It always amazes me how fast Christmas hits. It’s filled with wonderful memories and traditions but it’s also a very difficult time for some. This year we are part of that “some” but we are handling it the best way we can.

Now that I am off from work for a while,  I hope to take a day or two to get organized and then pile the good things on top of everything else so that we can have a Merry Christmas before the big kid heads to Orlando. I love the image above because it’s so festive and fun. That is what the holidays should be.

Right Now:

Just drinking my coffee while checking out my calendar.

This Week:

I’ve got to figure out what I plan to read before the year ends. This is a big deal because you don’t want to end the year with a dud.

Reading:

I am very close to finishing The Visitors by Catherine Burns. It’s pretty good but it all depends on how it ends.

I am halfway through Hunger by Roxane Gay and it’s so, so good.

Watching:

The Walking Dead is over for now so that leaves me wide open for Stranger Things – Season 2. I also have a list of Christmas faves to get to before the holiday hits.

Making:

As soon as I toy with the idea of going vegetarian again, I get hit with a craving for steak. I haven’t had one in a long time and it does sound good. Will I make it though? I am also craving tofu so who knows what my taste buds are doing right now.

I have no cooking plans for this week but I am craving casseroles which are tricky when you are gluten-free. All the soup-based ones usually have wheat or something crunchy to go on top so those are usually out. Maybe I will pull out my sheet pans and cook up some roasted veggies and chicken.

Grateful for:

As rough as last year was with my mom passing away, I realize now how that experience prepared me for what we are experiencing now with my BIL and my SIL. I’ve been calm and thoughtful about the whole thing and just hope that I can remain so as I support The Hub and his family over the next few weeks.

Here we go. Are you ready?

You know how much I hate the commercial aspect of Christmas. I really hate it. I would much rather DO things than get things. Of course, it’s hard to get away from it entirely but this year I am trying to focus a little more on the doing,  and less on the buying/getting.

Right Now:

My son quit one of this jobs to spend more time with the family before he heads to Orlando in January so I am spending a little time with  my calendar today trying to fit some fun things in. We have some things scheduled but he still has the one job to consider and that schedule is not posted far enough ahead, in my opinion, for us to really plan things out the right way but we will try.

Tonight is the high school ministry party. Should be fun!

Later this month we are going to a special holiday lighting event called The Enchanted Forest of Light. Click that link for a video. We go on 12/23 and we are all looking forward to it.

This year, we are also picking up where we left off by taking our two special friends to look at Christmas lights. Due to crazy schedules, we could not do it last year so we are happy to be able to do it again this year.

This Week:

My last day of work before the break is Thursday the 14th so I am beginning my countdown today!

My daughter has practices and rehearsals and her choir party this week. We also have a Christmas party to attend on Saturday.

We all got new phones on Cyber Monday since ours were falling apart. My poor daughter couldn’t even make or receive calls or texts. We all went with Google Pixels. I got the XL. It’s been fun listening to audio books right from my phone and not having to download them first to my iPod. I  know, right? I was really roughing it. I expect to up my game this week with audio books so I can possibly make my reading goal this year.

Reading:

I am still reading The Visitors by Catherine Burns. It’s a little odd.

I finished The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin for book club and it was lovely. I plan to post my review sometime this week.

Next up, Manhattan Beach.

Watching:

The Walking Dead finale is tonight. It better be good. The teaser I saw looked pretty tense but it could also be a big hot mess depending on how they handle it.

As for Christmas movies we’ve seen Christmas with the Kranks and Christmas Vacation will probably be the next one up. I like to watch that one more than once during the holidays.

Making:

I will be making an apricot glazed ham with baked beans for the party I am going to.  We haven’t had tacos in a while so maybe I’ll make those one night.

Grateful for:

Great books, happy people, people who have a knack for just listening and being there for you, great food lovingly prepared, candlelit dinners, all the people who make me laugh.  Thank you.