Things That Make Me Happy

Getting to run an errand across campus and enjoying all the fall colors and the fact that I didn't need a jacket. Creation is beautiful right now.

Watching someone on their bike riding one-handed while his other hand cradled a wrapped gift as a huge grin creased his face. His excitement was palpable.

Having someone tell me I looked stunning today at work. Today's wardrobe? Simple jeans and a sweater.

Finding a dress for my father's wedding on the first day of searching.

Anticipating a drive to Goshen tomorrow for a knitting retreat. Long, solo car rides are infrequent enough that it will be savored.

Deciding to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. A month of devoted writing sounds selfish, decadent, and exactly what I need.

The Panic Begins

Today is October 24, and I have about two months before Christmas.

I've determined not to put up our tree this year. Augustine was a terror the first Christmas we had her, as she found it to be the ideal perch from which to peer out the window. We've steadily tried to break her of this habit, aided partially by moving the tree to the corner and not in front of the window, but Dante is a larger terror with more potential to scale the tree or topple it over, so I've decided to spare ourselves the headache of two cats sparring in our Christmas tree by keeping it in storage.

Plus, Dante sees it as his personal mission to scale every height in our house. He was found on top of a door earlier this week -- his weight made the door slowly inch shut, leading to The Great Fall. He's also on par to rival Clifford the Dog's size -- without leaving the ground, he can stretch to the top of our dining table, and he can "catch" the laser beam two-thirds up our basement wall.

Sorry for the cat sidetrack, but there you go.

Anyway, we have other ways of making our home feel festive, however minimally, so the nativity scene will get a place of prominence and we'll blast Christmas records, bake holiday cookies, and burn candles that smell of pine.

Now I don't tend to get caught up in the materialistic side of things, as Christmas was always a small family affair growing up. But now that many of us like to partake in homemade Christmas on my side of the family, I'm beginning to worry as I haven't yet begun on any of my projects. I think I've established what I'm making for the female contingent, as well as the nieces and nephew, although I don't have all the materials gathered yet. I'm just hoping that while I'm completing theirs, I will have an epiphany about what the perfect gifts will be for the guys. Maybe they will be equally satisfied with getting a toy identical to my nephew's?

People shouldn't read this as I'm dreading making things for my family, as it's not that at all. I tend to find great meaning in giving and receiving handmade items, but as the leaves are becoming vivid in color and clogging our sidewalks, and as the meteorologist are talking of a rain/snow mix for the weekend, it's setting in that Christmas is not far off.