Before settling my head into my pillow last evening, I weighed the options of sleeping all morning to catch up on rest or grabbing the 7:20 AM bus to one of my favorite eating haunts. I wake at 7 AM every morning, feed and potty the dogs, and then return to bed for continued sleep as I wade through the unusual hours I am needed at The Park. I awoke on my own at 6:50 AM and set about tending to the pooches, dressed, and prepped for No. 17.

After breakfast, I grabbed a few items from Walmart and was back home by 10:30 AM where I crawled back into bed with my two regular snugglers, Bailey and Harrigan. The Sisters’ Gotcha Day will be Christmas night, celebrating nine years of us being together.

Friday night at The Park was a tidal wave of Guests passing by the counter in The Roundhouse Cafe at The Park and I was fortunate to have an incredible team of workers. Saturday night was a constant, non-stop line of smiling and cheerful humanity. I had another fantastic team with a returning Emma Sperry, who was the master bartender, and Steve Lucht, our curator; Hank from Fairmont High School and Sarah from Centerville High School were also returnees. It flowed like The Great Miami River that curves past The Park.

Sarah’s grandparents, Rick and Jane Schwartz, stopped by for some refreshments, as did Emily and Ashley Webb. Kim Villalva paid a brief visit, as did Dalton Gebele, his mother, Marian, and I finally got to meet Ava! She’s a doll baby!

From 3:30 PM until 11:45 PM I will be in both in-person and Zoom lessons. The next five days are at The Park, and then I’ve Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off before returning to the last five days of “A Carillon Christmas.”

I need to attend to a few things before hanging in the study for the next eight hours.

Make it a great day!

PHOTOS: a) Rick & Jane Schwartz, Sarah Kress, Brady Kress; b) Saturday’s Roundhouse Cafe team with Hank, Emma, Steve, and Sarah; c) Sarah and I with the Tree of Light; d) Bailey snuggling on my neck