HOW TO NOT TO START CHRISTMAS WEEK

I'm in Dayton at my sister's house. Got here Friday night about 10:30 eastern time and we've been busy ever since. First of all, I was maybe going to pick up Beth and Lundy from the airport -- they were coming in from Philly after being in Paris all week on a business/sightseeing trip. They got stuck in Philly so I was in the BIG house by myself. Needless to say, Toby and I slept downstairs on the couch. I was wound up from the trip so I didn't go to sleep until well after midnight. Got up yesterday morning and fed their dog and got the rest of my stuff out of the car and was so thankful I packed my warm coat and gloves because it was cold and getting colder by the minute:) Beth and hubby got in about noon. On the way home Son#1 called saying his wife had the stomach bug and had been throwing up regularly since about 2 am. We came home and Son #2's wife brought lunch over from Skyline Chilli (I think that is the name). Then Son#1 called again saying he was taking his wife to the emergency room so we went and picked up the three grands and brought them to the house. Then Son #2 called to say that his youngest had started throwing up so whatever the bug it was in two houses. Then my sisters Son#5 called to say he had been sick as a dog since noon. Anyway, to make this long story shorter. Son #1's wife is in the hospital. She has a kink in her intestines (we think from all the vomiting) and they've put a tube through her nose down into her intestines to try to get the kink out. If it works, she will be home by Xmas -- if not, she will have to have surgery and be in the hospital for a week and a half. Yuk!! The girls are staying here for now but don't know about the kink/maybe surgery stuff. Anyway, their son#5 is better today and I haven't heard how things are at son #2's house today.

Now for the better part of the story. It snowed enough last night to kind of cover the ground and is freezing cold today and I do mean freezing. Toby wasn't quite sure about going outside. He stepped very gingerly on the grass -- I think because it was crunching under his feet. We've eaten out last night and today at lunch but the cooking will start in earnest tomorrow. And my sister definitely knows how to cook. We've got some shopping and wrapping to finish and Christmas movies to watch on Hallmark and lots of visiting to catch up on.

So, that's the capsule version of my first 36 hours here.