I'm the woman who has her Christmas tree up and lit by November 1.  By then the lighted garlands are swagged and twinkling across the porch, held in place with a red bow on each spindle.  The well-behaved, well-dressed Dog and Cat grace the cover of the handmade cards mailed to everyone on The List, with plenty of time to send extras to those not already on The List.  The homemade sugar cookies are in the freezer.  They have been lovingly made using the cookie cutters my Grandma gave me throughout my childhood.  The cookies are frosted red, green and yellow, sprinkled, and outlined using the tiniest tip on the end of a pastry bag.  The perfect presents are wrapped in coordinating paper, adorned with fancy bows and sorted by family under the tree - the tree that holds on its branches my growing collection of vintage glass ornaments.  I’ve made each of my nephews a unique ornament with their photo in it, having chosen the best picture from the year’s activities.  By now I’m just waiting for the festivities to begin…

This year I’m.  Freaking.  Out.  A little bit.

I’ve never been this far behind.  The porch is dark, the wicker furniture and dirty grill are still out there.  Not a single card has been made or mailed.  I can’t find The List.  I thought I could skip the decorated sugar cookies this year but I was asked to bring them to the family celebration this weekend.  I still need to buy some presents, and the ones I have already are waiting unwrapped on the dining room table.    I guess it’s alright that the presents aren’t wrapped, since the tree isn’t up anyway.  I haven’t begun looking through the thousands of pictures I’ve taken this year to find the most appropriate one for each nephew’s ornament.  Two customers haven’t received their orders yet and I’m nervous they got lost in the mail.  I think I’m getting an infection.

HO HO HOwever, I keep telling myself to look at the positives.  Like, I couldn’t get an early start to the season because I was in the studio preparing for holiday craft shows and events that I did with one of my closest friends.  Thanksgiving was spent with some people who mean the most to me. I’ll be keeping my promise to my husband’s nephew that I’d bring the fancy cookies to our Christmas celebration.  And I’ll tease him about eating so many.  By next year the mess from sealing the basement will be cleaned up, the boxes that were moved to the garage will have been sorted, and the Christmas decorations will all be in one place.

I’m looking forward to unwinding at Yoga on Friday, my parents coming from Illinois, and all of us heading up north to the cabin for Christmas.  Can’t wait to stand around a blazing bonfire at my husband’s Aunt Jeannie’s house, a beer in one hand and a fire poker in the other.  People will stop by and we’ll catch up.

On Christmas morning I’ll be thinking about people opening gifts they received that I’ve made, hoping they are happy.  The cabin will be full of people and pets.  We’ll eat too much and not care. 

We have another Christmas celebration to look forward to in January with my sister, brother-in-law, and nephews.  We can enjoy our time together without having to fit it into the packed weekend.

Well it’s looking like this year may not be a white Christmas.  It will be only the third time that has happened here in twenty years.  Maybe that’s why it just doesn’t seem like it's a few days before Christmas.  Normally we’d be planning to snowmobile up north next week, but the bright side is that there will be more time in front of the fireplace with my nose in a magazine.  With my momma.

And there will be no decorations or tree to put away after Christmas!