The Case of the Missing Stocking

And the stocking, yes, it has been found!! 

Welcome to the shortest day of the year (at least for us Northern Hemisphere folks). Cheer up and remember that the day can only get longer from here out!

I've mainly settled back in to the groove. I've decided to embrace that because of the Texas trip I will get less done Christmas wise. Instead of five or six kinds of cookies this year, I've finished (but not iced or decorated) some sugar cookies and hope to get either brown sugar shortbread added to the list. I do have some my daughter sent up north and my sister will make at least one kind as well.

On the other hand, except for a couple last minute stocking forays, gifts are done and wrapped. After the crazy expensive year of weddings and other travels, the limit is fifty bucks maximum per person in the immediate family - even for mom - and twenty five or so for the others.  Many of my gifts were comfort type needs or experiences. Socks and sleep pants for son along with a movie gift card. Today I've spent lazily wrapping a couple gifts, enjoying our own Christmas decorations (which have been up since Thanksgiving), listening to Christmas music and generally "chilling".  Tomorrow there will be church and then the same "chilling" until son and I take ourselves off to Star Wars.

There is one fly in the pre-Christmas ointment. After unpacking every single thing we own holiday wise my son's Christmas stocking is nowhere to be found-neither here nor at my daughter's home. Being a blue and white Indiana Colt's stocking, it's difficult not to see. But the gremlins seem to have been here because after looking high and low and here and there the thing is - not here. Son suggested we put his stuff in a chair and he can order a new one later (yes, he is thirty but we always do stockings in this family-for everyone). We'll do that, but in the interests of not allowing the dogs access to good Christmas chocolate and just plain old holiday spirit I plan to run to Target and pick up at least a generic one to get us through the holiday..

I did have a lovely Christmas lunch on Wednesday with my knitting group although I missed the gals group brunch because of driving back. I ended up with a good quality fleece lined throw after doing my "stealing"-which I'll promptly gift because I don't normally spend Christmas at this end and have no idea what to get my sister in law's brother or her ninety year old mother who needs nothing.

Both gals group and knitting are done until January (knitting meets on Wednesday so---Xmas and New Year's) so my only leaving the house obligations for the next week other than possibly nominal shopping is to go to church Sunday and Christmas Eve and then head over to my brother and sister in law's on Christmas afternoon at some point. Other than that and perhaps a small trip to my local botanic garden (a mile away) to check out some evening lights I plan to enjoy the holiday spirit right here at home this week with hot chocolate, fabric, yarn, puppies and yes, maybe some cookies will be left.

I'll be taking a break until at least Thursday to celebrate the holiday, the beginning of the 12  days of Christmas, and and enjoy family time. I hope you have a lovely holiday no matter what  you celebrate (even if it's just a sunny day!), and that you are spending it as you choose.