My guess is many of us have memories of past Christmas and holiday times. Where we spent those days, family members or friends who were involved, or unusual situations which arose may all factor into those memories.
Living in the Front Range area, we know wind, among other weather conditions, can wreak havoc. On occasion, it might prevent or delay family gatherings whether in the serving of traditional meals or opening of presents.
Brunch is the norm for Christmas in our family with the prime rib appearing on New Year’s Day. Some years ago we decided going to a movie in the afternoon completed Christmas Day.
We wondered what movie we might like to see. Did any fit the bill? Then again, the Broncos were playing so perhaps, staying home to watch them might be just fine.
That particular Christmas afternoon, weather provided the answer with wind gusts strong enough to blow out our power. With brunch completed and no need for any immediate cooking, a loss of power didn’t impact any planned meal.
It did make a difference in our available light and heat. Pretty soon, family and friends headed out leaving us to figure out our plans.
Well, take a nap and then think about what to do next, we decided. Call the utility company to find out when power might be restored. Their answer “about 11 or 11:45 p.m.”
Staying in our cooling house amidst candle and flashlight didn’t hold much appeal. Finding a local hotel open, we headed out to watch Martha Coffin Evans the game. There we found plenty of people, bar food and a televised game but, no place to sit.
Moving on to another downtown hotel, we found the game and drinks but, no bar food. Watching into the game’s third quarter, we decided to head home traveling by any open fast food places for a quick bite. All were dark. After all, it was Christmas Day eve.
Martha Coffin Evans
In our not so warm home, crackers, cheese and a drink took a little edge off our hunger. Eventually, we executed the most logical plan – head to bed, leave the lights alone and wake up surprised.
We’ll remember that Christmas with a chuckle of how it turned out in its unexpected fashion. Sure glad we weren’t cooking a roast, ham or turkey!
~ Martha (Marty), Coffin Evans, Ed.D., is a freelance writer with MACE Associates, LLC. She can be reached at itsmemartee@aol.com/.