My favorite Christmas Eve? The year we got snowed in!

Look: A Christmas gift from sunny Arizona!

My favorite Christmas started out as one of the worst, because we had been snowed in for days without power, thinking for sure we would be spending the holiday in a freezing house without a hot meal.

But that Christmas Eve when my husband walked home from work though eight miles of snow — yes, with hills in both directions! — to find the house full of warmth, lights and even a chicken roasting in the oven, he said “it truly felt like a Christmas miracle.”

That was cool. But even cooler was how I got to the store to buy that chicken, then got it home — where the power came on just in time for me to cook it.

It was 2008, the year we left Seattle for the “countryside” of Kitsap County. We didn’t want to leave the city, but did want to save up money for our wedding, so we decided to rent a small granny unit from someone we knew on Bainbridge Island for the next year.

Which is how us certified “city folk” — who moved to Washington from California completely unprepared for the cold — came to be living on a private rural road while completely unprepared to either drive in the snow or live without electricity. 

Because while Seattle had taught us to put on plenty of fleece and long underwear before heading outside, it only snowed there enough to convince me to put a couple of cinder blocks in the back of our pick-up to keep it from fish-tailing — certainly not enough to inspire us to get a vehicle that could drive through more than a dusting of snow. 

And we learned even less about preparing for power outages in Seattle, as our lights had barely flickered once in eight years. But on Bainbridge Island, our power seemed to go out with every breeze, and it snowed there, no joke, the day we moved — in April! But those flakes were spring “sprinkles,” both easily managed and forgotten by the time winter arrived.

And boy, did it! On Dec. 21, the first official day of winter, all of the Puget Sound Region was covered in several inches of snow, the most that Seattle had gotten in a decade. And the snowstorm was then followed by days of well-below-freezing temperatures that kept the thick blanket of of frozen water firmly in place.

Since the first day of the snow was a Sunday, it was actually pretty magical, and we marveled at the lovely sight of the world outside covered in white. Even hiking about a quarter of a mile in the snow to get our mail was kinda fun — the first time.

My husband heading to work with our truck still snowed in.

 

But when the snow hadn’t budged by the time we had to figure out how to get to work with our truck still completely snowed in, all the fun and magic was wrung out of our Winter Wonderland.

 

And though our jobs were on opposite sides of the Puget Sound, we both started our journeys to work by walking three miles to the ferry building and taking a 35-minute boat ride to Seattle. Then as my husband walked another mile to his work near the baseball and football stadiums, I waited for the next ferry that could take me right back across the water to Bremerton, a 55-minute sailing. From there I had to take a foot ferry to Port Orchard, another 15-minute sailing, all to get a town that literally felt like a stone’s toss away from where I had started more than four hours earlier.*

 

So luckily after we put out the newspaper that day, my co-worker Denise saved me from making another four-hour ferry trek that night by offering me a bed in her home. Then she and her husband Raul drove me to the grocery store that night to buy food for a holiday meal I still hoped to have, though I had no way to cook it yet.

I remember feeling so grateful as we drove to the store, their truck and its driver moving us safely down streets that my truck and me slid down as helplessly as I had slid down even the slightest incline the first — and last — time I tried to ski. And I felt even more grateful walking down the aisles of the store, marveling at all the technology like lights and refrigeration that I usually took for granted.

And the next morning I was grateful for yet another prepared person, my boss Rich. Who, when I asked for a ride to the foot ferry, offered instead to save me another long ferry mission by driving me all the way home, as his GMC Suburban could easily handle the snowy highway. In fact, it even drove us all the way up the still snow-covered road to my house that our poor little truck, still stuck in our driveway, had no hope of climbing. 

Though the power was still out when I got home, I started preparing dinner in the hopes that our electricity would be restored on Christmas Eve. And, about an hour before my husband arrived, it was, allowing me to finally put the chicken in the oven and make us that hot holiday meal we craved.

That was very cool.

But coolest of all was how that first Christmas in Kitsap County made me feel part of a village — a village that drove me to the store, gave me a place to stay, then drove me home. And, yes, a village I had never found while living in the city.

*Before the highways crossed Kitsap County, there was a wonderful system of small ferry boats shuttling people back and forth from all of the dozen or so towns on the peninsula. But in 2008, even though you could easily swim from the tip of Bainbridge to my newspaper’s office in Port Orchard, unless I had my own boat, I could not take one from Bainbridge to my work.

My Grandmother's Journals: December, 1998

Welcome to the daily life of a frugal, persnickety and extremely independent woman in her 80s: Every day my grandmother wrote down when she woke, what she had for breakfast, any movie she went to see, any mail and calls she received, then what she read and watched on TV before bed.

That was cool. Because I love reading her journals!

 

In 1998, she turned 83 while living alone in a mobile home park in Santa Cruz, Calif. Though I never knew her to live with another person or even a pet after she raised my mother on her own in 1950s Los Angeles (I wrote more about her life in this post), I never perceived my grandmother as lonely.

December of 1998 was another pretty slow month for grandma, mostly full of watching football and movies, checking the mall for deals, and walking to nearby Pleasure Point, a popular surfing spot, to see if anyone was on the waves. But I am also pleased to report that I drove down to visit her on Christmas Eve, and we went to the movies together after driving around to look at cool displays of lights.

November entries.

Tuesday, Dec. 1, 1998

Bed til 7:15. Usual breakfast. Sunny but cold.

Wind blew bark into carport. Swept, weeded.

To library. Read Barrons.

Home 3:45. Talked to Myra.

News, newspaper, Geraldo, Lehrer.

TV: Morse, X-Files (Vampire Town).

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 1998

Up 7. Chores, ready by 10 a.m.

To Longs. Rented “English Patient.”

Got gasoline, home.

Ran part 1 of “Eng Pat.” News, then part 2.

To post office, mailed letter to Mina.

TV: Law & Order, ran part of Eng P again.

Thursday, Dec. 3, 1998

Up 7, usual breakfast.

Went through medical files again, put some in metal file.

To Longs, got 1999 calendar.

Looked for boots in Gottschalks, Penney’s. Good ones at Penney’s, but need 9s at least.

Ate KFC, pot pie.

To Show, “Bug’s Life.”

Home 4:30 p.m., worked on taxes.

Some Geraldo. Ann there, turned off. 

TV: Poirot, Law & Order, news.

Friday, Dec. 4, 1998

Up 7:30. Cold, heat til 9. Shower/hair.

Got boots at Ross.

To Longs, looked for light buttons. None.

Ate lunch at Kmart, turkey.

Mail: Letters from Mina, Carla. She sent $10.

Talked to Myra on fone re Larry, remote.

News, papers. No Geraldo: loudmouth Ariana on w/Marcia.

Called Mina.

Call from Ralph Short, called back.

TV: X-Files, Poirot Mysteries.

Slept good.

Saturday, Dec. 5, 1998

Cold, heat 7-9. But feel good!??

To Kmart, got Dinty Moore and applesauce. Ate meatloaf.

Mail: Catalogues, Medicare forms. Drs on Duty a mess again!

Dinner: liver.

Wrote Justine, card to Ralph Short.

Storm passes, cable out. Rabbit ears OK.

Good sleep. Spilled water.

Sunday, Dec. 6, 1998

Cold! Bed til 10.

Football: 49ers (31) vs. Carolina (28). Close game, tied 28. Carolina got OT, field goal missed. 49ers Ricky made Int.

TV: Siskel & Ebert, 60 Minutes, some Three Tenors.

Monday, Dec. 7, 1998

Cold again. Heat 7-9. Out 10.

Walked on cliff.

To Longs, BO 149/77.

Mailed letter to Justine, card to Ralph Short.

Home 1:30, chores.

Justine called, added “Caller ID.” [Justine here: I had been getting scary crank calls!]

Cleaned inside of car.

Had brown pants outside drying a week?! Forgot, rained on.

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1998

Up 8. Power outage in SF. Street signals out, gridlock. BART down.

To Drs on Duty in Aptos. EKG, heart, lungs, blood test. 

Stopped at Burger King, got fish.

TV: C-SPAN, president’s witnesses testimony. X-Files, repeat.

Wednesday, Dec. 9, 1998

Good sleep. Up 7:30, usual breakfast. Some C-SPAN.

Changed coolant. No need, can be 2 years.

To Kmart, pie & ice cream! Looked for pants.

To McWhorters. Xerox, pen refills (3).

TV: Geraldo, Frost, Discovery.

Read papers, Koppel, bed.

Thursday, Dec. 10, 1998

Awake 6, heat til 8. Chores.

Mailed letter to McCoys.

To McDonald’s for coffee.

Looked for pants at Penney’s, Gottschalks. Some Vanderbilts and Lees.

Home, TV. Some C-Span.

To show, “Home Fries.” Drew Barrymore, Luke Wilson? About “country” folks!

Home again. News, C-Span, Geraldo, X-Files.

Friday, Dec. 11, 1998

Up 7:30, usual breakfast. Chores.

To Drug Emporium for BP.

Got 3 pair of pants, 1 sweater for $107. Tired from trying on clothes.

Lunch at KFC.

Locked keys in car, called for truck. Man had hard time on driver’s side, but easily opened passenger side.

Home 2:45. News, Lehrer, read paper, crossword, etc.

TV: Geraldo, Poirot, part of X-Files, rerun.

To bed, no sleep though. Watched Koppel, drank hot milk.

Saturday, Dec. 12, 1998

Up 7, turned on heat. Usual breakfast.

To Drug Emporium, got TV Guide, new battery for smoke alarm. The other, Energizer, lasted 1 year.

Got coffee at Ocean, left copy of Medicare Notice at Drs on Duty.

To library, researched “Black” Encyclopedic Notables.

To Erik’s Deli for pie.

Long lines at Star Trek.

Home, message from library for book, Beloved.

Sunday, Dec. 13, 1998

Up 7. Heat, tea, applesauce. ready 9 a.m.

To Trader Joe’s, post office. Mailed letters, bot stamps.

To Kmart for breakfast. To bank for balance.

Home, chores. Some football.

Xmas lights, put up one string. Second does not work. Worked to find out why.

TV: X-Files, ghosts — Lily Tomlin, Ed Asner.

News, bed.

Vacuumed front.

Monday, Dec. 14, 1998

Awakened 5:30 by garbage truck. Out by 10.

To Longs, bo’t new string of lights, cheapest.

Home, wrapped book for Mina, catalog for Justine.

To Scotts Valley. KFC, Star Trek “Insurrection.”

To post office, mailed all.

Home via Chanticleer to see decorations.

Home, sorted mail. Thought I had lost these journals, had put in purse.

TV: Geraldo, Lehrer, Football: 49ers (36) vs. Detroit (13).

Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1998

Up 8, usual breakfast. Shower/hair.

To Drug Emporium for Head and Shoulders. New, has conditioner.

Home, drove on East Cliff. Not many surfers. Park shaping up.

Home, chores. Fixed black turban.

Clinton returns today.

TV: Murder She Says, Lehrer, Geraldo, old Morse, old Frontline.

 

Wednesday, Dec. 16, 1998

Awake 8. Usual breakfast. 

Put up Xmas lites. Changed some bulbs.

Called Hazardous Wastes, open today. Took coolant and insecticides.

To Capitola, waked a bit. Sunny, many children? School?

Home, rearranged 2nd shelf of cabinet. 

Justine called, for my SS#.

Mail: Card from Pearl/Orin.

Clinton ordered bombing of Iraqis.

Read, taped Pagliacci with Placido Domingo. 

Thursday, Dec. 17, 1998

Couldn’t sleep. Took melatonin. Hangover.

Usual breakfast. Chores.

To Longs, got video, “Chinese Box.”

McDonald’s for coffee. Bank for balance.

Home, tired!

Mail: Card from Stimson, my card to Mina returned. No stamps!

TV: Lehrer, Geraldo, Sherlock.

Played “Chinese Box.” Good photography. Jeremy Irons.

Friday, Dec. 18, 1998

Awakened at 7. Heat on. Then awake at 9.

To post office, mailed 7 cards.

Longs, returned video.

Albertsons, got bananas, potatoes.

Kmart for gas. Did not cut off, much gas on pavement.

To Scotts Valley, got bakery item.

To show, “Prince of Egypt.” Good.

Mail: Got order from Puritan, card from Justine.

TV: news, Koppel.

 

Saturday, Dec. 19, 1998

Up 9,cold. Ready by 11.

Coffee and donut on Ocean Avenue.

To show, “Gods and Monsters.” Ian McKellan, wonderful film.

Newspapers sold out in many places, found 3 left at Drug Emporium. 

House of Representatives voted on Acts of Impeachment (for Clinton), 2 out of 4. 228-206. Some did not appear.

Carla called, to have another biopsy.

TV: Interesting A&E show, Mystery.

Got letter ready for Justine.

Sunday, Dec. 20, 1998

Up 9, breakfast at McDonald’s.

To post office, home. 

Ironed pants, sewed gray sweater. 

Turned on lites, forgot last night.

TV: Siskel & Ebert, like “You've Got Mail,” “Thin Red Line,” “Affliction.” Video pick: “High Art.”

Monday, Dec. 21, 1998

Cold. To laundromat.

Kmart for lunch, bo’t Dinty Moore.

Home, message from Myra. Larry fell, was taken to ER by ambulance. Went with her to hospital, was there from 2:30 to 5 p.m. He had 10 stitches.

Home, cable went out.

Dinner here, spaghetti.

 

Tuesday, Dec. 22, 1998

Hearing test at 1:15.

Up 7, heat til 9. No shower.

Sister Grace arrived to see Larry. Dressed, gave her two pair of pants.

Larry with black eye.

To Longs and coffee, read paper.

Hearing test, shows loss. Ordered second most expensive. Sales gimmick?

TV: Lehrer, Law & Order.

 

Wednesday, Dec. 23, 1998

Up 7, heat til 8. Cold!!

Shower, hair. Out 11 to Longs.

Lunch KFC. Pot pie, coconut pie.

To Kmart, just looked at cards.

Home, washed some clothes. Some TV.

To Albertsons for milk.

Read “Beloved.”

Rain tomorrow.

Thursday, Dec. 24, 1998

Awake 6 a.m. Packed vitamins. Usual breakfast.

To Drug Emporium for TV Guide, cards, crackers.

To library, read Consumer Reports on hearing aids.

Home, to Myra’s. Gave McApple.

Justine here 3:30 p.m. Drove to see lights.

To show, “Gods and Monsters.” She had pizza.

Home 9:30. Some TV.

[Justine here: I remember that night fondly. It was great to drive around with her, just looking at Christmas lights. I also think that was the time she gave me Tylenol PM to help me sleep, which changed my life.]

 

Friday, Dec. 25, 1998

Xmas. Cold, no hot water. 

Up 10:30 after heat.

To bank, got balance. Paper.

Some cleanup.

Walked cliff, lovely day.

Home, wrote Mina, Andra, Sy.

Read papers, watched news, some TV.

Taped Madame Butterfly. 

Read in bed. 

Saturday, Dec. 26, 1998

Larry goes back to have stitches out?

Cold, but not as much. Usual breakfast.

To Drug Emporium, got new slippers and cookies.

To Longs, got food, envelopes.

To OSH, water heater pilot out. Called PG&E, 2 others. Say Monday.

Some TV, finished “Beloved.”

 

Sunday, Dec. 27, 1998

Awake 8 a.m., but tired. Usual breakfast.

Wrote card to McCoys.

Various chores regarding New Year. Appointments, etc.

Football: 49ers 39, Rams 19.

Lunch Kmart, talked to couple from Montreal.

To library, got video: “Smoke Signals,” returned Beloved.

Some TV. Bed early.

Monday, Dec. 28, 1998

PG&E may come.

Awake 6. Heat, usual breakfast.

Oiled car lock, locks on door for heater.

Put out Larry’s waste can & brought it in.

PG&E man arrived around 3:30 p.m.

To post office, mailed letter, got stamps.

Ran tape of Madame Butterfly, color great. Taped opera.

TV: News, bad accident on 101, fatalities. Fog?

Tuesday, Dec. 29, 1998

Wakened by quakes, 4:38. Back to sleep after moving lamps and gorilla.

Up 9:30, usual breakfast.

Gave Sister Grace calendar.

Talked to Myra regarding Larry. He in good condition, eye almost well.

To show after donut/coffee. “Shakespeare in Love.” Great.

Very cold. Vacuumed furnace. 

Some TV. Bed early. Read paper.

Wednesday, Dec. 30, 1998

Streetcar Named Desire, SF Opera.

Awake 7, usual breakfast.

To post office, mailed catalogues, article to Mina.

Drug Emporium for BP, McDonald's for coffee.

To Myra's, gave her calendar for Larry. He “lost his keys,” they were in his pocket.

Home, ate, some TV. Taped opera “Streetcar Named Desire.”

Bed, watched Law & Order.

Thursday, Dec. 31, 1998

Rent.

Awake 6, heat. Usual breakfast.

To Longs: BP, paper, more corn flakes, stew. No “Sliding Doors.”

Kmart for lunch. Soup, cheese sandwich. 

Looked for sweater at Gottschalks. Nothing.

Home, washed some things.

Wrote checks for rent.

Gave Myra cookies.

TV: Cirque de Soleil. Great!

TV: Diagnosis Murder, some David Letterman.