Today is Kate’s birthday. We have a long tradition of attending The Nutcracker at the Opera House to celebrate. Then, after a long hiatus, she treated me to a performance in 2016,

I think the year after that may have been in Oregon with birthday cake from Konditorei and a drive up to Timberline Lodge through a snow storm for Christmas dinner. Meg was along for one Timberline dinner, if I recall.

One year, it was just Elizabeth and me on Christmas Eve for cracked crab in front of the fire, after which we drove through the highly-touted-Keizer-lighted-neighborhood extravaganza. I believe I dropped her off on Christmas for a flight to a tropical clime and I stopped back by Kay and John’s on the way home for salmon dinner.

Then, in 2018, Kate and I met up in Ashland. Too much fun. We walked through town and bought birthday presents; went to a Cabaret show; had brunch and Christmas Eve dinner at the Ashland Springs Hotel. And here I am serving up birthday trifle in my hotel room.

2020 is unique among all the celebrations. Maybe we shouldn’t even refer to it as a celebration — but let’s do! We have been sending lots of sussies with help from Amazon and UPS. And now we are writing back and forth about what we’ll be cooking up for our dinners for just one or two. We have high hopes, warm hearths, and grateful hearts. Not one of us has ever been cold or hungry.

Be merry and bright.