Ado

Definitely about nothing.

Despite my best intentions, I've accomplished so little since starting holidays on Tuesday. I hoped to paint the dining room and get the last remnants of the wallpaper off the entrance wall. I started peeling off that damn paper almost a year ago! The problem is is time and opportunity. So little of either to devote to the effort of ladder lugging and climbing, scraping, washing, blah blah blah.
The dining room is another matter as I've tested three different shades; we don't like, never mind love any of those colours. I think white will be the fall-back. Sigh.

I did manage to steam-clean the carpets in the basement, the numerous area rugs, and the white chair Frances drew all over with blue ink. The carpet look so much less funky --the various eating accidents, Lucy pee, barf, general wear and tear extracted makes everything seem new.

Although it's kind of late, I hung more lights on the maple trees out front after I pruned off last year's growth, but I still need to pick up all the branches and climb the roof to finish the eave-line of coloured lights. I was 10-feet short so the strand runs beautifully for 7/8ths of the house then nothing --looks goofy.

With a too short ladder and winds coming as gusting gales, I've been timidly hanging over the edge and hoping nothing blows me down onto the driveway a thousand feet below... well it looks like you could basejump from the roof, but it's only 35' or so. Too far to fall and jump back up with a smile on your face.

Carissa's been baking and scheming over holidays feasts and treats. The kids very interested in helping stir with hopes of licking the spoon. She's been trying to do all this while having her radiation treatments --with a few stumbles on the way. The radiation has onl;y begun but I can tell it's taking some toll on her energy. It would be so much worse if she wasn't so steadfast in her super healthy diet. She has more
get-and-go than when she was "healthy". A regular Wonderwoman, that gal o'mine

Whoosh

Tempus fugit and all that.
The 2nd course of 4 treatments is complete –a short pause until radiation and surgery. It’s not been good, but it is better.
Now for something else… my inbred loathing of Christmas being at odds with with a gaggle of girls all cranked up and wobbly with the thrill of the big day. I know: the smell of the tree, the music, the baking, the, the, the ….stuff.
Now I find myself coming around to the season. So many reasons’ not to be bummed and low. We’re taking advantage of the opportunity to forget and live it up a bit in the eye of this stormy year.
I try to imagine being without all that this life has brought me. The paradoxes that are my girls astounds me. The gleam in my S.’s eyes as she plots how to not get a lump of coal, while suspecting she might be deserving. F.’s wide eyed innocence that hides a tenacity of will and spirit that will crush lesser beings that choose to resist.  C.’s pure beauty, a physical presence that still makes me gasp. Super cool and classy. Smart. She’s not a bad cook either.

So here I am, weirdly excited and frightened about Christmas and the coming year. I plan to enjoy the moment with love, patience and joy of being with family and friends.
I’m not a big one for quotes, as my writing tends to be cliched enough, but this one makes too much sense not to share:
A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours. - John B. Priestly
I plan to do just that.
Cheers, PT