From Santa and Spam to Soltice and Singing

Lots going on this week. Gotta cram in the fun before Christmas break, I guess. A few headlines from Tuesday and today...

Oh, Little Town of Bethle-SPAM: Look above to see what a white elephant gift looks like! Yup, yesterday was our department Christmas party via Zoom and the big Secret Santa reveal. My recipient was surprised it was me (didn't see me, yay) and enjoyed their gift. 

I had a clever person give me mine, too. In fact, I told the person – a new co-worker – just how to trick someone. Ship something and use a friend's return address. That's what she did. And that's why I didn't guess it was her. She got me some SPAM to remind me of Hawaii (where our company sponsors a golf tournament), 5 K-Cups to get me through a work week (a short one, anyway), and a golf ball and tees. Nothing bad. We may have to try SPAM and eggs for Christmas Day breakfast!

God Jul: Happy Winter Solstice! It is observed in my Scandinavian homelands more than in the U.S. uch like Midsommar (the summer solstice). For the shortest day of the year there was plenty to it! I worked, then shot some 8th-grade basketball pictures, then shot high school hockey since two friends have seniors on the Rapids team. Stayed up pretty late getting those pictures done. Actually appreciated the darkness to help me sleep. Fast! Can't wait to see more daylight every day now!

Golden Mass: Went to the annual Christmas mass at Assumption High School over lunch. It's always the day before kids get sent home for their Christmas break. I enjoy seeing friends home for Christmas and friends of Carter, too. Plus loving hearing the band and everyone singing the Alleluia Chorus at the end. I remembered both Soprano and Alto parts from high school. Pretty sure I weaved them both together today! Definitely puts me in the Christmas spirit.

Tonight have some more hockey pictures to go through from an alumni game. Then it's work one more day and jingle all the way to Christmas vacation! Ho, ho, ho!

Undomestic goddess :: Part 2

Somewhere in my mother's house -- if she could find it -- is a book called "Clutter's Last Stand." She always wanted to get de-junked and de-cluttered, but, as a child of the Great Depression, she just couldn't let go.

As much as I have tried to fight it and absolutely hate that about myself, I have a bit (OK, more than a bit) of that hoarding instinct in me. Mind you, I don't save everything -- just the things I'm sure I'll need some day.

I'm pretty sure my sisters (of course, I am NOT labeling them as hoarders) and I think we are doing far better than Marlys. After all, we do not re-use plastic sandwich baggies and don't cut up used envelopes for scrap paper. We don't save our bread bags to line our boots in the winter either.

So what causes the clutter? Cool Whip containers I may need for leftovers someday (despite the fact I have a ton of Gladware), shoe boxes Carter may need for a school project, every Christmas, birthday and anniversary card anyone in our house receives, ticket stubs and programs, plus just about every paper and project sent home from school.

We have two desks in our office/computer room plus two filing cabinets. There really is a place for everything we need to keep. And everything in those drawers is labeled in folders and alphabetized. But then, there's that other stuff that gets thrown on the desk, which is one big "to be filed" pile.

Last night Jim needed me to find something for an insurance form. I said I didn't know where that is. He assured me that the last time he needed it, I found it right away because it was in some "logical" place. Well, logic escaped me and I couldn't find it.

I was really frustrated after a long search. I vented about how I had filled up a garbage can with "clutter" I threw out last week but apparently I was working in the wrong room. I needed to be de-junking the computer room not the bedroom and bathroom!

Sensing my frustration, Carter (who by the way is a third-generation clutter bug) gently takes my hand, looks me straight in the eye and tells me the following: "Mom, how would you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. You would need to chew and swallow before you could take another bite. So you can't run around doing a million things at once or your mouth is too full. You need to bite one. Get done and do the next one. OK? No more anger."

I guess the 9-year-old is the keeper of the logic in our house. I believe I can get organized one step (or bite) at a time. I am seriously feeling good now about eating this elephant. I just hope it's calorie-free.