I used to do freelance copyediting for recipe bloggers. I thought it was so weird they had to tell a little story before they gave the dang recipe.

I've never put up a tree before, but I think I will this year. it's strange to feel the slightest bit creative again.

A lot of them, or at least the one's I go back to, include a click-to-recipe link. It's a beautiful thing.

In my childhood, this would have been the first week we'd consider putting the tree up (depending on party schedule and how weekends fall), because we always kept it up at least through Epiphany.

I have been in the office too long already, have had conversations about two different issues and written evaluations of at least five job candidates. Too bad none of those were my TOP THREE MUST DO ASAP items.

Facilities just sent around a notice with a bullet point "how not to burn your house down."

Rocket science.

Let the record show: I tried. Got up, started to get dressed, found that bending over to retrieve a sock set off a coughing fit that made my head hurt. Drank some broth and going back to bed.

Roy Less.

Roy Fewer?

Roy NoMoore.

A valiant effort, -t. Rest well.

I am trying to get everything cleared up at work so that I can take time off next week while my DH is gone to start packing the house (translation: throw things out while the pack rat is away).

So happy with the results! We are expecting four more inches of snow today on top of the three already on the ground and we don't have snow tires on yet. DH and I are making a quick grocery run and then coming back to be happily snowed in.

Since DH is Jewish is has Strong Feelings on the matter, we don't do a tree, but I have tons of other decorations...which are not going up this year as we still aren't done unpacking and that takes precedence.

Wow, I totally expected Moore to win.

Phew, I'm so relieved and happy about Doug Jones. A nice bright spot of good news.

Putting up the Christmas tree is, to my little pagan heart, the best and most meaningful part of Christmas. I love picking out the tree, setting it up, putting up lights, getting out the ornaments, remembering when and where they came from, and putting them all on. We had a couple of friends over this year to help us decorate, and that was really fun too. We listened to Christmas music, ate delicious foods, and at the end, we had a beautiful bright colorful pine-smelling green tree in our home, shining through the cold and the dark. (Now if I could just get us invited to a Hanukkah party, I'd almost be able to recreate the holiday seasons of my youth.)

I love having a tree in the house but this year I am just too lazy or uninspired to deal.

NoMoore! Yaaaas Queen.

Special Thank You to Matt for making a difference to a kitty boy who looks like my late and much lamented Mishka, who was adopted right about this time of the year. Best present I ever got myself. May the adoption fairies smile upon your little fella.