D.E.T.A.I.L.S.

I’m one of those people that can have a list stacked high of things to do, but will sit and read a magazine because I don’t want to throw it out if I haven’t read it, yet I can’t dust if the magazine is in the way.

That’s today. I have a list of things that need to be done:

~We have out of town guests coming (my sister, Rachel, got a ticket from her husband for Christmas! We are so surprised she gets to come. My sister, Chris, and her family are coming, as well as another nephew, Levi, and nieces, Emily and Rachel. Calvin’s mom is also coming and all of Ray’s family from Alaska, Texas and Idaho.)

~A house to clean (oh baby, Christmas can be hard on a home) and air mattresses to inflate. (When the kids come home from college they live out of suitcases . . . and the floor becomes part of their suitcase. It doesn’t stress me because it’s only temporary, but trying to clean house on top of suitcase-living kids without making them feel displaced is a little tricky. Calvin and I were planning things out this morning and he said, “I’ll get Abe to organize his things.” We were looking straight into Calvin’s side of the closet which is always in disarray when he said it. The paradox was amusing.

~Several large meals to prepare (food has got to be one of the best parts of a celebration, don’t you think? Our house is the headquarters for everyone while they’re here. At least I’ve already put twenty pounds of beef to cook in the roaster for bbq’s later in the week so I’ve started.)

~A cultural hall to prepare for a wedding (where oh where does the microphone and sound system and tables and chairs and portable stage go? The same place socks do I suppose. At least no one wanted the screen. Ande is sitting in the middle of our family room floor assembling wedding decorations and chuckling at the TV show she is watching. Her laugh is such a happy sound.)

~We woke up to freezing rain and now it’s dumping snow. It’s beautiful! Early, early this morning Calvin and I had to water the table centerpieces which are under the plant lights at his workplace. We saw three semis and three cars off the road and since Abe has to take the GRE at a college 90 miles from here, Calvin took him because he has 4 wheel drive.

~Find eggplant colored shoes for a wide foot. Not an easy task. I got a dress a few weeks ago, but purple shoes? I’m still looking.


So with a list of minute details that need tended, what do I do? I sit down to blog. It doesn’t make sense. It really doesn’t. I guess I must have already read all the magazines.

Do you get side-tracked when you have a long list?