Only 21 days left

I'm delighted to announce that I'm almost done with my holiday shopping. Still a few little odds and ends left to purchase, but we're in good shape at this point. Wrapping? Um. No. Haven't started that.

The weekend was one of those, "What the hell just happened?" kinds of weekends. I received word on Friday that a woman at church (a fond acquaintance? is that a legitimate term?) who had been battling ovarian cancer had stopped treatment and begun hospice. Which was a surprise to me because (a) I'm not in her inner circle and (b) I'm totally not at all observent and thought she was doing okay. Saturday I learned that things were expected to progress quickly. As I got ready for church on Sunday, my sweet husband, who knew that church would be emotional at best, made me promise that we would go shopping after church. Because I would need to promise in advance to do something like that or I'd wind up sitting home crying on the couch and drinking too much wine. (Unlike me, he's not a bit unobservant and has a clue much of the time.)

Turns out that "things will likely progress quickly" was the understatement of the year. Dana died Saturday morning (I learned at church). So there was much crying at church by me and by lots of other people. But I kept my promise and zoomed home to take the kids for a playdate and then we shopped.

And we accomplished much! Susie? Done. Nephews and niece? Done. The Boy? Done. My mother? Done. (And I had already completed shopping for the Husband.) That leaves my dad (which I've already selected, just have to purchase), the mother-in-law and her husband, the sisters-in-law (one I already know what to buy, just need to run over and buy it, the other shouldn't be too hard...), the husband of one sister-in-law (again, should be easy), and my brother and his girlfriend. And I think I know what I'm getting her. And now that it's all written down that sounds like a pantload of shopping left to do. Crud. I thought I was almost done.

Concert is Friday. Thank goodness. The last two weeks of rehearsals have been tiring and not very fun and I'm honestly sick of the music - this is the first concert that I've been indifferent (or worse) about the majority of the music. I like about three pieces, but I only love love love one piece. Usually the music for these concerts haunts me for weeks and months and sometimes years after the concert. I don't think this one will. It just doesn't thrill me. But come anyway. Taste is in the mouth of the beholder, right?

I sound much grumpier than I am. Really. I'm in a pretty good mood. Honest.