Advent

Dear John,

It only took...12 days to decorate the tree.  S did a fine job.  Neither of us were super-enthusiastic about getting it done - she was playing incompetent by pretending not to know where the ornaments were.  I just wasn't feeling it.  But it's done now.  I will have to start wrapping all the gifts.  I probably went overboard, but that's fairly typical for me anyway.

I had to pick S up from school on Friday because her stomach hurt.  Once home, she proceeded to throw up a few times.  I had to resort to the old standby from infancy - feeding her the juice from canned fruit to settle her stomach.  It worked when Saltines weren't doing the trick.  I'd give her a bowl with crackers, which she would put down.  Then the dogs would eat the crackers.  She slept from 6 pm on Friday until about 7 or 8 am Saturday - she never does that.  We're probably both run down without you to take care of us.  

This means we haven't been up for eating our Cheese Advent calendar.  The last piece I had was tomato based, and I do not like that.  It's very strange how particular everyone is about the way they'll eat tomatoes.  You weren't a huge fan of fresh tomatoes, unless it was on a sandwich.  But you loved them in everything else - soups, stews, sauces.  S doesn't really like them much at all.  She will occasionally eat marinara sauce or fresh tomatoes in salad.  I prefer them fresh, and I like red sauce, but please do not put tomato in anything else or it makes me gag.  I wonder what it is about tomatoes.  They're very divisive.

I am finished working for the year.  My vacation began last Thursday at 7, and I won't be back at work until Jan 2.  I hope to get some stuff done around the house.  We shall see.  I don't have any Christmas plans yet.  Maybe we'll host.  But I fear inviting your family over, due to their grasping natures and that one sister who I never want to see again.  I sent your mom a gift of dried fruit - I think she'll enjoy it.  

The window in your watch room has some issues.  The bottom part is cracked, and the mechanism broke today.  I guess it's fine, since I don't really need to ever open it again - I only do so for fresh air.  Speaking of watches, I'm going to try and start inventorying the watches and stuff while I'm off.  I signed up for that show in May, so I need to figure out what to take and how to price it all.  Meanwhile, some guy in California is looking for a case for one of his watches.  I found a really nice one down there, but I don't know if the attached price tag is legitimately what I should ask for the case or not.  I'll have to consult with someone on that score - according to eBay, that price seems reasonable for what it is.  The watches are going to be a nightmare.  There's just so. much.

I found a tiny (real) Christmas tree to tuck into the wreath your SIL put on your grave.  You would love it because you liked having a Christmas tree, but you would hate it because it was covered in glitter.  But the glitter throws some light off, which is really the part you enjoyed.  Of course, I dropped the tree off on a flower clean-up week.  I hope they only take the dead stuff away, and if it looks like it's still alive, they leave it.

I don't cry every day any more.  I usually do feel sad once or twice a day, but there's a lot less tearing up.  I am totally failing at maintaining the house, though.  The lawn is full of leaves and pine needles.  The counters are a mess.  The dogs are tearing up your floors.  But it's fine - I'm getting annoyed by all of it, which means I'll be working on it.  That also means my depression-driven sloth is starting to recede.  I hope I have more energy next year.  Or I get rid of all the stuff that's causing me problems. It's a process.  I'll figure it out eventually.

Love, 

A