Pre-Christmas

Here I am, at the kitchen counter, before the day's customary chaos sets in. I know I should be making my lists and checking them twice...but I do enjoy having a few minutes of my own, unencumbered by the need for groceries or laundry or de-cluttering or last-minute shopping. Somehow, it will all get done in time--though I might have to shave a few frills and furbelows from my expectations.

On the plus side, JC has somehow found a radio station playing Christmas music that I like, and locked into it on my car radio. This means that I have heard my favorite song not once, but three times in the past two days. (For those of you who might care, it is the Bing Crosby/David Bowie duet of Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth. A totally unlikely combination, both of music and artists, traceable to a bizarre match-up in a Christmas special years ago. Played very infrequently, but I love it.) Additionally, I have baked SOME cookies, even though they are mostly gone already. I have wrapped some presents, and I think most of the ones I have ordered have arrived in a timely fashion. At least the major ones. I have a plentiful supply of tape, paper, and ribbon, though I do need to stock up on batteries this year. Most importantly, if we are thinking positively, I am more or less past the bronchitis that has plagued me since Thanksgiving. There are still a few coughs exploding now and then, but I no longer frighten people in the street. (You know you've been bad when the UPS lady says that you sound better...)

There is no snow in the forecast, and Kay and Paul and the little girls are due tomorrow, whenever they manage to struggle through the traffic and the trip from Rhode Island. The tree and decorations are in place, there is one more Noonday Noel concert today that I have promised to bring food for, I've sent off the January update for the Folger docents for JC, had my lab work done for the month, and am more or less caught up on laundry. Our house (to quote from a recent NCIS episode) still looks like we just finished taping an episode of "Hoarders"--but I can fix that in one of those gaps where I'm waiting for other stuff, like cookies to bake, or bread to rise.

All in all, life is pretty good right now. Christmas is coming, and I'm as ready as I usually am..which is 'not quite, but oh, well...'  Merry Christmas!