The Last Post About Christmas (I promise!)

The house has been un-decorated… mostly.  I got about 80% through that job and then had to shift my attention to my daughter’s birthday party.  As a result, most things are down but you’ll suddenly notice there’s a sign on the the wall that says “Merry and Bright” or pick up a spatula in the kitchen with a Christmas gnome on it.  Meanwhile, the things that are down are not quite properly put away… I have some rearranging to do before I can get all the bins back in the closet. SIGH. I thought I would finish the house Grinch-ing after the party, but the problem is, once you get behind, it’s really hard to get caught up.  Because now there are new things to do, like clean up the party debris and fresh loads of laundry.  The messes keep piling up!  Tomorrow we leave on a short trip to Tampa, so I’m consumed with trip prep.   I’ll have to finish the Christmas job next week. The cards are still up and I’m enjoying them.  As a matter of fact, a client just gave me a card on Saturday!  I was able to tell her I would add it to my display. Each card is like a little work of art- I love it. Remember the grab bag present for work, where I had to get a generic gift for a mystery co-worker?  Well, I tried.  But without knowing the rules of this exchange (would we be able to steal gifts from one another, like a white elephant exchange?) it seemed impossible.  My sister advised me that alcohol-related gifts were always popular where she worked, but I know at least two of my colleagues don’t drink.  I finally gave up and got a mug, a Starbucks gift card, and a little single-serving size bag of holiday-flavored coffee. This gift exchange was so disorganized, we didn’t end up getting our gifts until New Year’s Eve.  We couldn’t get everyone together at one time so I was just told to go take a gift.  I chose one that was wrapped the nicest… And it turned out to be… A mini ice cream maker!  Now THAT is a great gift!  I never would have gotten this for myself (or known that it existed, actually) but I can make my own ice cream any crazy way I want- with oatmilk and one of my alternative sweeteners, perhaps.  I haven’t used it yet, but I will next week.  It made me feel a little bad about the gift I gave- it wasn’t a BAD gift, but I really could have been more creative. Even though there are those random remnants of Christmas around my house, I’ve moved on.  The holidays are over, and I accept it.  Now I’m looking forward to our Tampa trip!  We’re going to see some old friends, I’m going to find a cool trail to run on, and of course we’ll hear my daughter play in the All-State band- the main reason for our trip. What’s the latest gift or card you received? Are all your Christmas decorations put away?