Where's Bing Crosby When You Really Need Him... Christmas, 2004

If anyone can ever believe it, Christmas 2004 was the first White Christmas along the Bayou in recorded history!! And so, naturally, Joni was absolutely beside herself!

Oh, and by the way, for the record, what Cajuns do with snow best is chill the wine for the meal!

Below is Joni's email of shock, happiness, and Christmas cheer to Stephen...

"[huge, exuberant hug and ecstatic kiss!]

Merry Christmas! - IT SNOWED!!!!!! Yes, the cold weather and the fact that IT SNOWED are making me gleeful beyond words right now. I have been gleeful like this all day, since I got up this morning and had to scrape ice off my truck to drive over to Angie's house to witness the Christmas carnage of the kids upwrapping presents.

Yes, I took loads of pictures, which reminds me how glad I am that I decided to hold off till after Christmas to mail out your next package, as I shall be including pics of a white, Blanchard Christmas on a CD in your next parcel. And, there are loads of pics of me and the Rathle kids playing in the snow over there as well. Nic and Rachel were beside themselves, though, in all honesty, they weren't beside themselves so much as I was. Angie's sister lives up in Michigan, and they all went visit her last year, so the kids played in tons and tons of snow before. But I hadn't. And, short of a Christmas miracle, like today was, I'd never have any hope of seeing a white Christmas, either. As soon as I get the pictures from Angie and Frank from the Rathles, I'll send you some as well. I would bring Jacques out for a little while at a time, and make a little snowball, hand it to him, and he would laugh and laugh, and then throw it down on the ground to watch it pfff...disintegrate. Oh, it was the cutest thing! And there were some HUGE snowflakes at times, big, puffy ones, and I would try to get Jacques to try and catch one and facing into the wind and falling flakes, his little face would get coated with them, and he thought that was just the funniest thing in the world. He would laugh, and then throw his little head back and stretch his arms out, trying to catch them, then when one would come in range, he'd pull his arms back, snuggle into me, and laugh. Truly, the best Christmas of my life. And I honestly can't even begin to think of how many, many, times I thought of you today, and how this would be something that would absolutely tickle you, and how much fun you would probably have had, throwing snowballs, or playing with the kids, or just watching it fall down out of the south Louisiana sky in utter, total, disbelief. And, to have an utterly chaotically honest moment here, I wished you were here like never before.

I guess this is a little backwards, chronologically speaking, that is, in that I led off with the snow, as it was the headline, and now I'm about to go back to last night's Midnight Mass, and then forward to today and the Christmas celebrations and gifts. So, please pardon the jumping around, it's just that I'm freaked out and excited beyond words. So, here goes:

LAst night's Midnight MAss was wonderful! I mean, I have a great affinity for Midnight Mass to begin with, but these people really know how to throw such a service. The choir, the church, the preist, the homily, the incense, everything, was amazing and just made you feel a palpable joy and hope and light. My two brothers, my sister in law, and my nephew and his girlfriend all came over to meet me at my house, from whence we walked over to the church, and to whence we returned on foot following Mass for some hot cocoa. On our way back, it was sleeting pretty hard, and we noticed that all our cars were coated in ice from the sleet, which was amazing in and of itself. I did manage to keep the pipes from busting, though it doesn't sound like the same can be said for the neighbors.

This morning, I awoke early, got dressed and headed to the Rathles to witness the Santa-induced Christmas carnage. I arrived a little after the kids got up and got everybody else up, and didn't miss too many of the the presents. Rachel and Nic liked their gifts very much, and Jacques LOVED the little THomas the tank Engine train set I got him, and it was, in fact, the only present he played with right away. I take that as a very good sign, indeed. Frank was pleased with the cordless drill I got him, and Angie LOVED her talking Donald Rumsfeld doll. In fact, everyone loved Rummy, and later on, Frank's dad was seen in the corner, the rUmmy doll cradled near his ear, listening intently to the different things he had to say. Angie and Frank went all out for me, and bought me the whole set of the tools of the trade pots and pans. This is a big deal in that they are the best pots and pans you can get your hands on around, and now I own a complete set. I also got the extended edition of the Lord of the Rings, the Return of the King, and a bottle of great dessert wine. After gorging ourselves on the Rathle feast, I had ot go over to my family's house for our own feast and gift exchange.

I got several gifts I think you would appreciate, especially something from my brother, which, sense he gave me two small bottles, I think I shall send you one and keep the other for myself. It's a bottle of Pusser's Rum, made in the British Virgin Islands, and is a faithful reproduction of the rum issued on all British NAval vessels. Indeed, I think you'll appreciate it as much as I do. So, I think I will drop it in your package as well! I also got a 10 pack of beers of the world, and a few other things from assorted and sundry siblings.

How did your Christmas go? Were your gifts well-recieved? What sort of stuff did you get?
All right, as I am noding off right now, please ccept my apologies and allow me to slip off to sleep.
[she cuddles in bed with him, looking out the window as the moonlight glistens off the awe-inducing snow and she takes the perfect moment in the moonlight to kiss him.]
Thine,
Joni"