With the tree still in its box
and the angel candle holder frowning down
upon the non-Christmas-y apartment
and amanda still in her nightgown.

No Christmas lights are lit
No Christmas music is playing
Just the screeching and caterwauling
Of another load of laundry washing

Ross is out shopping
for dinner and goodies and treats
While Amanda is blogging,
Puttering and cleaning

Ever have one of those moments where you just want to do something like this to someone? I wonder if Ross thinks of things like this when he's leaving for the gym and I'm still in bed...

Knitty's much anticipated Winter 2003 stuff is online!!! Yay!! I love Kyoto and the Sound System Snugglers and I want to make Coronet, although I think wearing hats is a dying "art" (for lack of a better word). Most people hate wearing hats.

Did I mention that Ross has been off work for a while using up his vacation? I'm sitting in a room with stuff sorted into piles. The shelves look great. The floor and the guest bed are holding all the piles. I've been unbloggable for a while - cleaning or working or Ross is on the computer. Next week, back into the swing of reality!

Mom, Buzz and Craig come tomorrow for Christmas number 3! I have tomorrow and Friday off! WHOOPEE! The family unit should be here between 1 and 2. More gift wrapping, more cleaning.... just what I needed..... no, really I didn't. Do you know how hard it is to clean/tidy when you can't lift? I'm not supposed to use the vacuum either. Laundry...washing floors (can't lift a bucket). Can't take the recycling down. Can't make my bed (requires lifting the mattress). Can't help carry groceries. Can't put the KitchenAid away. Can't lift some of the presents to wrap them. It's completely frustrating. Just when I felt like I was nearly back to normal, I reinjured myself a week and a half ago. When they say no lifting - they mean NO lifting!

We never did put up the tree. It never made it upstairs until the 23rd. We had family stuff to do on Christmas Eve so I never had time to get it out of the box. Sad when things are more important than our symbol of Christmas. Did I lose my spirit somehow along the way? Christmas has become cleaning and shopping and wrapping. I didn't have time to sit and think about my tree until tonight. Ross asked me when I got home, "Are you putting the tree up?" Somehow, me decorating a tree on my own isn't as endearing as it was the first couple of years. When I was little, it was always mom and I decorating the tree together. There was Christmas music and eggnog... Buzz would sort out the lights and be our tester. The lights are always supposed to be the man's job. It was a whole day affair. Then we'd have a nice dinner with the lights lit up. Decorating was always something we did together. Although I was spoiled every year, I remember the stuff we did together the most. Those are my cherished Christmas memories. I do remember, however, Buzz spending all of Christmas day assembling all of my gifts! Including my pink sewing machine that I got when I was about 9 or 10! LOL

This year Ross framed some of his pictures for people. They were all received very well. He even sent a bunch to the Lake to his family there. He baked cookies (and I'm sure there will be stories to be told for years to come about those cookies), shopped and we even entertained this year. I hope that next Christmas we'll be in a house. Nothing will stop me from putting up a tree then! and lights!

For us, this is Christmas Eve again. Merry Ho-Ho everyone. And Happy New Year!
Lots of love xo