The Tree

We're just about ready for the neighbors tonight. The house is all put back together, the living room has been looking lovely in its blueness all week, the Christmas tree is up and decorated (finally! according to the kids), the Advent Wreath and the Nativity and George's Santa collection are out, and I've done my best to edit edit edit the decor down to the minimum while still maintaining that Christmas spirit. ("Remember, Rose, less is more" I'm always saying.)The booze has been purchased, many cookies have been baked, and get this, even my own bedroom has been cleaned! Fabric and sewing items are stowed in the cabinets, there's *only* one laundry basket full of projects to complete, and I'm feeling less overwhelmed by it all.
I do have a bit of a cough that's been hanging around, but if I don't talk *too much* tonight I should be fine. That, and lots of brandy may have to be imbibed "for medicinal purposes". Hah! If I even liked brandy...I'm looking forward to the party, to seeing all the neighbors whom we see so much less once the cold weather hits (we all hibernate in Minnesota, I'm telling you).And now that the decorating is done, the kids will have to find something else to bug us about. As we pulled out of the local nursery's parking lot after buying the tree, George said "I don't think I've ever bought a tree by December 2", and I know he hasn't. His family didn't put up the tree until Christmas Eve. In my family, and for most Minnesotans, anytime after Thanksgiving is fair game. So most years George and I compromise and put up the tree in mid-December, always listening to much pleading from the kids before we get to that point. "When are we going to put up the tree?" "Everyone else already has theirs up!"

So now, this year I can relax for the rest of the month. Yay!