TeamReedBlog.2020

Alison has never had Christmas in her own home, and we like it that way. But like most everyone else, COVID has put a cramp in our stockings. Actually, it's forced us to use our Christmas stockings for the very first time. Because we have spent Christmas in Maine since 1996 - and Santa knows where to find us - they've been for decorative use only. For three years, there were just two stockings, which explains why the third one doesn't match. (Yes, I looked.) COVID did not, however, rob us of Cookie Day with Auntie Jen. We think Ali was three-years-old when we started, and that photo of Grammie and Ali is cheating just a bit. It was the same year, but not yet Christmas. That was the summer Grandpa took Ali fishing. She didn't catch any fish, but she got to pee in the wood on a rock, so it was still a good adventure.  Grammie couldn't hide her horror when Ali plunked her cookie cutter into the middle of the rolled-out dough rather than carefully positioning them all t

 Alison came home Tuesday before Thanksgiving, and her boyfriend Jason came along. We had a great few days full of good food -- crab legs, steak and King Rib ribs and some truly decadent mac-n-cheese -- and lots of couch time for the kids. They lit up the outside of the house for me, too.  All too soon, though, Ali drove Jason back to campus in West Lafayette because, "There's no way I can study if he's downstairs." They had a week of classes before finals week starts tomorrow. Most of the students went home and stayed there. Jason lives in California, and won't fly home until after his last test. Alison might as well have gone back with him as we have seen very little of her in the past week. She's holed herself up in the downstairs bedroom with her laptop, a whiteboard and assorted food items. She emerges periodically -- mostly for more food. She has asked Jeff and me -- separately -- to study with her on occasion, which is humbling. I did flash cards with h