I did it.  I officially started Christmas shopping yesterday.  Impressed? Don't be.  I had a bad dream that Christmas came and went and that my entire family had nothing under the tree.  So off I went to the dreaded mall with $500 in my purse.  Today I have $10 in my purse.  Ouch.

Dear Santa...please bring me someone who will shop for me.  Thanks.  Oh, and a new car, too.  Thanks again.  Love, Me.

Should I Have Started Shopping Yet?!

Raise your hand if...you have NOT even begun your Christmas shopping, and you hate doing it under pressure, but there are only 17 days left (16 because I'm home for the night) and NOT doing it stresses you out, but actually doing it stresses you out, too, and there are a total of  18 people on your list, not counting people you work with!!  Ugh.  Me, too.

But on a lighter note, I did get myself a pair of shoes yesterday. (I'm missing something this season, aren't I?)

Raise your hand if...you need to get the heck OFF the computer, into the shower, then into bed!!  G'night!

New Puppy

Oh yeah, on a cheerier note...this is my son and his family's new puppy, Bella!  Is she not ADORABLE??!!  She's a seven-week old female golden retriever.   You really can't feel too bad when you hold a puppy, can you?

Raise your hand if...you're feeling overwhelmed, too busy with life to enjoy living, and out of breath, figuratively speaking.  Yeah, me too.

I am grateful to have a job that I enjoy with people I truly like, but between work and taking care of family, I seem to have gotten lost in there somewhere.  Add to that the holiday season which piles more responsibility on top of the other, and I'm already running on reserve power.   Somewhere along the way, I have to remember to fill my soul...right now, not doing such a great job at that.

I hope you are feeling more peaceful than I am and that you are remembering to fill your soul! 

Potato Panic

Raise your hand if...you did all of your Thanksgiving shopping yesterday (got a jump on it, didn't I?), but, you FORGOT THE POTATOES!!  Who forgets potatoes for Thanksgiving??  That's like forgetting the chocolate for Easter, the stockings for Christmas, the pumpkins for Halloween?  Who does that??  Evidently I do.

Luckily, our Walmart is in the process of turning itself into a Super Walmart and hark...they had potatoes!  As much as I don't like buying food at a  large department store, in a potato panic, I did.  

Don't forget to listen to Arlo Guthrie's "Alice's Restaurant" tomorrow!  That's one of our favorite traditions...we all stop what we're doing and listen intently, cracking up as we go.  My husband and I have actually been to the site of the original Alice's Restaurant in Stockbridge, MA.  But unlike the song, you can't get anything you like...we wanted a cheeseburger but they were vegetarian.  Oh how times change...nothing is sacred, not even Alice's Restaurant.

Happy Thanksgiving friends.  

May you be blessed in having those you love close at hand.