41 degrees this morning

Hello cold weather! Nice of you to join us this winter.

21 days until Christmas! I cannot even begin to explain how excited I am. I have the urge to go shopping just about every day, always thinking “Just need to knock one more person off the gift lift, just one more…” Packages are beginning to arrive and ebay auctions are flying. I can’t seem to win often enough b/c I am not ruthlessly bidding higher and higher and higher. This year I actually knew what I wanted. Most years, I sort of flounder about throwing random ideas about what I like and would enjoy having, but nothing that really shot out at me. There is a slight tinge of guilty spamming in my head about not being greedy, which is possibly the reason I am so tirelessly shopping and thinking of who/what is left to be gifted.
Our tree is looking quite lovely. Hopefully, I will post pictures soon. I have taken lots with my new camera. The living room was recently rearranged. It looks fantastic, as if Ryan and I actually use our living room and enjoy being in it. The new layout even works great for the tree as it is the first thing you notice upon entering our lovely, little home. Around the holidays, quality time feels like higher quality. In the back of my mind, I’m always snuggling a little closer, squeezing a little tighter, smiling a little bigger or talking a little faster in excitement over revealing all the fantastic things that will be unwrapped on Christmas day.
I picked up a very large package and another small package from the post office yesterday. The small package was Ryan and the big package contained some presents for me and some presents for friends. I had to sit all alone in the apartment with the big ass box until Ryan came home to relieve my anxiety. I kissed him hello and promptly sent him off to open the package and remove the large elephant in the room. I’m officially doing my mom’s Christmas shopping, as she is too busy (and possibly a bit too clueless) to get out there on her own. She has also asked me to wrap the gifts that I collect on her behalf. I’m thinking that somewhere in this, there is some sort of mother-daughter opportunity. However, this would require a trip somewhere, Jacksonville or Orlando, and that takes more time, thus eliminating the purpose of me doing the shopping for her. Perhaps, we shall make it happen anyway.
Piano lessons continue to be a joy, though challenging. “Oh, come all ye faithful” is painful to go through. My nerves get the best of me during lessons and I can’t seem to get through the song. I hate the words “Make it lyrical” as I am not naturally musically gifted. Any talent that develops is out of shear desire. I am both excited and nervous by the idea of playing for my family at our Dec. 15 get-together and again for my family in Jacksonville.
It’s a beautiful time of year. Hooray for Christmas!