Be A Jolly Happy Soul

I got this awesome advice from yourtruenature.com.  I also have one of their calendars already hanging on my wall.  Don’t worry, it’s one of those 16 month things, so I’m pretty sure it’s not bad luck.

I said a few days ago that I was going to get my Christmas shopping done, and that I’d get back to you when that actually happened, and GUESS WHAT!  I’m done.  Wrapping and all.  On the 11th of December.  Now what am I supposed to do for the rest of this long winter month??  Relax, maybe?  That sounds like good advice too.  Maybe I’ll do a bit of Christmas baking to make W happy.  It’s too sad to watch a grown man cry over something as simple as the absence of shortbread.

It does look like we won’t be going anywhere for the holiday because we don’t really get one that’s long enough to worry about.  I work on Christmas eve.  W has to be back to work on the 27th.  And then I get to work New Year’s Eve as well.  How did I luck out, you might well ask.  It’s because I’ve been spoiled rotten getting all kinds of time off for Christmas for the last several years, and now it’s someone else’s turn.  Well two someone elses, really.  I suppose they deserve time with their families as well so I’ve grudgingly agreed to buck up and just do it.  There’s always next year.  The psychic said there’d be some kind of break in tradition this time around so I guess this is it.  Add in the fact that our daughter in law is still recovering from jaw surgery, and that it makes sense for her to have a bit less stress in her already busy life.  Dana and Kenzie will be there – perhaps that’s enough excitement this time around.  (As if W and I are fascinatingly exciting to have around….)  Maybe we can head up there for a few days during Spring break or some other time when we can make ourselves useful.  Spring seems such a long way away.

I have one other thing to share.  My candle lighting prowess.  That snowman picture looks shivery cold, so here’s a much warmer one to take off the chill. I have a lot of candles and I just wondered what it would look like if I lit every one of them all at the same time.  Well it looks like someone has way too much time on her hands, for one thing.

But kind of glowing and flickery and stuff as well.  No one called the fire department so I got away with it.  And good thing I have a candle snuffer because there was a lot of different scented candles in this mix and after a bit I was too light headed to even think about attempting to blow them all out.  Whatever, curiousity satisfied.  It is possible to have candle overkill.  Who knew.

How To Relax (In Ten Easy Steps)

1. Get out of those stupid work duds. Put on something that’s comfortable, warm, soft, baggy, faded, wrinkled, has holes in it. Security blanket apparel that you cherish and cannot bring yourself to throw away.

2. Brew, uncork, steep, pour over ice or microwave for yourself your most favourite beverage ever in your most favourite cup or glass or pitcher.

3. Light some candles. In this case less is NOT more. Fall just a tad short of setting your house on fire.

4. Turn down the music. If radio is all you’ve got, turn the damned thing off. This is not the right time to listen to what incredible deals they have going on for you at City Ford. And turn off the tv. You don’t need to see them right now either.

5. Turn off the lights. Stumble around in the dark by candle light. Trust me, this is good for you. We’re trying to create an atmosphere here. Go back to step one and put on some big thick socks if you think that might help.

6. Turn off your phone. Seriously, it does have an OFF button. Now turn off all of your back up phones. ALL OF THEM. Good for you. What’s the worst thing that you might miss out on in the next hour or two? If somebody dies, it will keep. You will be the last to know and therefore the one who is blissfully ignorant for the longest period of time. Think of it as winning. Yay! My phone is off, I win.

7. Refill your cup, or glass or pail. Put the pot or the carafe or the bottle or the keg somewhere within easy reaching and pouring distance. This is very important, because after step 8 you will not be allowed to get up.

8. Sit down. Do not get up. The only exception to this rule is in the unlikely circumstance that a candle falls over and sets the curtains ablaze.

9. Put your feet up. That’s what coffee tables are for. And the couch cushions are for putting between the coffee table and your aching feet. Decorative only be damned.

10. Empty your head. The hardest step of course is this elusive number 10, because now that you’re all relaxed it’s easy to come up with brilliant one liners that you SHOULD have said when so and so did such and such. Don’t despair. Repeating number seven enough times can contribute to an over-all feeling of numbness and brainlessness where comebacks lose their relevance. Keep trying until you get it right. You can do it. Relaxing is not rocket science. It’s just more critically important to your well being. Practice makes perfect. Cheers.