“So Very 2021”

Christmas Day, 2020 (7 days until 2021)

For yesterday’s Christmas Eve afternoon, my neighbor and friend, Susie, and I, had planned a Happy Holidays event. We’d stroll with the horses and greet neighborhood friends.

We did for a bit and met neighbors with their little sweet dog.

Soon though, Susie and I became sidetracked. We decided to leave the horses in a neighbor’s pasture. Before we left, I had the heavy job of chopping ice in a trough.

Susie is a founder of and employee of HeliLadder [www.heliladder.com]. I needed her ladder expertise to analyze how to use my new Little Giant Ladder, needed to reach and adjust a bedroom ceiling fixture. After understanding the ladder’s components, Susie climbed it and fixed the fixture.

Meanwhile, I stared at a treadmill. It had stood, unused, in my bedroom for years and swallowing valuable space. “Susie, could we somehow manage to remove this treadmill from the house?” Now, I’ll add that Susie, along with her whole family, is an athlete.

Without hesitating she grabbed the treadmill, wrested it into an appropriate direction, but found it too wide to move through the bedroom door. By now into the project, I went to search the garage for a dolly while Susie removed the bedroom door from its hinges. The dolly was small, but we managed to get the treadmill onto it. We then wiggled that bulk through the too-narrow doorway, pushed it along a carpeted hallway, and then out the front door. Once outside, we paused beside it.

Where to now? Just leave it here?

Really, never had it seemed that my old treadmill could be standing outside. We considered options and I remembered an old trailer down by the barn, standing empty and large enough to accommodate the machine. Our challenge would be hefting the treadmill, somehow, from the dolly and onto the trailer.

We piled into my Jeep and (in another long story) managed to hitch the trailer, which amazingly still had working lights. We hauled the trailer up to the house and paused to plan how to tackle the transfer. Together we pushed and twisted, trying to make appropriate the treadmill’s weight and position, so we could shove it into the trailer. We did succeed.

What next to do about this on a Christmas Eve afternoon? Susie contacted the city recycling center, discovered it was open, and would be for another hour. Off we went in Jeep, hauling trailer. A worker at the Center kindly helped unload the machine, and also, took our picture.

Susie offered to help with ranch chores, and so, we moved hay! Numerous bales in storage needed relocating to be nearer the horses. Susie’s strength made the process efficient and quick. Now, beside the horse area is a hay supply, ready for feeding in the upcoming, colder winter weeks.

While at the barn, we strung colorful Christmas lights. They’re happy, and best, visible from inside my house.

Susie had driven her car and gave me a lift to the horses. She watched them coming in from far pasture and captured their sheer beauty.

We had been stoked by having accomplished heavy work, particularly the treadmill’s moving and disposing. While t’was impressive “girl strength”, still and amazingly, we could tackle and overcome that seemingly-impossible challenge.

What especially touches me is Susie’s generosity, and especially on a Christmas Eve afternoon, in lending her brain and strength. I can’t imagine any gifts lovelier or more welcome. Thank you, my friend!

(Plus, a shout-out of hearty thanks, to California and Linda (another special, forever friend), for today’s blog title!)

Dear Friends: Hope your yesterday was wonderful, and today, your Christmas Merry! Diana