LAZY DOG CABIN - HOCKING HILLS, OHIO - 2016
We were kept a bit in the dark about the cabin and directions until close to the day of our trip, since our daughter wished for it to be a great surprise, which it was. I didn't know what to expect or what accessories the cabin management might provide, so I packed everything I thought we might need for a weekend. That proved to be more than enough, perhaps too much, but I was happy to have more than we needed, instead of wishing I'd brought more with us. Even the family dogs, Mandy and Cooper, were allowed to come along for the weekend.




LAZY DOG CABIN FIREPLACE WITH TREE AND CANDLES

Glenn and I spent a quiet relaxing Christmas Eve watching Polar Express, taking in the beauty of the cabin, and sipping hot cocoa by the fire while munching on Christmas cookies. It felt as if we'd stepped inside the cover of a Norman Rockwell Christmas card - you know the kind that when it's first opened, you're gazing at a glittery window that allows a peek inside a cozy room with a roaring fire in the fireplace, a tree glowing with lights, and where mugs of steaming hot cocoa are being consumed by mom and dad. The little ones are sneaking down the stairs to see if Santa has come and there is a plate of Christmas cookies prepared for the jolly old elf. Have you not always exclaimed (as I have), "Oh, I could just live there"?  That was the exact feeling and it was wonderful.

Christmas Day, our daughter and family arrived at 9am, ready to make a delicious breakfast for all of us. That was another part of our gift - Christmas breakfast cooked to perfection. After breakfast, the grandkids opened their gifts and then we played games and listened to Christmas music the rest of the morning and afternoon. Our daughter prepared a wonderful supper for us and then we all relaxed by the fire and watched movies and shared stories for the rest of the evening.  

The morning after Christmas, even though we were sad to be leaving the cabin, we knew we'd be taking the memories with us. Packing for the trip home might have been chaotic if not for everybody pitching in to help - and the fact my daughter is more organized than I am. Leftovers were given to our grandson who was heading back to college and happy to have them. Our granddaughter had to hurry back to a new job, but most of us stopped at a restaurant in Lancaster, Ohio to enjoy a great breakfast and one last visit before being swept back into reality. It was a wonderful weekend, and for possibly the very first time, I didn't feel the least bit depressed when it ended. I was simply grateful we'd had the experience and thrilled that our daughter and her family had given us such a fantastic gift.

I hope all of you had memory-making times with family and friends this holiday season, and that you will have a New Year filled with Peace, Love, and Joy. 

2 comments:

Kim said...

Wow, what a great gift indeed! Happy New year to you.

Kady said...

Hi Kim....it was indeed a great gift to stay in that beautiful cabin for a weekend. We were able to relax and escape the worries of the world for a time. I hope your year has started out well and that it brings you much happiness.