Checking in Before Checking Out Again

Today the tree goes down. Tomorrow we head for the mountains. On Monday, it's back to the school for the boys and off to the dentist for me to have my teeth cleaned.

Ah, the romance of the holidays. How have yours been? Mine have left me planning already for next year, how to simplify and streamline. Is it really possible to have a stress-free Christmas without abandoning Christmas altogether? I have my doubts.

The good news is, we've had no catastrophes. Presents were given and received, appreciated and admired. Many cookies have been devoured, as well as gallons of Christmas punch (non-alcoholic, mind you) and pounds of pimento cheese on crackers.

As usual, no matter how hard I try, Christmas continues to be for me one of the more spiritually out-of-tune times of the year. I try to get into the Advent vibe, keep at least one eye on the babe in the manger, but the closer it gets to Christmas day, the harder that is to do. That's what I like about Easter--no distractions. There are no Easter commercials, no Easter wrapping paper to be bought, no Easter presents to wrap. All the retailers can to do to attempt to profit off Easter is sell Easter trees draped with plastic eggs. So far I've been able to resist.

I've enjoyed sleeping in and hanging out in my pjs, perhaps my favorite part of the holidays (besides presents, of course). And I've been knitting and reading a lot,which I do all year long, but without the sense of entitlement I have right after Christmas.

So this is a pretty dull post, but with any luck I'll be back next week energized by the promise of a new year and new resolutions and new ideas. I hope you're recovering nicely from Christmas and have a fun New Year's Eve in store. We never go out, but stay at home and drink a glass of champagne, and that, my friends, is a happy New Year's Eve indeed.

See you next year!