Ten Things On My To Do Before Christmas List.
- Make cheese ball.
- Defrost ham for Christmas Day.
- Wrap presents.
- Buy ingredients for enchiladas for Christmas Eve. Done yesterday.
- Put Christmas tablecloth on dining room table.
- Bake pumpkin pie(s).
- Pick up some cans of whipped cream for the pies.
- Plug in the tree and make sure the lights work. Done right after Thanksgiving.
- Buy wreath for front door. Gave up on this one because I couldn't find the wreath hanger.
- Finish Christmas letter. Done last Monday.
- Email Christmas letters. Done Friday and Saturday.
- Snail mail Christmas letters. Done Sunday night.
- Clean Elder Son's room. Cleaning lady comes today.
- Stock the beverage refrigerator with Leinie's Creamy Dark, Elder Son's beer of choice.
As I may have mentioned, I don't do much in the way of Christmas baking or decorating any more. Our tree has stood fully decorated but unplugged in a highly visible but little used part of the house for several years. The Christmas letter, a wreath for the door, and celebratory food for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day -- I'm done.
When I think about what I used to do it makes me tired. One year I threaded lights through a wreath and a 16' swag for the front entrance. I would set up a Christmas village on the piano or the mantel. Hang the hand-knit Christmas stockings. Buy a real tree and decorate it. Take down the clock in the dining room and hang the two framed needlepoint nutcrackers I made. Electric candles in all the windows. Hang the red and green stained glass suncatcher in the window. Hang mistletoe in the entrance. Get out the Swedish angel chimes. Sheesh, I think I need to go lie down now.
