MERRY CHRISTMAS

Just five more days until Christmas. (I’m writing this on Saturday, with fingers crossed and cookies cooling.)

It has been a month. Our weather has delivered three-inch downpours more than once, with relentless rain and wind in between. Three “atmospheric rivers” have swelled rivers and lakes beyond their banks, forcing evacuations and triggering landslides on major roadways. Mt. Hood—unthinkably—has no snow.

I had an eye checkup this week following laser surgery to clear some post-cataract haziness from a few years ago. The weather was wicked enough that I nearly canceled. By the time I reached the door, I was soaked through, my umbrella having lost a fierce battle with the wind. Hip waders would have been the correct footwear for crossing the parking lot. HORRIBLE. I’d planned to stop for deli food on the way home, but there was no universe in which I was going back out. (Dinner was mac and cheese. Comfort food counts.)

We are fortunate that our condo sits uphill from the Willamette River, which is cresting at record levels. The water is so high—and carrying so much debris—that the beloved Christmas Ship cruise has been canceled for the first time in 70 years. To add insult to injury, two thousand gallons of raw sewage spilled into the river yesterday. Ho ho no.

This morning I woke to darkness—no power in my room or the boys’ room next door. Thankfully, it was just a flipped fuse, and light, heat, and internet were quickly restored. Meanwhile, the family is vacationing near Mt. Hood (a Christmas gift), and they’ve been without power since arriving Friday night. Holiday adventure, Oregon-style.

And yet… Christmas is still on its way.

I’ve made Chex Mix and sugar cookies, with hopes of squeezing in another variety or two before they return on Christmas Eve. Wrapping must begin soon so I can safely navigate my bedroom without risking a holiday injury. And the kidults pulled off a small miracle: they convinced the teens to take a photo with Santa. Same Santa as last year—and wow, does that man know how to coax a great pose out of the typically non-smiling set.

Despite the rain, the wind, the outages, and the general sogginess of it all, the spirit persists. Cookies are baked. Gifts are coming together. Christmas, as it always does, finds a way.