Last Minute

Matt said, "Do you think the mall is even open today? There's one more gift I want to get."

The assembled company made murmurs of amazement and foreboding, a general Oooooo, noooo.

I said, "Oh yeah, they're open.  If the gift is for me, you should go over there.  If it's not, you shouldn't bother, it will be too crazy."

Matt said, "Fair enough."

And off he went.

***

Are y'all ready?  We are at Christmas Defcon 1.  Welcome to my Christmas Attack Zone!  We have all the food we need, though one more trip to the liquor store would not go amiss.  Hank has had the traditional Christmas Eve haircut. All is merry and bright.

It dawned on me last week that I am hosting Christmas dinner.  We are having:

ham
cheese grits
green bean casserole
deviled eggs
ambrosia, a warm kind with curry and brown sugar

Also, mimosas.  Simple food, no big whoop.

People are always talking about how stressed they are around the holidays, or maybe it's the stress-relief industrial complex that is telling us that, but I realized that the whole difference is whether or not you're traveling away from home.  If you are trying to transport your family somewhere and bring all your Christmas presents with you, that is kind of stressful.  Staying home?  No school to get the kids to?  Sleeping eight hours a night?  Having your nine year-old wrap all the gifts?  These things are not stressful. Quite the opposite!

Merry Christmas you people! Those of you who are into Christmas! You make this blog a source of joy to me all year long.  Thank you.

Pa-rum-pum-pum-pum.