Scooter Saga

Being in Maui the first couple weeks of December and then going back in early January  definitely shortened the holiday season.  Given the COVID restrictions, I was prepared for that. What I didn't see coming were all the well-meaning suggestions I received to: "Just forget the holidays this year.  With the pandemic and all..." "A big tree is too expensive to bother with for two weeks." "If you have a tree, maybe this might be a good time to get an artificial one or a smaller one." I looked around and responded, "You must be talking to the lady in back of me."* Assured that the comments were indeed intended for me, I thought, "OK it's maybe only a two week Christmas, but it's still two weeks."  I needed to separate out what was postponable from what brought me joy.  After all, it's not as if this was my first rodeo.  I could still plan, make a list, and delegate, delegate, delegate. I had the Christmas routine down.  Us

Disclaimer:  The COVID-19 posts are obviously not chronological, just incidental. The spontaneous garage party We had just gotten back from our January/February 2020 Maui sojourn and put granddaughter Zoe on the bus for her home in Seattle*.  Earl and I went home to begin planning for a March birthday party and a Spring trip back to Maui.  I was thinking about our charmed, carefree life and then...COVID–19 hit.  The March birthday party went from 15 people to 6, moved from the house to the garage, one guest FaceTimed in, and we were trying to navigate this new environment. We were prepared to cancel our Spring trip, but surprised when the state of Hawaii closed down to all incomers.  Tourism may be Hawaii's lifeblood, but they weren't messing around or, dare I say , waiting for direction from the federal government.  I thought, "surely this virus would be manageable by Fall."  We all know how that turned out. The covid-19 test But finally, we were able to go in ear