The Calm Before the Holiday

My sister called me last night to gloat: "Just think.... there are hundreds of thousands of people running around now trying to get everything done before Christmas, and here we are, all finished with Chrismtas since before Halloween." Which is true, but a good percentage of the people with last-minute shopping and wrapping probably have to wait till they have the time and the money to get what they need for Christmas.

Yesterday was a relatively slow day, and that's how today is shaping up as well. I can't do the grocery shopping yet, because all I need is the seafood for Christmas day, and I'm waiting for the last minute for that. We've put one leaf into the dining room table, but I don't want to put on the good tablecloth and "dress" the table until I put all the cats out on the screen-porch, which will be tomorrow. Once I get started on the dining room, I don't let them in the house.... too many fragile things on the table, and it takes me a good while to get everything set just so.... and I don't want curious little kitty whiskers and paws near anything in the dining room where we all have to sit and eat. I love my cats, but.... I do have my limits when it comes to company coming over for dinner.

I took all the Christmas gifts out of the storage closet the day before yesterday, and "beribboned and adorned" them all (to use my sister's words). I do the ribbons and bows after I take them out of the closet, because I can't stack them one on top of the other if they have bows and ornaments on them. I recently bought the book "Presentations," by Carolyne Roehm.... and it inspired me to be more creative with wire-edged ribbons and small ornaments in the middle of the bows. The wire-edged ribbon is a lot easier to work with...... making bows is certainly easier.... and I've never liked those pre-made, pointed bows that come tumbled-up in a plastic bag.

My husband's mom used to fuss over packages..... lots of fancy bows (which she made) and beautiful wrapping papers. She taught me how to make bows, but mine never came out as full as hers. When I was a kid, it was Aunt Dolly who fussed over the packages more than anyone else. She could take the smallest gift and box it and wrap it and decorate it so much you didn't even want to unwrap it to see what was inside. But of course we all did... but we saved the ribbons and the package decorations..... which I still do today. I keep a hat box filled with bows and fancy ribbons, and anything that can be used to decorate the top of a gift box. Funny thing about that....... young Miss C is also doing the same thing now: she has a plastic box filled with bits of ribbons and bows, and little decorative things that can be used to dress up a package. I think that's the sweetest thing..... she calls it her "Arts & Crafts Box."

Lots of snow in Colorado these last couple of days. Our neighbors are up there skiing. They have a small condo there near one of the ski resorts and they go up as much as they can. Just the thought of all that snow makes me cold. I could never ski....... I'd be afraid of breaking a leg or an ankle, and I would have no patience for a cast. (How do you dress with a cast on your leg?) I am definitely a warm-weather girl, not a snow-bunny. Sometimes I wonder how I lived up north for so long when I feel as if I'm freezing down here when the temperature drops below 75 degrees.

I know, I know.... "freezing" is below 32, not below 75. (Details... details...)