Christmas and Illinois visit

 We had the time so decided to drive to Illinois for a couple weeks.  The plan was to help Scott's mom move to an assisted living place in Moline and to see both our families for Christmas eve (Moline) and then Christmas day (Manhattan), and then drive home.  This plan got derailed by covid too.

Marilyn in her old place.  We packed for 2 days and moved boxes and unpacked her over time.  Big project! She thinks she will like Heritage Woods.

Scott and I stayed at an Airbnb apartment that we'd stayed at before - The Bend.  Great place looking at the very cold and windy Mississippi.  We mostly walked for sanity away from the water.

We drove through Ranch Oaks to see my parents' old house and the old neighborhood.  We love how all the neighbors do the Christmas lights. 

I spent 4 days with my sister Vicki before Christmas.  We got to paint rocks with her grandkids and it was a blast.  

We spent Christmas Eve with Scott's family at his brother's house.  Sorry that I can't access those photos but we ate well and his mom did fine.

Christmas Covid:  On Christmas morning we drove 2.5 hours to my sister's.  Mid-drive she called to say she had a cold and was looking for a Covid rapid test but of course couldn't find one because they are impossible to get right now.  Miracle!  Scott & I stopped for gas on I-80 at the small town of Princeton and asked the clerk if any pharmacies were open.  He said No, but we have those tests here!  

We delivered the test to Vicki with fingers crossed but....she was covid positive - probably Omicron. She had bad cold symptoms only, isolated for 5 days (boring) and no one else got sick.

My nephew cancelled Christmas at his house so we went to my niece's house outside of Chicago to celebrate with them and stay overnight.  We brought our Christmass food with us!  Played euchre, visited Josh's business and had a great Christmas with them.

SHE had covid!  We had just spent 30 hours with them, so we said goodbye to Scott's mom and left for home a day early.  Jamie's family all got covid, but no one else did.  We didn't either.  Woo!

So many family's Christmas plans were ruined/changed by Covid.  Omicron symptoms are mild for those vaccinated and boostered but the hospitalization and death rates in the U.S. are at an all-time high.  Vaccines are part of the political divide.  Some ignorant people like to compare vaccine requirements and cards to the Holocaust.  Pathetic & no where near the truth of the horros of the Holocaust.  Tough times in this country.  

I am relieved to have Biden/Harris at the helm.  The January 6, 2021 riot at the capital committee is meeting so much resistance to their investigation.  Congressmen are more interested in their political power than in truth and their line is that that event was a non-violent expression against government power.  Those on the right still claim the election was rigged. Argh... Just writing this raises my blood pressure.

There is much to be sad about this year and many of us have great fears for our future as a democracy.  Not to mention the world situation.  But... Personally, it was a very good year.

Vicki and I kept busy during our 4 days together in Manhattan.  We saw our cousin Lee Ann, and cousins Suzie, Mimi, and Jack with their mom Joann for bagna caulda & a final visit with Joann.

A beautiful sunset over McIntosh Lake

Eric, Buffy & Troy, Teanna, Jaymie & Ezra flew to San Luis Obispo for Thanksgiving to be with Danyelle & Tyler and Tyler's family.  They celebrated at the wedding venue (Loriana) that Dani & Tyler run there.  Those girls are all grown up and doing well.