Peering out early morning window our children smiled, quietly enjoying the moment of realization of the snow day before them. (picture on the left is the Balancing Rock at Garden of the Gods, in Colorado Springs.)
I've been gallivanting around with friends this week when I should have been home finishing projects, but I have faith...I have time...I have caffeine, so it's off to the races for two more days...(Visit me here for more whirlwind of holiday activities and project finishing.)Every year I promise that next year I won't leave things until the last minute. This year has been better than most because we have been making a very conscious effort to limit gift buying and trying to focus more on making gifts, but there are still the last minute things I didn't think about. Distant relatives (or related by marriage) and SIL's new boyfriend coming to the Christmas feast unexpectedly--meaning they weren't on my gift list, but now... oooh of course the baking ingredients I was sure we had, but didn't, etc. It will be the fourth time to the grocery store this week.
But there's more to it than just the last minute shopping. Just last weekend, I foolishly patted myself on the back because we've been having such a relaxed and low key holiday season (so relaxed that the tree's yet been decorated!) I felt like I had finally conquered the frenzy that can happen during the holidays. A few days later, that little bubble burst. I suddenly felt/feel overwhelmed and frantic. It seems to be all around me. The traffic is more brutal. The check-out lines are longer. Everyone in a rush, but not moving anywhere swiftly... wanting to be somewhere else, honking, fidgeting, snapping. It's the same with me. I am staying up too late-- grouchy and scattered during the day; worried I won't get everything done that I had in mind.
OMG, did I mention friends (one visiting from Eugene) are coming over tomorrow afternoon for a quick get-together! House to clean, tree to decorate, and food to make in the crack of dawn...I sense a message from the universe to slow down and re-focus on the things that really matter. So it's time to get back in the holiday spirit...
Believe me, I really enjoy my family, but I got to take a break from them this afternoon while DH took the kids sleding, with my SIL and niece visiting from Washington, and her boyfriend. Snow fall was the reality today. There were 10" of snow covering their driveway when we drove in to my inlaws in Sunriver, OR. We love the beautiful winter wonderland so long we don't have to shovel the driveway. Last time the kids sled in Sunriver was two years ago when we first moved to Oregon. Second time was just as awesome. In fact, our youngest would like to go back tomorrow! Did you know clean snow is edible? That's a fact--if you don't believe our 6-year-old--from the folks at the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo.
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