Simplifying Christmas.

Still putting most of my energy into the career adjustment, but I wanted to take a moment to check in and post about Christmas.

When we were helping with my mother-in-law's house, my husband and I stayed in her bedroom. Which included a display cabinet, year-round, of about seventy bazillion Santas. I'll be honest, I don't like Santa Claus even in the singular. I've long had a sneaking suspicion that he's a pedophile. But that's just me. Even setting that aside, huge collections of tchotchkes make me antsy. Myself, I've been paring down.

I used to have a collection of snowmen, but I have donated all but my two favorites.

The one large grouping I have is a set of candles in silver and white that I leave out through New Year's.

Otherwise, there are just a handful of things (like the only one I kept of several Santa hats). And poinsettias. I put them in every room each Christmas and compost them in the spring.

And this little wine bottle sweater that a friend gave me when I was recuperating from my cervical cancer surgery a decade ago. I no longer fool with outdoor lights and just put lights on the tree and a string of bulbs in the dining room. Everything - all the Christmas tree ornaments, the lights, the tree skirt, and the few decorations I did keep - fit into the little trunk we brought home from my mother-in-law's house. The only exception are the candles, which I keep in a dresser drawer in the front bedroom when we aren't using them.

Instead of decorating, which took very little time this year, I'm focusing on time with people I love and food. I have big plans for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners and am eagerly awaiting having the boys here.

More on the career stuff when it's all more certain, but in the meantime I'm wishing you all peace and joy in this holiday season!

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

Fall is turning to winter in the neighborhood, with all its attendant chores - raking leaves, putting away the birdbaths, covering the outdoor water spigots, and so on. But the bigger work for me right now has to do with a slight change in my career path. It will start with a day a week later this month and, assuming I like it, gradually include more days each week. Still in psychology, but on the psychological evaluation end of the business. I find out more next week, but what it means for me is a LOT of re-acquainting myself with test protocols that I haven't looked at in many years. So as I'm getting up to speed, I'm going to briefly disappear from the blog world while I shunt all my time to this new venture. Back soon!