Happy New Year

Christmas should not be this difficult

Between the indecisive sister who for some unknown reason refuses to call me to my elderly dad who really would rather stay home, this has been a particularly trying year to try to coordinate getting the family together Christmas Eve. (Maybe next year I'll go to Hawaii!!)

** The sister not calling me -- there is no 'bad blood' (as far as I know.) When I see her, she is as pleasant as can be. But for some unknown reason she absolutely refuses to call me (or pick up the phone when I call) -- maybe I should take the hint -- if only I knew why.

Covered in Glitter

You would think I had dumped the stuff on me. I have been wrapping Christmas gifts with glittery paper. I look rather festive!

I did some 'at the store' shopping yesterday (note -- I did NOT say anything about 'at the mall') and wrapped it up.

Today I went on-line to do my heavy-duty shopping. After an hour or so of shopping, I got a call from the fraud department at my bank to verify the charges! Yes, folks, I am doing my part to contribute to the economy. No cutting back for me this year.

The tree is up, decorations are hung. Shopping is done. I just have to wait for UPS to deliver and then finish the wrapping thing.

I have two major tasks left to accomplish - I have to do some baking, and I have to transfer some pictures onto the digital picture frame I got my dad for Christmas. He does not own a computer (or a digital camera) so I will have to be responsible for keeping his pictures updated! I don't mind.

Happy Sunday to all.

(Pittsburgh just intercepted Dallas and scored a TD putting them up by 7 portending a much better outcome than the high-school game I watched last night. 1:40 to go, hold on boys!)

December 1 -- Christmas begins

I spent the better part of the past two days putting up Christmas decorations. To look at my place, you wouldn't think I had spent that much time. I honestly don't know why it takes me so long. There is nothing elaborate about my decorations. No outdoor stuff, just my tree and various living room decor. In any case, here are some pictures. I haven't been able to get a decent picture of the tree. (I really need a new camera.)

This is the new centerpiece I got for 'bunches off' at Michaels:



Close up of one of the new ornaments on my tree. (All new ornaments this year.)



And another look at the centerpiece:

Finally - Day 30!

Once again, I did it - 30 posts in 30 days. Sorry about the lack of readable content on more than one occasion!

So, my Christmas tree is up, but not decorated. All my other decorations are up. Tomorrow will finish and post pictures.

Time for a Sunday shuffle -- I'm not sure what this mix says about me!

Black Friday

Biggest shopping day of the year. Being the rebel that I am - I will celebrate two things today:

"Buy Nothing Day" and
"National Sleep Late Day."

Yup, I plan to snuggle up with my down comforter until late in the morning, and stay home all day with a fire in the fireplace, a good book and perhaps some hot-chocolate.

Yes that is the only way to spend the day after Thanksgiving.

(p.s. -- did I mention the Peppermint Schnappes in the chocolate?)

(p.p.s. -- Last year, I was DONE WITH MY SHOPPING on Nov 29 -- this year, haven't even started!)

To be(lieve) or not to be(lieve) - the Santa debate

I know many people feel that they are lying to their children if they perpetrate the Santa myth. The problem, in my opinion, is that as a general rule, when they tell their children the truth they also tell them that they must NOT tell the other children. Isn't this in and of itself a manner of encouraging your children to lie?

I, too, struggled with this when my daughter was a small child. I guess I took a 'chicken' way out. I didn't make a big production about whether or not he existed. I never used the "you better be good or Santa won't bring you anything" line. Every Christmas (starting when she was 2 weeks old) there were presents under the tree from Santa. No big deal was made. They were just there. We would go to the mall, and of course Santa was all over the place. Sometimes she wanted to stand in line to talk to Santa, sometimes she didn't. I let her decide. Being a Christian, we made a bigger deal out of Jesus' birthday than Santa. (She went to Lutheran schools, so our emphasis at home was consistent with what she was exposed to at school as well as church.)

When she was about 3 years old, she told me that all those Santas at the mall couldn't be real, they were just men in Santa suits. (I remember exactly where we were when she asked -- getting off the escalator at Sears.) Of course, I agreed. The next year when she turned four, she asked me if Santa was real. I replied that it is really fun to believe in the magic of Santa Claus and the joy that he brings (blah blah blah.) A few weeks later she said to me "Mother, I have asked you several times if Santa is real, and you don't answer me." So that was my cue to talk about how Santa as a flesh-and-blood being doesn't exist, but the spirit of Santa lives in our society.

Did I do the right thing? Well, she has never been angry at me for lying to her. (Actually, I don't know anybody in real life that was angry at their parents for 'making' them believe.) And to this day, 28 years later, presents from Santa are in her stocking every Christmas morning.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Vacation

Ah yes, I am on vacation all week. Now, to get to that 'to-do' list:

• Laundromat Laundry -- for the stuff that won't fit into the regular machine a trip to the local neighborhood laundromat is on the agenda.
• Regular Laundry -- yeah, it never ends.
• Start organizing the spare room. When my daughter moved out two years ago, I SWORE I would not allow her room to become a catch-all. You guessed it, that room is one hot mess that really needs some organization. I can't find a thing in there.
• Put up Christmas decorations. This is a week-long activity in my house. I just need to find out when my daughter can come over and help. I have a huge artificial tree that requires two sets of hands to manipulate into place.
• Get the Christmas CDs out. (Yes,I am one of those odd people who loves Christmas music.)
  

The season is starting; although I may or may not get all my shopping done, I am ready.