Have you ever noticed that change begins in September? School starts, the weather in most places starts getting a little more bearable, the nights cooler and the days less hot.
By October, change is in full swing. I start baking again, putting up my autum and Halloween decorations, and do my fall cleaning, which is the six month version of my spring cleaning. I open windows that have been sealed shut all thru the summer, and take down the tin foil I put up. Then I frantically try to get everything dusted that I missed during the summer. See with all the tin foil on my east facing windows, I miss a lot. Not that I really look all that hard...
Then there is the whole “gasp!…the holidays are coming!” Which at first is okay with me. It's an exciting time. Who doesn't love the Holidays! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and CHRISTMAS! I mean, there are still at least 3 months till that special time of the year. So I have lots of time to shop and craft right? WRONG!
Every year I swear to myself that I’m going to start earlier, go simpler and not stress as much as in previous years, and every year…I don’t. I have a love/hate relationship in my mind with people who can do those things. Someday I’ll be one of them, but until then, well, I start out good anyway.
October rolls around and I clean. I mean I really clean good. Then, since I have family that actually lives in the house and they do the family kind of thing, you know, sleep, eat, bathe, play, raise cain, dust and my blood pressure, by the 2nd of October I have to do it again. In the meantime, in my head, I’m planning menus, deciding what I want for Christmas (that’s really important you know) and wondering what new recipes I should try out. I start cruising the craft websites and books for ideas of things to make because I’m thrifty and strive to save money. Once I have that new set of tole painting brushes so that I can paint the wooden cheese grater for my friend (and you know who you are), I won’t have to buy them again. Some of my paints are dried out from not closing them tightly last year, so I’ll just replace them too. And why buy a book made from pulverized wood when you can buy the wood and make a book. And I start listening to my huge collection of wonderful Christmas music.
By November, I’ve made a point to wander thru every single children’s toy and clothing section of every store I’ve been in (thus increasing my shopping time by about 2 hours per trip) and made a list of everything I want to buy for my most precious and perfect grandchildren, even though I don’t buy a thing. I’ve studied patterns and ideas to make them toys that are sure to become heirlooms (if they get made) and stopped by the fabric store at least 5 times to decide on which fleece goes to which baby. I’ve bought turkey dinner for twice the number of people I’m going to feed and started on the 17 desserts I plan on making.
Sometime the 2nd week of December I remember that I have 2 sons in their 20’s that don’t want toys anymore, don’t like the style of the clothes I buy, really want toys I can’t afford and still manage to do puppy-dog eyes when telling me what they want for Christmas. I’m still trying to convince myself that gift cards are a great invention. I’ve cleaned house again and threatened to end the life of anyone who brings a single speck of dust and sets it down on any polished surface in my home. I’ve heard every single one of my Christmas cd’s at least 398257 times and I think I hate them.
I can’t wait for January so I can start over.
By October, change is in full swing. I start baking again, putting up my autum and Halloween decorations, and do my fall cleaning, which is the six month version of my spring cleaning. I open windows that have been sealed shut all thru the summer, and take down the tin foil I put up. Then I frantically try to get everything dusted that I missed during the summer. See with all the tin foil on my east facing windows, I miss a lot. Not that I really look all that hard...
Then there is the whole “gasp!…the holidays are coming!” Which at first is okay with me. It's an exciting time. Who doesn't love the Holidays! Halloween, Thanksgiving, and CHRISTMAS! I mean, there are still at least 3 months till that special time of the year. So I have lots of time to shop and craft right? WRONG!
Every year I swear to myself that I’m going to start earlier, go simpler and not stress as much as in previous years, and every year…I don’t. I have a love/hate relationship in my mind with people who can do those things. Someday I’ll be one of them, but until then, well, I start out good anyway.
October rolls around and I clean. I mean I really clean good. Then, since I have family that actually lives in the house and they do the family kind of thing, you know, sleep, eat, bathe, play, raise cain, dust and my blood pressure, by the 2nd of October I have to do it again. In the meantime, in my head, I’m planning menus, deciding what I want for Christmas (that’s really important you know) and wondering what new recipes I should try out. I start cruising the craft websites and books for ideas of things to make because I’m thrifty and strive to save money. Once I have that new set of tole painting brushes so that I can paint the wooden cheese grater for my friend (and you know who you are), I won’t have to buy them again. Some of my paints are dried out from not closing them tightly last year, so I’ll just replace them too. And why buy a book made from pulverized wood when you can buy the wood and make a book. And I start listening to my huge collection of wonderful Christmas music.
By November, I’ve made a point to wander thru every single children’s toy and clothing section of every store I’ve been in (thus increasing my shopping time by about 2 hours per trip) and made a list of everything I want to buy for my most precious and perfect grandchildren, even though I don’t buy a thing. I’ve studied patterns and ideas to make them toys that are sure to become heirlooms (if they get made) and stopped by the fabric store at least 5 times to decide on which fleece goes to which baby. I’ve bought turkey dinner for twice the number of people I’m going to feed and started on the 17 desserts I plan on making.
Sometime the 2nd week of December I remember that I have 2 sons in their 20’s that don’t want toys anymore, don’t like the style of the clothes I buy, really want toys I can’t afford and still manage to do puppy-dog eyes when telling me what they want for Christmas. I’m still trying to convince myself that gift cards are a great invention. I’ve cleaned house again and threatened to end the life of anyone who brings a single speck of dust and sets it down on any polished surface in my home. I’ve heard every single one of my Christmas cd’s at least 398257 times and I think I hate them.
I can’t wait for January so I can start over.
