A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke Is there a law of probability or a rule or something that says that once you clean your oven, the next thing you bake will spill over? It has become one of my not so favorite holiday traditions. The law of running your dishwasher is the same. Five minutes after you start it, you’ll find a coffee cup or water glass hidden somewhere even though you looked everywhere before you ran the thing. It always happens. With the holiday season upon us, I will be baking and doing dishes  every spare moment I have and I expect I will be cleaning the oven and doing dishes by hand on a regular basis, too, because my holiday traditions aren’t to be skipped. Obviously some holiday traditions will have to be skipped this year. I want to hug my son so badly some days that I ache. That isn’t going to be possible this year and I think we’ve reconciled ourselves to video chats. That doesn’t mean it won’t hurt but we know it’s the right thing to do.  Most everyone is finding new, creative ways to share their love this holiday season. One friend asked her kids and grandkids what their favorite thing to eat that she makes is. The lists came pouring in and she is making all of them – and she has a big family – their favorite dish. Pies, cookies, dressing, you-name-it, she will cook it all up and then she and her hubby will drive the food to their homes. Tucked snuggly in the back of the vehicle, each family will come out to say hello and pick up their treats without touching anything else. No hugs or kisses but grandma’s homemade apple pie will make up for a lot of the holiday celebrations they won’t be able to have. I think that’s a brilliant idea. It’s too late for us for Thanksgiving, but I’m thinking we may celebrate Christmas that way. Daughter Gwen and I have baked cookies together since she was born. We’ll do it again this year. Even though the holidays will be a lot less crowded than other years, we will bake and fill the house with probably far too many decorations and do our best to have some kind of normalcy in our holiday celebrations.  Gwen celebrated granddaughter Mildred’s birthday not long ago via telephone and video with family and friends instead of in peron and it worked. Mildred is too little to know the difference and she felt the love of her family in the phone calls and video chats. Because it’s all about love, isn’t it? I don’t understand how people are not postponing holiday celebrations or coming up with new ways of celebrating. The holidays are about love and charity, generosity and kindness, giving of oneself for others, regardless of who they are. Religious or not, the holidays are about love. Yet here we are facing unprecedented selfishness instead of love. Not wearing masks or staying home or social distancing is selfish. Even if the science is wrong, isn’t worth a little bit of effort to keep others safe on the chance that it’s right? Going out of your way for your fellow man? Not feeding the virus that is killing people? We are so good at so many things. Let’s add keeping the Valley and the whole world as safe as we can to the list, even if it’s a little inconvenient at times. I’m grateful this Thanksgiving that things aren’t worse, hard as that is to imagine. Things are really grim and not projected to get better unless we can turn this bus around quickly. I’m thankful for the love and support of my family, friends and community. Without you, I don’t know what I’d do. We continue to be there for one another through thick and thin, regardless of how crazy our world is. This year has presented unimaginable challenges and we’ve gotten through it without the kind of awful behavior we’ve seen so many other places. I know we don’t all agree on everything and that’s ok. I’m thankful we don’t let it us stop us from almost always getting along.  I have to admit that I’m thankful that 2020 is almost over. It has been a rough year in countless ways. I don’t think we’ll get back to normal or that life will be a whole lot easier in 2021 but it’s bound to get better, bit by bit. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and holiday season. Stay in touch. My number is 574-3159. Email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com or write to me at the Home News, P.O. Box 39, Spring Green WI 53588. If the weather stays nice, we can even meet in person with social distancing, of course. The news deadline is 12 noon on Mondays.