December 1...

It has begun. My 11 year-old started his countdown to Christmas. We have the advent calendar at the ready and when he gets home from school today he will pop out the chocolate and that will be that. Our outside lights went up this past Friday and our tree will go up this week. It seems as if we just packed all that stuff away and here we are, dragging it all out again. Where does the time go?

I have a few gifts bought, but I was not one of the many thousands who were in line at o-dark-early on Friday morning after Thanksgiving try to get a I-just-have-to-have-that item. I didn't feel the need to drag my turkey-stuffed self anywhere on Friday. So, I'm going out tonight after work. Do you suppose there is anything left in the stores now?

There are Christmas Cards to write, cookies to bake, packages to wrap. It seems as though the to-do list gets so much longer this time of year. I wish there were more hours in the day, but I manage to get everything done. Usually. A missing tag on a package, a card that didn't get in the mail soon enough, a missing cookie recipe. Eh, no big deal. I'm not perfect. I try my best to get everything done and if something slips through the cracks, the world won't come crashing to an end. At least it hasn't yet.

So, I'm starting today. I have a blank sheet of paper and a fresh pen. I'm making my to-do list for the month. I think I may need a second sheet of paper.

I hope my pen doesn't run out of ink.