Tis the Season

I have no idea what has gotten into me, but I am just bursting at the seams with holiday spirit!

Usually, I don't get in the Christmas mood until, well, just right before Christmas. Seriously. I'm one of those people frantically racing through the mall at 3:30 on Christmas Eve, buying last minute gifts and wrapping paper.

I don't play Christmas carols until just a few days before the actual day, and most often, I'm digging through my CD collection on Christmas Eve after returning from the mall so that I can at least play my small collection of holiday music while wrapping gifts.

But this year -- its different. I'm getting a tree; an honest to goodness six-foot tall tree, not just my 2-ft short tabletop one, and this weekend will be out procuring lights and ornaments and garland, and I'm even thinking about a couple of yard decorations.

I'm in the holiday spirit big-time and it actually feels great.

The past couple of months have been especially stressful, and lately, I've found comfort in just doing simple things for myself. Grocery shopping and buying whole, fresh foods and making myself real meals that require cutting and chopping and cooking on a stove. Making a pot of homemade soup on a cold, windy day. Losing myself in several good books I've recently started. Jamming out to music while doing household chores on a Sunday afternoon. And, letting myself actually call in sickfor two days when I caught myself a death of a cold 2 weeks ago.

And now, with Thanksgiving (one of my favorite holidays) over, I'm ready to start prepping for Christmas. With a vengeance;)

I think maybe its because I now have a whole house to play with, and last year, I was literally moving in over Christmas. But more likely, I think perhaps its an enjoyable diversion.

For the past few months I have fretted and worried over a number of major and minor things -- both on a professional level, as well as a personal one. And now, with the holiday season upon us, I'm ready to lose myself in something that isn't work, has absolutely nothing to do with friends, work, neighbors, co-workers, etc. Just me and my surroundings. Walls and shelves and doorways and rooms don't talk back or tell you they don't like what you're doing or that you're doing it wrong.

So, after work tonite, I'm off to buy my wreaths -- there's a great stand just down the road from here; and I'll hang 'em as soon as I get home.

Tomorrow, is tree day and shopping for ornaments, garland and other decorations.

Sunday, I think I'll finish what I started, maybe log in a couple hours of shopping and then sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labors.

And next week, I"m on vacation. I have already made myself vow not to check or answer work email, and to screen all incoming calls. I'm scheduling lunches with friends, a day trip to the outlets, and a massage.

I'm hoping the R&R and all the fun, self-indulgent stuff I have planned will bring back the spring in my step and clear my head and help me to shift more of my focus to my personal level, instead of to the professional level which has been such a bane for me lately.