I finished book, just in time to wrap and bake

I think this took me a few weeks to read, although it doesn't really feel like three weeks have passed since I read the book before this one. How many different ways can I say that December sped up this month, and I would swear that every day was really only 20 hours long?

This is another new author to me, and I really enjoyed this book. It is definitely small "l" literature, and I really enjoyed Patchett's voice. I have "Bel Canto" lined up for when I have some time to read in the next few days... A very different book, and it starts off with an ending, which of course leads to a new beginning. I enjoyed how this book unfurled itself, and would have almost liked it to have continued on a bit longer.

Yesterday was the Solstice, and I am grateful to see the days getting longer again, YAY! I can't wait to enjoy the neighborhood in a different way.

I am busy working on my list for the next few days, I hope I manage to get some sleep, and that everything is wrapped before 3am. I can't wait to see the looks on the boys faces when they check out some of their gifts.. should be a great year with their ages.

What day is it?

I was doing so well this year, staying up to date on my blog. Then we had a health scare, and then we sold the house, and started kindergarten, and then we had to pack up the house, and move the house, and adjust to the new house, and a new drive, and new routines. Now, Christmas.

Damn, the days go by so fast right now. I get up before 6am, I get home about 6pm. We scramble through dinner, sometimes a walk, sometimes some clean up, a few books, bed, and then maybe a moment or two before collapsing in bed and then the routine starts all over again.

I am really truly looking forward to the break between Christmas and New Years, a few days to do just not much of anything. Okay, who am I kidding? Maybe to do some stuff around the house, to putter, to take the kids for a walk and feed some ducks. Hell, maybe even finish the book that I started a few weeks ago. I am so tired at night that I am lucky if I can make it through 10 pages before I get sleepy drunk and need to go to sleep.

Our new house rocks. It is so nice having more space, and living somewhere flat where you can walk outside your door and go for a nice, easy walk. I love being able to take the kids out to look at the lights and then they sleep better at night. I love having a living room, even if I don't get to hang out in there very often. I see little projects around the house, and I am glad that they are ours to fix.

I hate blinds. We have been slowly replacing all the ugly blinds with curtains. Amazing how much better a place looks with curtains. I am not fond of the 8 'clock train that seems to need at least three engines to pull its load. I love Christmas traffic since it doesn't matter if I get stuck by that train I can still make a good effort to get in to work on time. I am so glad I am getting though my list, and things are starting to calm down a little at work. Although I know it will be a lot of work over the next few weeks, I am really glad that we are hosting the Christmas dinners this year, it is nice to have the space to have everyone over.