Christmas Countdown 2023… Day 2
For this year’s Countdown to Christmas, I am sharing stories from the variety of part-time jobs that have been my “career” on the journey. These will be Monday – Friday. On Saturdays I will catch you up on our holiday activities and then there will be an Advent Devotion on Sundays. I am looking forward to sharing December with you <3
Welp, it’s Saturday and here is the first real life update for us as we kick off the Christmas Countdown.
I am either in the middle or almost to the middle of getting the Christmas decorations finished. This means our house looks like the set of a play when the artistic team is getting all the scenery put together. Or as I like to call it, a huge mess that is starting to wear on me.
Exhibit A:
Yes we do have the tree up and ornaments on it, but there are cards in progress, a jigsaw puzzle temptation, a pumpkin spice can that needs to be returned to the fall storage boxes, the beginnings of what the dining room table may look like and yes, random trees just hanging around waiting for their assignment.
Exhibit B:
Our porch is holding fast to the previous season including some flowers that were doing okay until the temperatures dipped too many nights in a row. I can’t throw living flowers away, but these guys now qualify for the dumpster.
Speaking of decorating, I went over to our village library Thursday night for their tree trimming and cookie party. I got to hang a few ornaments, munch on a cookie and visit a little bit with a couple of families who had been working on the tree in the children’s department.
You all know I am not always the best at attending things like this, especially by myself. My more socially adept husband was in Texas helping our boy move into a new place and I felt like I should go to this. So I took a deep breath and walked into a new setting and it was good.
I read a post on instagram about wallflowers like me and how we need to get over ourselves and engage in social settings. She said it is selfish to let your feeling of being awkward at small talk keep you from listening to others and finding ways to connect with people. Ouch. I am going to try to do better.
Which reminds me, if you read my dear husband’s post on Wednesday (here https://www.laurareimer.net/a-special-treat-for-you/ ) he mentioned me talking to myself in Hobby Lobby. As stated, I did think I was talking to him, but sure enough the next day I was in Kroger and caught myself carrying on lengthy conversations and he was on his way to Texas so I was guilty as charged.
Apparently I DO talk to myself. A lot.
It also occurred to me that this might be why total strangers start up conversations with me when I am out in public. They must assume that since I am carrying on a steady dialogue and no one else is around that they need to respond. It has always baffled me that I seem to draw out random people yakking it up with me and here I discover I probably started the whole thing.
Case in point, the 80 plus year old gentleman in the vitamin aisle who chatted away with me about medicare and supplements and such and then greeted me again over by the orange juice.
I may need intervention.
Last of all, I purchased a couple of cans of this from Kroger.
We thoroughly enjoyed the clam chowders in Maine. This is not the same. At all. But it is not terrible; so if you are in the mood for a clam chowder that is a bit on the thin side, has a fair amount of potatoes, clam shrapnel and pretty good flavor, give it a whirl.
Russ also mentioned it is cheaper than a trip to Maine, so win win.
Okay, it’s off to the races as we have several basketball games and some bell ringing shenanigans for our Saturday. Come on back tomorrow for the first Sunday of Advent and have a great day doing whatever it is you have planned <3