Let there be light

While Cap slept (he started feeling crappy last night) and the kids did their chillaxing thing (Gem still feels under the weather, Sag felt good yesterday but less so today), I got out for a bit this morning to holiday shop and errand run.

I appreciated that the town gives free two-hour parking in the shopping districts during the holidays.

I appreciated walking into the butcher to order short ribs for tomorrow morning, crossing the street to the hardware store to pick up a replacement cord for the salt lamp, and quickly finding the last three books I needed at my beloved indie bookstore a block away.

I appreciated not being made to feel a fool when I realized I didn't know where the fuel door opener was in the car...I guess it was my first time getting gas.

I appreciated the warmth of being recognized by the guy who works at the indie sports shop and picking up a gift certificate for a boy who is going to be so appreciative when he opens it.

I appreciated the unexpected delight of being drawn into a shop I'd never been in before.  It was slightly dangerous (to the wallet), but the finds were really fun.

I appreciated my ability to not buy myself a cup of coffee knowing I had good caffeine waiting for me at home.

I appreciated the indie stationery store where, finally, I could buy a roll of wrapping paper.

I appreciated checking everything off my list (and then some).

We did have to cancel common meal tonight (after postponing it on Monday and canceling in November).  This opens up some time, but also means we have a surfeit of awkward foodstuff, again.  Not a biggie.

Also not a biggie, the fact that the above lamp has been non-functional for years...and that, in the end, it was a simple fix.  There was a time, a big chunk of my adult life, when the non-getting done of tasks like this would drive me crazy.  I would feel stupid and hate myself.  Something has really changed.  

When I decluttered last weekend and came across the lamp (there have been many items in my life that I have just tossed because I couldn't deal with the logistics of fixing them...but this lamp is special in many ways and so I've held onto it), my mind had been decluttered enough in the last year that I knew what I could do to try to fix it.

I wrapped the old cord with a rubber band so I could bring it to the hardware store with me.  Put this bundle on the (now decluttered) shoe shelf by the door where I only place high use items (keys) or things that are going "out" (library books to return, mail to send, etc.)  Within a week, I was in the hardware store showing the guy my bundle and in two minutes I had a replacement cord.  That cost $5.

Once I got home, I was excited to see if it would work.  And, of course, it did.  And I only felt happy.

You know what else makes me happy?

Baxter is with us a for a few days.  He's been asleep much of the morning, but just wandered over to the Christmas tree and sniffed at the presents under there.  Now he's curled onto a corner of the Christmas cloth that covers the tree stand.  Sweet.

The cards are not finished and I do have a couple of pounds of pecans to candy.  Plans continue to be made, for Christmas Eve and then our time in MA right after Christmas.  It's all good, actually, it's all wonderful, but a part of me is also looking forward to the very end of the year, a few days with absolutely no obligations.  Of quiet.

Peace.