Christmas in the Hollow

First and foremost, Merry Christmas! I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas! If you've followed my blog over the last couple of years you know that our tradition was always a Christmas breakfast rather than a Christmas dinner. That holds true today as I have breakfast just about done this morning. And, it's a white Christmas in the hollow! Snow is supposed to continue this morning and it is beautiful out there. The best part is the roads look fine.
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I always try to do something at Christmas to remember my parents. Sometimes it's something small and sometimes something big. This year I spent most of December doing little a little 'secret' giving in their memory. I know they would have liked that. Eating Christmas Eve dinner out this year was a special treat I had looked forward to for a couple of weeks. I had already decided that our waitress would receive an extra large tip as a Christmas thank you. You see, Mom was a waitress for years. In fact, that is how she and Daddy met. I know from watching her that the job is hard and often thankless. In hard times, tips are often cut. We chose a local steakhouse and I have to say the meal was wonderful. My steak was tender and finally cooked perfectly. I'm not picky as I'll eat it any place from rare to well-done - just as long as they don't walk it to the table. But, it was nice to have the cook actually know what 'medium' meant. The restaurant had a beautiful Christmas tree and several families were also having their Christmas Eve dinner there as well.
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What made the dinner extra special? Having never been there before, I was surprised when the waitress greeted us as if we were long lost friends that had just stopped in for Christmas. She was not overly cheerful, but warm and friendly. But, I teared up when I saw her name. It was the same as Mom's. A random choice of where to eat led us to her. It made giving the 'extra' tip all the more special and brought me a little closer to the memory of my parents.
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Wishing you a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Traveling Dentists

I made a much overdue visit to my dentist's office the other day. It's amazing the things that go through my mind while my teeth are being cleaned. I was thinking about Christmas and all the things I have left to do before Dec 25th - mentally making lists and checking them twice! I have no dental phobias and usually have no real problems. Given the fact that seeing someone in dental scrubs would send Mom into a panic, I wonder why I didn't develop the same problem with dental uniforms.

Visits to the dentist were not something we could afford back in the hollow. In fact, my first visit was at sixteen! And, it was to a 'traveling dentist' that did not maintain a regular office in town. Even so, it wasn't a bad experience. Though, I was determined to hang on to my wisdom teeth for as long as possible. The experience of having two removed on one side definitely had me dragging my feet on the other two. As I grew older, I began to appreciate the importance of good dental care. These days we know that gum issues can lead to visits with someone in nursing uniforms. And, none of us want that! They always ask me if I floss. I always say 'yes' just last night. I think if we all took care of our teeth as if we were visiting the dentist tomorrow, we'd have fewer issues. So, tonight while your checking your list, add flossing to it!