I resolve

Yes. I have resolutions this year. And I'll get around to posting those this week. But first I want to deconstruct the holiday that just was.

Yesterday as I was boxing up stuff I said to myself, "Self, I never want to feel this way again after Christmas," i.e. totally GRATEFUL that Christmas is over. It's not that I want to be all "Oh no! Christmas is all over! Now I have to put my head in the oven!" But I do want to feel like I enjoyed the season the way I have in the past.

This year, though, I just felt crushed by it all. Flattened. Steamrollered. Is steamrollered even a word? Or did I just make that up? I felt tired and stressed and so grumpy that I thought if I heard another carol I would rip my ears off my head with my own bare hands. And the music is usually my favorite part of Christmas.

What happened to me? How can I prevent this from happening again? Help me Obiwan Kenobi! Please, help me!

Thoughts, anyone?

(And btw I missed you.)

I didn't mean . . .

to take an early holiday vay-cay from the internet. But it's been kinda busy here, partly because I've been picking up a few shifts at the bookstore--which brings me to today's observation.

I think December 23rd is the worst day of the year to work retail. People are panicked, of course. HELLO! IT'S THE 23RD! But they're also hopeful enough to believe in Christmas miracles, as in you can get them what they want by the 25th. Even though it's the 23rd.

The 24th, actually, is a a more pleasant day to work. By then shoppers realize they've blown it, and they're just grateful for anything you do to help them out.

Anyhoo. I'm going to officially go on internet vay-cay as of tonight. I'll check in with you again on Monday, January 2. Meanwhile, thank you for making my blogging year so satisfying. Merry Christmas, guys. I pretty much love you.

Last Night's Concert

So in the end we all thoroughly enjoyed the concert. Lovely music. Lovely lighting. Lovely set design. TRQ behaved herself when the bell ringers showed up. She did have a tiny bone to pick, however, with some of the medieval costuming. Basically TRQ felt like she went to a Mo Tab concert and a production of "Spamelot" with dancing knights broke out.

But as I say it was a wee small (practically invisible!) bone, because you know what? Nothing says "Happy Christmas" like great Mormon Tabernacle Choir music.

And also dancing knights.

Seriously, how tender is this?

My mom (aka "The Rodeo Queen) always gave my kids books for Christmas. And on the inside cover she always wrote a little message. Here's what she wrote inside of THE ESCAPE OF MARVIN THE APE by Cara and Mark Buehner.

"Dear Geoffrey,

"Love you to pieces. You are such a lively little boy. You love all types of gadgets: the phone, the T.V., computers, and any machine seems to challenge you.

"This year you have learned to talk. We love the way you say 'Grandpa LaVell and Grandma Pat.

"We sure had fun at the beach!

Love Grandpa LaVell and Grandma Pat"

She did this for years--wrote a little message about that year's highlights. Such a gift!