Elle Evanson is a Swiftie.  All she wanted for Christmas was a ticket to a Taylor Swift concert.  She was disappointed on that one.  She knows every song and sings along with enthusiasm.  She tries to change the radio station from 60s Gold every time she gets in the car.  She has even started cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs.  She is not what you would call a fair-weather fan.  She is committed.

We left for Saint George the Sunday after Christmas.  We all look forward to a few days of sun after dealing with snow, fog and wind.  When we travel, we encourage the girls to get all their “stuff” in one carry-on size suitcase or even better in a duffel bag.  Elle is generally a master at packing and travels light.  Well, she shows up for this excursion with her carry-on suitcase, a duffel bag stuffed to the max, and her blanket and pillow.  Room was tight because there were five of us in Bran’s Ford Escape, and we had all the left-over Christmas food to take with us.  We were wanting an explanation concerning Elle’s abundance of luggage and it was soon clear when she handed Grandpa her Taylor Swift record, which she got for Christmas, with the instructions to put it somewhere safe.

Now an album does you no good without a record player and upon questioning it was discovered that indeed the purple Taylor Swift record player was strapped inside the suitcase.  It was a perfect fit.  Well, Grandpa, being the softie he is, worked his packing magic and everything was sardined into the car, including us.  It was cozy.  

We made the trip and unpacked the car.  Gratefully, Taylor’s album arrived in one piece.  The girls went to their room and unpacked.  I joined them to make sure the record player got hooked up in a stable place.  “Elle, put it right here and the cord will reach that outlet and won’t be in the way.”  She jerked her head in my direction.  “Grandma, I forgot the cord!”

It was true.  She had been so intent on the record player and the album; she had missed the cord.  Details!  They are important.  Your phone only works so long without a charger; a record player doesn’t work at all without a power cord.  She called her dad who was coming the next day and asked him to bring the cord.  She had to endure 24 hours with no Taylor but come the next day Life was Good again!  New Year’s Resolution…take care of the details!