It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...well sort of

I've realized that if I go over the last couple of weeks in any amount of real detail, I shall surely be writing blogs for about a week before I get to writing any in real time.

I have found this most recent holiday season, however, to be very illuminating. Maybe it was truly full of genuine lessons this year. Maybe I was just ready to learn them. Who knows?

But instead of summarizing events, here are the key learnings from 2005's holiday season that I have come away with:

Pace Yourself

While holding down a full time job, I must really learn to pace myself better during the holiday season. Take for example, the weekend before Christmas. It was probably not the best idea to have a schedule as follows:

Monday to Friday - work like a dog at aforementioned full time job.
Friday evening - Go Christmas shopping with the Duke for four hours.
Saturday - day - run errands.
Saturday - night - go to dear friend's housewarming/Christmas party, then meet up with Ragdoll et al for a girlie night on the town [lasting until 3 a.m.] to celebrate her impending non-nuptials.
Sunday - day - go to Dundas to visit with Toby [now Ziggy], the stray feline I rescued in the summer.

I probably should have wittled things down a bit, however, in the end it was a wonderful weekend and I had fun.

I also nearly died.

Having Pre-Addressed Labels for Christmas Cards is a Very Good Idea

I didn't have labels this year and paid the price. Oy! Da writah's cramp!

Those Parties You Are Dreading Are Usually The Ones That Are the Most Fun

Full disclosure: I was dreading Ragdoll's reception somewhat just because I was extremely tired, fighting off another cold and knew a lot of the old school crowd [literally!] would be there. I admit it. I have baggage. The result? I went anyway, had a great time catching up with people, and got to share in a truly wonderful event in one of my dearest friend's life - because Lord only knows that Ragdoll was way overdue on that front.. I also discovered that essentially everyone now lives within about a square mile of each other. Old friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in 15 years, I picked up again with like no time had been lost. Other attendees who have ignored me for years, continued to do so. I realized that at this point, it's pretty silly to expect some lightening bolt of emotional maturity to suddenly strike and the past to just be forgotten. In the end, you can open the door, but you can't make anyone step into the room.

People Think They've Got You All Figured Out

At year end, you tend to have a lot of "so what have you been up to" conversations with people. 2005 was a banner year for me on the job front. I finally obtained a job that actually requires me to utilize my brain matter and I've really gotten into a groove with things. Some people, however, seem to have difficulty with this, as they still frame me in the context of what I used to do. They seem to be genuinely shocked that I could do something more, and yet "dumb" is not a word most people would use to describe me, at least not in the intellectual sense. [In the kitchen perhaps, but not intellectually.]. When I turned 30 I really had a complete turnaround in terms of how I related to other people and I realized two things:

One: In the end, everyone does what they want to do and thinks what they want to think anyway, so why worry?.

Two: I don't give a fiddler's what people think of my life or my choices.

This past holiday season only served to reaffirm these notions, and I'm glad I "got" them earlier in my life than later.

You Can Never Have Enough Invisible Tape

And in tandem with the above, the extra investment in high quality gift wrap is worth every penny.

The Soundtrack of A Charlie Brown Christmas is a Work of Unmitigated Genius

I had planned to purchase this CD when I got it as part of a secret Santa at work. So needless to say, I was delighted when I received it. Despite my love of the traditional, this work is the one that I associate the most with good Christmas memories.

Next Year, Everything Will be Done by the End of November

Cards sent, gifts purchased and wrapped, etc. etc. I've done the two weeks before Christmas thing two years in a row now. It's madness, sheer madness.

If You Encourage Your Four Year Old Niece to Sing the Driedel Song She Learned at School, She Will

All six verses.

Several times.

And last but not least...

Sometimes the Real Beauty of Christmas Is Having a Few Days Off

And there's nothing wrong with that. Some societally enforced time to wind down, sleep in and spend time with those you care about is a damn fine thing.