dual personalities

How could he have considered taking Monday off? Monday was the diving board poised over the rest of the week. One walked out on the board, reviewed the situation, planned one’s strategy, bounced a few times to get the feel of things, and then made a clean dive. Without Monday, one simply bombed into the water, belly first, and hoped for the best.

–Jan Karon, At Home in Mitford

My Monday will be a breeze compared to my weekend. Weekends are when we working girls get everything done that needs to be done at home. And at this time of year it is not just the usual laundry, food shopping and home projects that pile up.

The boy came over on Friday night after work and hauled the tree in from the garage, put it in the stand and strung the lights.

After he went home, I hung the ornaments on the tree. Voila, beautiful.

On Saturday I wrapped and wrapped and wrapped more presents. Even though my kids are all grown up and moved away, I still seem to get them the same amount of presents I always have–even if half of them are estate sale finds and used books! And now we have a daughter-in-law and a son-in-law! Wrapping presents is back-breaking work–literally. I mean it’s not chopping wood, but it feels like it later, you know?

I also went to the store twice, got my hair cut and gabbed on the phone with daughters # 1 and 2. After I finished putting up the Christmas decorations, I collapsed and watched Circus World (1962) with John Wayne and Claudia Cardinale and enjoyed it immensely.

It features real acts from the Althof Circus, a very old family circus in Europe, which during WWII sheltered a number of Jewish refugees from the Nazis. (The owners were later honored for their work.) The acts which are highlighted are excellent and the clowns are genuinely funny, But they don’t overdue the circus acts. It has an engaging plot and so does not come off like a semi-documentary the way The Greatest Show on Earth (1951) does.

I went to church and then finished wrapping presents and cleaning the house. Phew. I was tired by the time we went over to the boy’s house to have dinner and see the wee babes who have been sick with RSV all week…

but are much better now. Sweet babies.

Now it is Monday and I have four busy days and then I’m off for Christmas! Hopefully I am finished with all the busy work and can focus on the the reason for the season!

*Charles Wesley, “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus”