I don't know how the girl who used to have most of her Christmas shopping done by September (I made my money in summer months) has become the girl who: 21 days before Christmas only has the tree up with lights - no ornaments, is still waiting for gifts to arrive, still needs ideas for a few people, hasn't wrapped a single item, hasn't put the rest of the outdoor stuff up, and not a single cookie has been made.

I am seriously thinking about just adding tinsel to the tree (it has some gold tips built in) and calling it a day.  It has been so cold, getting things into the ground likely won't happen out front.  I need to take a proper lunch hour to get some things wrapped.  I think part of my issue is that I no longer buy, wrap, and mail gifts to Texas, so no need to have everything in order extra early to get things shipped out Dec 1.

I also wanted to record that I had yet another dream of the long long ago - somehow it blended a lot, it was supposed to be college residences, I had been gone for a while but came back, I was preparing to gather up the stuff I had left there -- including a bunch of furniture that was my mother's, and of course -- he was there w/ her.  He told me to leave, told me that he'd never marry her.  Other friends from back then that I've long since realized were "friends" only because of my presence were dismissive as I tried to say goodbye to people.  It was one of those dreams that seems to have gone on for a rather long time.  There was one that was a friend before that timeframe that is the reason why I went to school where I did, he was the only one there for me in the dream -- and boy did I appreciate that hug, even after I woke up.