Minty

People have been decorating with candy canes for ages.  This stockpile was waiting to garnish a Christmas tree.  As seen in 2014.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Sanguinity

I don't recall ever seeing a poinsettia tree before.  I think they are pretty, but not feasible in a furbaby household.  One can be yours for $40 at Hy-Vee.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Twiggy

I was out and about in Eagan today and saw that they have a Hy-vee store.  I decided to check it out because I'd never been in one before.  These prickly pine and birch arrangements were sitting outside, flocked in freshly-fallen snow.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Glowingly

As seen on the evening commute.  ~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Comedy

~Celebrating 31 days of Christmas

Nine years ago today we had the biggest blizzard in the Twin Cities since the Halloween Blizzard of '91.  When it was all said and done, over 16 inches had fallen, with drifts up to 24 inches.

At the peak of the blizzard was my mom's funeral.

Our little church family was a real tight-knit group that day.  The pianist got stuck in the alley at home.  We sent my now-husband to go get her in his 4WD truck.

The men were on shovel patrol, which was a full-time job.  The snow just didn't stop!

My relatives came down from Fargo/Moorhead and Little Falls to be there.  By the grace of God, they made it there and back in one piece.  Although my oldest niece and her husband got stuck a couple blocks away and had to trudge through the drifts to get to the church.

And my mom, well, she was late to her own funeral.  The hearse kept getting stuck.  They finally got to the church, but when they tried to pull around the corner, the hearse got stuck in the middle of the intersection.  A jerk in a Hummer came barreling up the street and started honking like crazy.  The hearse driver (usually the stoic type, right?) gets out and starts yelling at the jerk.

And me?  I laughed.  And laughed and laughed and laughed.  After everything that happened in the last month of my mom's life, I so needed that.   I'm sure she was laughing in heaven as she would definitely find the humor in it too.  It was a comedy of errors on the grandest scale.

The day was wild and crazy and wacky – just like my mom.  Merry Christmas, mom.  I love you.