Christmas is Coming
I’m not sure how this happened, but I just realized that Hanukkah starts on Sunday, and Christmas is the Sunday after that. I think I thought we had another week somehow. I’ve been feeling pretty prepared, but am just realizing that I have some things that I want to get done this week, rather than waiting until next week. I had assumed I would do holiday shopping on Friday, since I have the day off from work, but then I made an appointment at the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew my license, and I’m getting together with my friend Neva for late lunch and shopping after that. I feel like Friday is shot, but it’s my favorite day to go for a long walk with my Puppy Boy, Mulder. So I’ve decided that I will just make it work. I also want to go to Target on Friday, to buy some practical gifts (and maybe a fun gift or two) for a woman who is close to my age and my size and living out of her car. It’s through a local church, I don’t actually know her. I could go to Target over the weekend, but that feels like stupidity to go on the last full weekend before Christmas. I could go on my lunch hour one day, but I don’t want to feel rushed. So my current plan is to walk Puppy, then go to Target, then come home and shower and get dressed, then go to the DMV, then the Indian store downtown (they sell the tea I like), then lunch. Totally doable, but somehow it’s feeling like a lot to me. Perhaps I will go to Target when they open at 7, and get that done, and THEN come home and walk Mulder. Hmmm. That sounds better to me.
Before Friday, I need to go back to the small local department store nearby and get some socks. I bought some for the girl who requested vitamins in my last post, but now that I’m thinking about it, I think I want some for me too. And for my daughter. And maybe for the woman I’m shopping for. They’re soft, really nice socks. Then maybe I should see if they have anything that comfy in the men’s sock area, for Ted’s stocking. Oh yeah, also a pair for Neva, which is why I need to go before Friday.
Also before Friday, I have to stop at Total Wine to get a nice bottle for Neva’s Christmas gift. If you hadn’t guessed, her gift is going to be a mishmash of things I think she would like. I got her a bar of Italian chocolate with pistachios, a fun ornament, and some candles. Add in socks and wine, and I think she’ll be happy. One downside to having so many new blog friends, and ‘meeting’ so many people during NaBloPoMo, is that I can’t remember where I saw certain things. So one of you had a picture of your tree up, with an ornament that was the California Bear hugging the state. Thank you for the idea! I know she will love it.
Yesterday I mailed my Christmas Cards. If you remember, I ordered them from a FB ad, and they were pretty crummy quality. Thanks to your encouragement, I sent them out. No explanation, just ‘here’s my card, Merry Christmas’. Today I mailed gifts to my brother in Juneau and my family in Portland. Once I get the cards and packages out, I generally feel much more relaxed.
We had intended to put up our tree last Saturday, but it was pouring rain (YAY!) and I was tired after my shingles vaccine, so we waited until Sunday. We have a very small, crowded living room, and a real tree really won’t work, too risky to not be able to find one that will work. So we have a pre-lit fake tree. Or, we thought we did. Apparently, last year we decided that we were going to buy a new one at the After Christmas sales, and we threw it away, and promptly forgot. Oh well. So out we went to see if we could find a new one that would fit. I pictured going to 4 or 5 stores, grumbling and griping the entire way. Instead, we went to 1 store, found their display, picked a tree, discovered that they only had 1 left (at least on the floor), and bought it. Brought it home and decorated. Yay!
Ooh…just remembered that I need to make some fudge for Neva’s husband. He loves fudge, specifically mine. So that’s one more thing before Friday. None of this is too much, it’s not even a lot. It’s just taking up a lot of space in my brain right now.
Wow, this is a real rambling post isn’t it? And we mustn’t forget Hanukkah, though we are lazy people and do not celebrate it as the holiday merits. We will light candles and have small gifts on Sunday. We will make latkes. We usually have them with roast chicken and veggies. We’re not Jewish, but we like to celebrate anyway. We’re not Christian either, though culturally we mostly are, and we love to celebrate Christmas.
How’s your brain these days? Are the holidays taking up the majority of space and energy there? Are you a planner, like I am?
24 Comments
Margaret
I’m mostly finished except for the baking and the cooking which I can’t do now. The two days before Xmas will be very full. Hopefully the weather won’t get nasty. I see more snowflakes and very cold temperatures in our forecast. Ugh. Hope everything gets done for you! It will be busy!
J
It must feel great to be ahead of the game! I hope that the weather behaves for you.
Melissa
I feel like Christmas has snuck on me this year. I haven’t done anything yet … except I’ve got 1 book for 1 of 3 kids/ I have put up the tree and we had my family over for an early Christmas celebration last weekend. I need to order the turkey and ham but we are waiting on RSVP’s.
J
That’s great that you had an early celebration! Wow, a ham and a turkey both, you must have a big group. We will be small this year. The big party will be on the 23rd, with 10 people. Christmas Day will be 5 people.
Lisa of Lisa’s Yarns
Christmas snuck up on us, too. Thanksgiving wasn’t even that late and yet it feels like Christmas is like 2 weeks later. We are in Mexico now (!!!) so are soaking up the feeling of not having to be anywhere or do anything. And I got a lot done before the trip, like all of our shopping is done, although we do not buy for many so it’s pretty easy. But we get back, get the boys from my parents and then I have a minor but pesky surgery on the 20th. But we aren’t hosting anyone for Christmas besides my MIL and she is easy to have around!
Good luck with your busy Friday!! You are packing a lot in!! We went to target on Sunday to grab some snacks for our flight. The parking lot was full and the store was hopping. My husband was like, ‘it really doesn’t look like we are going into a recession in 2023’ (we both work in finance so talk alot about forecasts for recessions and things like that). We got in and out pretty quickly but it’s a good call to avoid target over the weekend!!
J
Thanks Lisa, I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather! And surgery right before a holiday sounds like a mixed bag. Inconvenient to be recovering at such a time, but also perhaps easier to be home without taking too much time off. Good luck! And you’re right, I’m not going to Target on the weekend, no matter what. The more I think about the 7am idea, the more I like it.
nance
I just started my shopping YESTERDAY. I am feeling very Grinchy this year, and I’m not sure why. Today I’ll be out there again exhausting myself. It all falls to me because Rick is still working. This holiday is always my part-time job.
Lots of rain in CA and lots of snow. I do hope it starts to help you.
J
Nance, I feel you. Ted does buy gifts for me, and Maya, and his family, so it doesn’t all fall to me. But I do a lot of the extras (like stockings). Why? I don’t know. I guess because I enjoy it. I mean, no one says I have to pick a homeless person or foster child to shop for, do they? No.
I started my shopping in France, so for awhile I was ahead of the game. I think that, and getting my packages to mail out, has lulled me into thinking I’m finished, when in reality I have all of these little things stil to do.
We haven’t gotten a TON of rain here, but it does look like the snow in the mountains is accumulating well. Last year it was very wet in the fall, and then it just STOPPED. It’s hard to make a Californian really happy about the rain/snow situation until maybe April when they say we have a huge snowpack. We’ve all been burned too many times. Well, not ‘burned’, that suggests it is intentional. Disappointed.
I do love watching the meteorologists on the news, they get SO EXCITED.
NGS
I just boxed up my gifts that need to be mailed and will take them to the post office this afternoon. I’m super excited about that. I will NOT be entering any retail establishment other than the grocery store until after Christmas, so if I don’t have it now, it will not be gotten.
I gifted everyone one thing that was personalized, a pair of Smartwool socks, some fancy scented hand sanitizer, and that was it. I’m all out of gift ideas. So, I for one, think everyone should get socks!
J
SmartWool socks are an amazing gift. I am also partial to Bombas.
Elisabeth
I am a planner, but I feel like there are so many curve balls this time of year. Items out of stock. SICK kids. Weird weather. SICK kids. Shipping delays. SICK kids.
Sigh. Yes, my kids have been sick. Praise the Lord they are better now, but I honestly wondered if they would get back to school in 2022.
Putting all my Christmas cards in the mail always feels INCREDIBLE.
Everyone in my immediate family is getting socks this year.
And the mention of homemade fudge is making me hungry…
J
Socks don’t SEEM like an amazing gift, but good socks are wonderful. I like these cheap ‘trouser socks’ they sell at the drugstore. I intend to buy some for my stocking. And goodness, I feel for you with the sick kids! That is a real curve ball to be sure.
Suzanne
I thought I was doing really well, but OMG Hanukkah is on SUNDAY. Yikes. Sounds like you have things pretty well under control though. For me, it’s all of those last little loose ends that flap around until the last minute that contribute to a lot of the holiday panic.
J
Thanks Suzanne,
I was feeling a bit panicked yesterday, but today I am feeling more calm. I am blowing off one item until the weekend (Indian store for tea, I have plenty of tea until I can get my favorite brand), and am going to go to the store for socks today, as it is next to the grocery store. Combined with my decision to go to Target first thing on Friday morning, and suddenly I am feeling much more zen.
Nicole MacPherson
Wow, you have been busy and your Friday sounds like it will be very hectic! It’s funny, I am pretty much ready for Christmas (except for wrapping, I need to do that, and also a few baking things) but Christmas is NEXT WEEKEND. I think having Christmas on the Sunday feels strange to me somehow. My son is in school until the 22nd, which when he was young didn’t feel late at all, but it does not. Ah well, it will all be fine.
That mouse cartoon made me smile!
J
I agree, Christmas on a Sunday feels weird. Why? Who knows. Wow, school until the 22nd? We had dinner with some friends tonight, one of whom is a school teacher. She is off already. Maybe she will have to go back sooner than your son.
And yes, everything will be fine! My Friday was perfectly lovely. Nice to come here and worry about it all with everyone, though.
San
I loved your rambling post 🙂 I’d imagine that it looks like this in many of our brains right now… I could so relate to your planning out your Friday (I have kind of the same going on)… I will probably run to Target right when it opens (it’s the best time to get in and out quickly), then I do regular grocery shopping, dentist at 11, work call at 1, and then more last minute shopping and a run to the post office. We’ll get it all done 🙂
J
Thanks San! Yeah, I considered going back and cleaning it up, it was so disjointed…or at least, felt that way to me. Then I said, Nah, this is how my brain is, might as well just go with it.
San
P.S. Oh, and I wanted to say that I love it that you are not religious,but traditionally celebrate both Hannukah and Christmas. It’s beautiful.
J
Thanks San! We are a sentimental bunch to be sure. When our daughter was little it was pretty confusing to her.
Jenny
My brain is exactly like yours right now- constantly thinking about all the things I still have to do. It’s all doable, but can feel overwhelming. Since it’s Friday right not I’m imagining you doing all your errands…. I hope you get it all done.
That’s a funny story about the tree- I can just picture you being like “Wait! Where’s the tree? Oh, we threw it away and forgot to get a new one.” I’m glad you were able to get one easily! And… I’m impressed that on top of everything else you’re celebrating Hanukkah. I think that might put me over the edge. Oh and one last thing- I’m glad you sent those cards. I’ll bet no one will notice anything wrong with them!
J
Thanks Jenny! Reporting in on Saturday morning that Friday went very smoothly. I went to Target first thing, and practically had the store to myself. Took Mulder for his long Friday walk. Went to the DMV and renewed my license. Went downtown and had a LOVELY lunch with my friend. It was great. I decided that I didn’t need to go to the Indian store for tea, I can do that any time next week. Switching Target to earlier really helped too. Now I have almost nothing left that I have to get done, which feels really good.
Stephany
I feel like I always feel so together early in the Christmas season as I’m buying gifts, and then it’s always those last-minute stragglers that pop in as you’re trying to finish things up! I am finally finished TODAY with shopping (the mug I ordered for my stepdad arrived BROKEN and I couldn’t get a new one in time, so I had to quickly go out to Target today to find him something else, argh). But at least I’ll have a week of quiet before the craziness!
J
That’s exactly it. I felt like I had it all together, and then I realized I had a lot to do. Thankfully, now that it’s Saturday night, I’m mostly caught up. I need to deliver the gifts I bought for ‘adopt a foster’ and so on. Tomorrow is the first night of Hanukkah, and I have my gifts for that. Oh, I still need to buy one stocking stuffer for my husband and a gift for my dog. Otherwise I’m done.
UGH, I’m sorry about your gift for your stepdad, that is horrible. Glad you were able to get something else.