Post-turkey blubberfest

The feasting holiday is past and now we're firmly ensconced in the season of shopping.

I began my Christmas shopping back in October, picking up an item here and there. I did a little more shopping Sunday but mostly we stayed home this weekend ... and it was glorious.

We did chop down our Christmas tree (by "we" I mean Bill), drag it into the house and decorate it.
I wasn't sure about the tree at first. It seemed fat-bottomed (I guess Bill likes that in women, too). Bill and Mar picked it out while I was in Denver a couple of weeks ago. Once we got it in the house and decorated it, I've reconsidered. I think it's quite lovely.
I forget how much I like having a tree in the house with all the lights and shiny ornaments. I wish we could have one all year round.

But I resigned myself to the fact that the season for keeping a cut-down tree in your living room is only one part of the year. This, of course, does not stop us from keeping our Christmas tree in the backyard until spring clean-up, like the true white trashies that we are.

Yesterday, Mar and I had lunch downtown. Then we did a little shopping.
Whenever I come home from Christmas shopping, I always show Bill what we're giving to everyone and then I congratulate myself on a job well done.

"I'm so thrifty," I say.

Followed by, "You're so lucky that I do all the Christmas shopping." Just in case he didn't know this already ... despite the fact that I remind him constantly (which is necessary because he's not really that lucky, but I like to pretend he is).

But I have done a good job so far, using coupons and buying things on sale. But really, I'm most pleased with the fact that this year I'm giving fun gifts, gifts that mean something and even some things that I've made.

So yeah, while it's not unusual for me to invent compliments for myself, this time I actually feel like I deserve them — and that's a nice gift for myself.