MY BOGGY BLOG: find your way through the murk

A Xmas Miracle!

It is December 23rd, and I am not rushing around! Usually the kids are off of school and I'm trying to finish up lots of last minute stuff and have done *no* wrapping at all and the house is a mess. This year: the kids still had school today (first official day of break is Dec 26, and two weeks off after that, weird), I am done shopping and just had to go out for one trip to the liquor store 2 blocks from home, the house was quiet and I spent time cleaning in the kitchen, I wrapped many gifts already (usually Santa and I are doing it late on Xmas Eve, grinching it out together at 2 am), and my list of things to do is short. Yay yay yay!

Partially I think this miracle occurred because I told myself that I didn't have to do a lot of extra stuff. I haven't baked at all (though the kids and I might make a few treats tonight), our tree is standing and guzzling water in the living room but isn't decorated yet (also tonight). I bought fewer presents, shopped mostly online, and have tried not to purchase anything that I sense won't get used. I had a lot going on in November and December and I did do a bunch of running around, but now I just feel relaxed.

In the past, I would have been stressing out major-time for not baking and doing lots of extra handmade gifts. It feels so much better to cut myself some slack and not expect perfection.

I want to watch some Christmas movies, like my favorites-- It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, White Christmas, etc. We'll see what I can manage. There's always next week... kids off of school and I can sleep in!

Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate, and Peace to all!

Where In the Blog Have I Been?

Well, it's about time, isn't it? It seems like this fall has passed in a blur. A very productive blur, but still... and things are still going fast because I am doing Xmas prep stuff, running traffic to too many events, and trying to finish the TESOL course I signed up for last May (a course which will give me certification to teach English as a second language, 20 lessons and I'm up to 16).

The big accomplishment was finishing Nanowrimo for the third time. In case you don't know, this is National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org) which has people sign on to write a 50,000 word novel in one month, the month of November. I wasn't sure I would finish this year because I had so much going on and had almost a full week of feeling so lethargic I couldn't write... but I did it. Yay! And this year I was one of the MLs (all this lingo! stands for municipal liason, which means you volunteer to be the lead person/party organizer/question answerer for your region), so that added to the load.

I hope to write more, here and in my novel and journals, now that stuff is getting done. Don't have a lot of time tonight, but I wanted to get started. Good to be here again!