We got our annual Christmas fight out of the way. It was triggered by my suggesting that we go visit an historical village or stroll in the German Village section of downtown Hamilton where they were having their annual Christmas house tour. First, came the sigh of displeasure from behind me where Bill sat at his computer. And, well, that's all it took to set me off. Mainly because I had asked him several months ago if he'd be willing to do the German Village tour and he mulled it over for a sec and said, "Yeh, I probably could." So, see I was taking him at his word and upon checking the Hamilton city website and seeing that the tour was on for this weekend, I thought I had it in the bag about getting him out to do "something." I continued on in my oh-so-naive-hoping-things-might-change way and reminded him that he had said he would go. He didn't want to. Now. We talked some more but my heart was lurching to my feet. He said, "Well, since there are two choices here, I choose to go to the first one." I thought he was going to say that since there were two choices that he picked No. But by then I was starting to feel guilty for him getting to feel like he HAD to go. So, what-came-to-not and I found myself being very irritated at some program going wrong on my computer. I stayed with it until I had figured out how to get the program to do what I wanted it to then went for a restroom break. I didn't realize until I had left the room how many tears were pushing at the door and they came freely as I was in the bathroom. I gave into them and went to the bedroom and shut the door. Well, Bill, bless his heart has become fine tuned to knowing when he's stepped on my feelings. He said he knew it before I left the room because I got very quiet and he heard a few snuffles from me. That was true. I hadn't had a good cry for six months so it was time. Usually he comes and finds me after ten minutes or so but I had tired of being alone in our bedroom and full of sadness so I called to him. And in he came. There I was with the sheet over my head but he still had to ask "Now what?" even though he knew what. I let him stand there and shiver a bit (because it is so freaking cold in that room) and then I lifted the sheet and told him that it was a lot warmer under the covers. He climbed with me. And, of course, we talked some more about it. We seemed to have a dilemma. He said he was forced to go to so many events with his parents that once he got out of the house he swore he wouldn't be forced again. The problem for me was that I didn't want to go alone to these activities because it reminded me too much of my first marriage where I had to go alone to everything. Back then, I ended up taking my kids to everything but felt this emptiness deep inside knowing that I didn't have a true companion that wanted to go along and share the experience. I also need to get out and do different activities because I get to feeling so stale if I don't. Bill could go on and on forever doing the same thing without even batting an eye. We kissed and made up and he was saying that he's got to be more open-minded and I said that I needed to get over my sadness of going alone. He said he thought it would be harder for me to get over my issue than for him to get over his. Actually, I thought so, too but it didn't seem fair for him to have to compromise it all. We kissed and made up for a lot longer time than we had anticipated but we finally left about 5:30. Our first stop was at Lowe's to pick up a snow shovel and an outdoor timer for the lights on the garage door. The one he had put on there the other day was broken. Then we drove out in the country to try find the village which was a minor feat in itself since the directions on the park's website were too simplistic. And then when we turned down the main country road to it there was a huge blockade across the road that wouldn't let you through and no sign of where the danged detour was. But with trusty Butler county map in hand and the use of Bill's reading glasses, I found the way to the park. The village was located at Governor Bebb Preserve. Bebb was Ohio's nineteenth governor. Governor Bebb's original family home is the featured house in the cluster. It's a two-story log home that was built in 1801's. It's very attractive actually and amazing that it has lasted 200 years. There were another half dozen original log homes in the cluster and all of them were open featuring various old time activities. A tavern, a blacksmith, the sherrif's house, a gift shop, a schoolhouse (where Father Christmas was sitting in a rocking chair), and a house that had children's crafts to do in it. And there was an added attraction. Two huge mules of Percheron heritage were pulling a large wagon. Their owner had perched reindeer antlers on their heads. Too funny. Plus the ride was free. Now I couldn't pass this one up. We had been in the vicinity of free wagon rides several times before but I turned away from them because I didn't want to make Bill wait. He didn't want to go on them. But this time, nope, I was going to ride. Bill was too cold to go on this one so he waited in the car where there was a heater. Yes, I did enjoy that ride very much. I had been feeling so sad all day even after we made up but after getting off the wagon ride I felt so much better. So, the moral of the story is... Hmmm, well, as far as I can see it. Let's just not have the danged fight in the first place. He did say that I need to just ignore his bluster for a coupla hours till he adjusts his attitude. Once he gets there, he does enjoy himself even though he'll begrudgingly admit it. He said he can't admit he enjoyed it because then I'll think I can start scheduling these things every other day. And my reply was, "What would be wrong with that?" Jokingly, of course. Hmmmm.