How many self-help geniuses have I heard or magazine articles have I read about "making the holidays more serene"? Bottom line - just stop doing so much. Learn to say no. My problem is I like to do everything. I like to bake and give homemade presents and Duane and I really love to entertain.
The smart part of my brain asks, "There are only so many days in the season, why don't you cut back a little?" Then the psycho part of my brain says, "Shut up". Psycho Brain wins every time because Smart Brain hates confrontation. Psycho Brain thinks it can do it all. Smart Brain is a wuss who won't stick up for herself.
Any day now I'm going to install a valium salt lick in my garage. I think Psycho Brain and Smart Brain will get along a lot better after that.
I'm in the midst of baking approximately 34 loaves of bread. Oatmeal-Whole Wheat bread. It's fabulous and healthy. I'm making this bread to give - along with jams I put up last summer - to teachers, friends and Duane's employees for Christmas gifts.
Some of the loaves are large, like these. Some are mini-loaves. Who gets what? Depends on how much I like ya.
The bread will be packaged using these bags and tags . . .
. . . created here, in Santa's workshop, otherwise known as the stamping room which is also called a dining room. My kids don't know what a dining room is, since ours always looks like this.
Whoa! What just happened? I didn't know there was carpet in here! Those elves . . . always cleaning and working and making things sparkle.
This happens once or twice a year - I clean the stamping room and actually turn it into a dining room. This time it was for Duane's company party, held at our house last Friday night. The party was small and relaxed and fun. A few people didn't show up and you know what that means? Leftover city, baby.
Let's see, I've got a clean, decorated house and a ton of party food. What to do, what to do, what to do . . . .
I'VE GOT IT! Let's call our friends at the last minute (we wouldn't want to give them much notice, you know) and invite them over. It'll be another Christmas party! Spontaneity, that's what I'm all about.
I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal. Why plan? Especially when you have friends who you KNOW will be available at a moment's notice. They say it's because they're losers with no social life. I say they're keeping the calendar open in case Karenpie invites them over for snacks and adult beverages. Either way, it works for me.
Dawn and Glenn have no social life I mean are really spontaneous. Who wouldn't like to spend time with them? You can hardly tell Glenn has a debilitating migraine, can you?
And Steve and Patti? Just looking at them, can you believe they'd be home, watching TV, on a Saturday night? Me either.
Now these guys? I can believe it. Oh wait a minute, I'm married to one of them. It's too bad they're so uncomfortable having their picture taken.
This is the only way we can cope with the shenanigans. Patti is my role model in so many ways.
Attitude? You're giving me ATTITUDE? Have another beer, Rick. It's a little easier having your picture taken when you have a few cold ones on board. And don't worry about the possibility of being on the blog. That's not why I take pictures! Oh no. No, no, no, no, no. I'm just practicing my photography skills. Don't . . . you . . . worry . . . about . . . a . . . thing.
Trust me.
In fact, use your wife as an example. Monica's perfectly beautiful and perfectly happy on that side of the camera.
So the lesson here, people, is . . . are you ready for it? . . . . an active social life is for LOSERS.
You need to keep your calendar free and, therefore, your OPTIONS open. You never know when you'll get a call from Karenpie, inviting you over.
Huh. Maybe you want to fill up that calendar after all.
Hold on I am coming over, Santa's going to pick me up any minute, so listen for the sound of hooves and look for the red nose lol
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