I just got back from the mall

Last week at this time I was so focused on my own troubles that the Christmas spirit just had to sort of float around me and keep a healthy distance, but now I'm outta control crazy with the holiday joy. It started Monday night when Angela forced me to participate in putting up a few Christmas decorations. That yanked me right out of my egocentric pit of Christmas-less doom and forced me to start thinking outward instead of inward. She knows how to work me. I did a little bit of Christmas shopping yesterday and a little more today, and all of a sudden I'm thinking about giftwrap and the warm fuzzies associated with holiday giving, and the things I'm worrying about have taken a back seat. Perhaps if the mall had been super-crowded and I had gotten into a fist-fight with somebody over the last Hickory Farms cheese log things would be different and I would be hating the holidays right now, but as it is I'm warm fuzzy-filled. I just want to light a fire and drink egg nog and watch cheesey Christmas show marathons all day. Major progress. Of course it helps to know God is working on things for me and that there's no point in stressing over it. All will be well in time.

Check out what Angela wants for Christmas. I can't say whether or not she's getting it because she reads this blog sometimes, but she wants a Sudoku book (the crazy number puzzles) and some mechanical pencils. I have it so easy! We're so uncomplicated. I asked for some legal pads. Seriously. But she just laughed at me so I bet that wish will have to go ungranted. We're trying to practice financial restraint and be less commercial in our approach to the holidays. Paper seems to be the perfect fit.

I didn't buy the Hickory Farms cheese log. I'm still afraid of the cheese slicer after the thumb slicing incident. It's been four weeks and it's still not healed! So my cheese intake is limited, but as long as no one invents an egg nog slicer I'll be fine. Have a good weekend.