I am sitting here tonight, dressed as warmly as I can, wondering how I drank my hot cocoa so fast, after holding my hands around the cup, because it felt so good. Yesterday, or the day before, Colorado got a snowing that will be around for days, because air from the North Pole came with it, and it's below freezing here. Pretty pictures of Santa and his deer we used to color in grade school, are nice to think about. Still I wonder how Santa kept from freezing to death up there.

It is so cold here, but I was trying again, for I don't know how many times, to wrap presents, when the phone rang. My very best friend wanted to know if I'd see a play with her at the local high school, on short notice. She didn't know what play it was, but that was O.K. We'd find out when we got there, and that's how I got to see "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, adapted by Romulus Linney, right here in the season.

It wasn't hard to find a place to park, because I went early, and was glad I did. Walking in the building reminded me that my own children finished highschool there, and that encouraged some memories.

The place was filling. Soon the lights dimmed, and this tall, bent over creature slowly walked from a side of the stage, and with his first words took command of the next few hours as if they belonged to him. The huge supporting cast, some dressed somberly, others more of the place in time the play was set, and still others were surprisingly quite colorful, especially when they did the dancing scenes. A part of the play that couln't be, without it, must be the fast work of the stage hands. How they changed all that furniture and even walls amazes me.

I had not read the story of Ebenezer Scrooge. Had only a general idea of his being tight with money, and was surprised there was so many parts to the story. It was so good,getting lost in it. At the ending, there was at least one standing ovation. and many flower bouquets sneaked in, and held high for grand children of proud grand parents. Not once in the excitement of the play, did I think about wrapping gifts.

But the next day I tried again, and wouldn't you just know that my phone which doesn't ring much, did. My Korean nursing buddy I used to work with, was on her way to pick up her little girl, and asked if I'd spend part of the day with them. I had declined going to the church ladies' Christmas party, but a chance to be with this little girl and her Mom, I would not miss.

As we're headed to some place she understands sells trees and things for Christmas, I ask my friend's daughter how she's doing with studies and school, and does she still like her teacher, and what about her learning Spanish. Every answer is a yes, Then she tells me how the Spanish say turtle. It's tortuga. She even pronounces it for me. She explains a math drill the teacher gives, how it's timed so they learn to think quickly.

I'm not sure having to hurry with numbers is so crucial, but I don't say it. I do point out to my little friend that people who get very good at working with numbers usually make more money than those who don't. But I can tell I'm overloading her young brain, so I stop, and just tell her how glad I am to spend some time with her. She smiles and looks at me, and murmurs a soft yes. Some things don't need a lot of words to be expressed.

We went to a Christmas kind of place, I only imagined I knew what was there. Thought they sold real Christmas trees, and other holiday stuff for decorating, and in a way they did. But all of it just about blew me away. Their trees were man made, seemed like a countless number of them, and I was shocked at the prices. Some cost more than a thousand dollars.

Nativity scenes, many kinds, and so beautiful, looked more like works of art, and were priced as if they were. I don't mean to come across as if I'm Ebenezer's kin, but being the country girl I am, born when the first depression started, and all my life ever aware of having to stretch dollars, it is difficult to understand how people spend so much at places like this.

Walking space was crowded the whole time we were there. Every kind of Christmas things were displayed and people were buying them. It was like walking back in time to a magical place of Christmases past, and somehow I would have felt better if there had been a Salvation Army Bell Ringer near the door for perhaps, at least some coins to make some poor peoples' Christmas better.

The timing of those two outings seemed Heaven sent, with our frigid snow storm waiting another day. I'm back to wrapping gifts again, but I relocated the set up for it, from the room I was in, and it's now sprawled across the livingroom, close to a cozy heating vent. Nights like this, the first thing on my list of thanks is not having to leave the house. Should not be a problem now, getting those presents wrapped.

Of course there's other things to do. My part of the family feast is to make party trays, and prepare the shrimp. But before this extrordinary year ends, I must prepare a serious resolution list. It will include things like watching geese fly over more, and sometimes being able to see full moons through the sun room skylights. But I also will ad this year, more phone calls to family and friends, and working on that book I started. Sometimes Christmas happens while you're getting ready for it.