I responded to the invitation with a very solid “We’ll try to make it.” At this time of year, there’s just WAY too much going on. There was once a time when I thrived on the chaos, but that ship has long left the harbor. I love our high school friends…I really do. I don’t particularly love the restaurant they chose for dinner last night, but even that wasn’t my deciding factor. 

What kept me home? Just sheer over it up to here’s-ville. We were happily cuddled up under our cozy throws with the fire roaring and an interesting show on. I was knitting a miniature Christmas stocking for one of the babies. We each had a piping hot mug of tea. When the moment of truth came and a decision had to be made…yay or nay…I said, “Let’s stay in. I’ll fix you a meal better than what we would get at the restaurant, and we don’t have to drive 45 minutes each way on a narrow, winding country road in the dark dodging deer.”

So, that’s what we did. We stayed in. I cooked a feast that couldn’t be beat. The kitchen is a mess…yet again. And I’ll clean it up this morning. There are some things more important than going out. I’m making our health and well-being a priority this season. I think Mr. FixIt was relieved…he didn’t put up much of a fuss, anyway.

Since I finished the last sweater, and since the hair fiasco has been largely rectified, I finally got back to the quilt I’m making for our WV granddaughter’s wedding in June. I have the first row of blocks pieced together. I used an acrylic square to trim the blocks to exactly 10.5” so they piece together nicely. That make the top nice and even for the final quilting. I haven’t made such an intricate quilt in years and it’s fun getting back to it. I’m using the pool table to lay the blocks out on. It makes it so much easier to join the blocks correctly for the pattern.

My cousin is in sales. She buys end lots and sells things for a bargain price. I bought two big boxes of some clothing items she got her hands on and they arrived yesterday. Now I have to figure out a way to wrap them. I hate spending a lot of money on boxes to wrap Christmas gifts in. Last year, my dear friend Gail sent me some sock yarn for Christmas. She made the cutest little sack out of holiday fabric. I’m going to go to town today to find some inexpensive fabric and make my own cloth gift bags. They’ll be cuter and cheaper than buying those gift boxes that may not be the right size. And, they’re reusable!

As I sat writing this post last night, the rain was pitter pattering on the roof. I wonder if we’ll have a White Christmas. I tried to watch Chevy Chase’s Christmas Vacation the other day and it just didn’t hold any allure for me. We did watch White Christmas, so that kicked off the holiday season. I have all these plans for cookies and cheesecake, Christmas cards, maybe a little more decorating. But, so far I’m not getting much done on that list. It’ll either get done…or it won’t. I’m just not going to stress about it this year. Nor am I feeling guilty!

We’re just going to live in the moment and enjoy what comes our way!

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“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Colossians 3:2 ESV