The Holidays

The insanity of the holidays always makes me grumpy.  This year I’m missing my girls but I’m trying to make the best of it.  Vicki is home but the other two are in Georgia.  I’m missing them and I’m missing the all day game playing, movie watching, and being together.

Ken and Vicki went off to his family gathering.  They likely won’t be back till late afternoon or early evening.  I’m working on the computer for now but then I’ll be going back to crocheting.  I currently have two projects in the works for Vicki – an apron which will be a mix of terry cloth and crochet cotton and a shawl which I’m crocheting.  If I could figure out how to work on both, I would.

Yesterday Vicki and I went to Festival and got groceries.  We shopped their sale items and had a ton of coupons.  We spent $250 and saved about $120 between sales and coupons.  Today I was going through the receipt to split up her items and mine.  I noticed several of our coupons didn’t take off.  I called them expecting them to say there was nothing they could do since it was yesterday.  Instead they refunded the money and gave us two coupons for a dollar off.

Tomorrow we are going to do as much as possible with the girls in Georgia.  I’m sure there will be video chatting (or at the very least phone conversations) but we are also attempting to go to a movie at roughly the same time.  Saturday when Beth is over, we’ll open gifts and have more family time.  I’m also hoping to go see a movie on that day.

Aside from the holiday stuff, I’m hoping to get a number of projects done.  I’ve pulled out one of Vicki’s bags and have been working on the projects in it.  I finished two skeins of yarn to make her hat, wristers, scarf out of one and hat and wristers out of the other.  I’ll see how far I get by the end of the weekend.  I may have to shift things to determine what I’m going to work on.  As is normal – I have a LONG LONG list of things to do for her.

I’ve got classical music on.  I’m babysitting the two grand fur babies – Sasha and Ava.  I’ll be going back to crocheting shortly.  All in all, a good day so far.  Just one more day to get through with the holiday silliness and I can put another year behind me.

Prepping for Vacation

Four days of work left before my vacation.  I can’t wait.  It will be good to have a break and just be at home.  I don’t have to shower or dress if I don’t want to – though the other people at home might object if I go too long without showering.

My plan – tackle the boxes of yarn for Vicki and get as much done as possible.  I’m currently stalled on the blanket I’m working on.  I’m doing a more intricate border and it is taking longer.  However, I’m hoping to finish it tonight and move on to one of the other three I have prepped.  Two of them are smaller so if I do complex, it still won’t take as long and one is a blanket but needs a simple edging.

Once I’m done with these four, I have four more to do – two for my mom and two for Vicki.  Then I also have the basket full of material which needs washing – though I think most of that will be decided on after Vicki comes home.

The semester is winding down.  The work load is easing off.  I’m saying goodbye to one student worker as she student teaches next semester.  Otherwise I’m just wishing them all happy holidays as they finish off their finals and head for home.

My desk at work is getting clearer as I finish up a number of tasks.  I’ll be cleaning up some tasks so they can be marked as complete – at least as far as I can take them for now.

It is nice to clean up and clear off before I go on vacation.  It means when I come back to work, I’ll have emails to deal with but few URGENT projects.

This year I find myself wishing my daughters could all be home.  I feel a need to have them near for family time.  I know the two in Georgia can’t make it home but I am missing them.  We will video chat on Christmas.  I’m looking forward to spending the time with them that way instead.  I think we are all going to try to go to the movies on that day.  It’s convoluted but we will all at least be doing the same thing – if not together at least at the same time.

I know part of this is my normal holiday grumpiness.  It’s just hit me a bit harder this year.  I’m coping.  My crocheting and meditating help me deal with my feelings.  Crocheting – creating really – helps to lift my spirits.  I know I’m creating things which will brighten people’s spirits.

My inner dialog has been rough the past week or so but as I work on a project, produce more, it helps me be kinder to myself.  I can’t really explain how or why but it does.  Also, I’m clearing out some of the clutter in my living room with each project.  As the room gets neater, I start to feel better.  I’ll get through the stack of projects and then I’ll put away most of the yarn except my container of projects.  We do have to prep for the grand fur babies coming home, one of which is a mischievous bugger who gets into everything.  Clear up, clean up, and prep for the visit.  That will be the weekend.