Christmas stress...???

I'm at one of those annoying crossroads - where I feel I have so much to do, but when I put it down on paper it looks manageable, but then when I go to actually accomplish said things, I can't seem to get anything done.

That's how my Christmas to-do list is going.  That's how my entire 4 day weekend went.

I apologize beforehand if everyone gets IOUs instead of presents.  Or mugs from my workplace.  Cause I'm determined that will be my last resort.  Even if the mugs are pretty cool.

I'm vacillating between doing a lot, or doing a little, saying "I'll get it done", and "I'll never get it all done!!!!"

It doesn't help that my next 3 days at work are 12 hour shifts, and I'm pretty sure I probably can't count on getting ANYTHING done during that time.  And since my 4 days off I just had I got very little done, I shouldn't count on my 3 days off before I leave to get anything done either, especially when that time includes packing, packing for my dog, cleaning, and making last minute calls and stops and plans.

Oi.

I came home from work today with the full intentions of falling right to sleep as I have to be up in 8 hours from the time I walked in the door, but here it is, 90 minutes later and I'm still on the computer.  My phone evilly tells me I have 6 hours and 37 minutes til my alarm goes off.  *sigh*

Here's a food picture round-up from recent days....

Pumpkin cream-cheese muffins.  Pretty sure I didn't show you these yet.  Fattening and delicious.

Ham sandwiches made from pumpkin cheddar scones.  Too delicious to even describe. 

Butternut squash donuts.  I unveganized the recipe and baked instead of fried.  Also skipped the glaze because they're that good by themselves.

Totally not food...a Christmas present.  I just think they look pretty.....

So many people are shut up tight inside themselves like boxes, yet they would open up, unfolding quite wonderfully, if only you were interested in them.
~ Sylvia Plath

Today

Six days have passed since my last post.  Whoops.

I have a nice long 4 day weekend to get everything possible done, before working a 4 day workweek (with 3 overtime shifts) right before my vacation starts.

After a nice morning at the gym, I thought I'd not waste my efforts and have a delicious veggie lunch...

Butternut squash fries..... a little olive oil plus a little corn starch plus a little salt...equals a big yum....

Time to get stuff done!

Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
~ Margaret Lee Runbeck

Shots through my front window

My favorite.  I can't believe my phone captured it.

Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat anytime.
~ Hermann Hesse

Undercover

Until one has loved an animal, a part of his soul remains unawakened.  
~ Anatole France

Mini photo-dump

Its kinda hard to see - but on the left side of the picture there's a rainbow.  Some day I'll tell you about my rainbow story and what they mean to me.

I was invited to an ugly Christmas sweater party.  We don't have our own, so we made them...

Here's mine.

My friend Michelle and I modeling our sweaters.

Oh yeah, and I  made pumpkin bagels.  What!?!?  Easy and delicious.

So, I'm just sitting here in the comfort of my living room, 4:26 am, drinking coffee and listening to the comforting sound of a rain storm against the side of the house.  It's threatening to put me to sleep.  I'm in no particular hurry to start my 2nd 12 hour shift for this week.

"...it seemed too presumptuous to imply I'd made it out of the darkness, because if we keep going, there are always more tunnels, more challenges, darker darks.  But today I realized I have made it somewhere - I've made it to here.  And here's pretty good."
~a post from this week's Postsecret

At the end of the day...

...you're excited because it's finally Friday.

One of these months the days won't be so hectic and the weeks won't seem nearly so long.

Maybe.

Local brews.

Just keep swimming...
~ Finding Nemo

Here's one for you

So, I was on my way to the gym, and I had to stop and get gas.  So, there I was, sneakers, stretchy pants, sweatshirt, and hand-made tshirt hat (its cold here!), at the gas station.  I've been accused before of looking like a hobo with that type of outfit on, but whatever.  Anyways, I've been having problems with my debit card recently, namely that the strip is bad and card readers take several swipes to read it.  I had already locked myself out of the pay-at-the-pump once, and it was threatening to do it again.  I had just gotten finished making idle threats to the card-reader (which finally worked!) when I heard someone ask, "Where did you get your hat?"

After looking around and determining that the man across the way was talking to me, I answered, "I made it."

He made a face, somewhere between "it looks homemade", and "huh".  He only nodded.

I asked him, "Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"  I was curious.  Sue me.

He made another face, kinda like ehhhh.  He replied, "it could be a good thing".

I nodded my head in acknowledgement.

But then he added, "If you're a little eccentric."

I stared at him, Mr. everything-I'm-wearing-is-coordinated-and-looks-like-I-just-got-done-hitting-18-holes-of-golf, driving a late model Acura which probably cost more than my college education, and thought, "Eccentric, indeed."

Thanks to my niece, I will have a Christmas tree this year!!!

Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of a witness.
~ Margaret Millar