In what is perhaps a new record for lack of holiday participation, Christmas Day begins five days from just one minutes ago, and I have just gotten started with the holiday season. Christmas shopping completed in under an hour. Please, someone tell me quickly if I forgot anyone: two parents, one grandparent, one brother and one sister-in-law, two godsons and one older brother of a godson. And Hugh, or course, but he already got his gift.

I am not thrilled about the minimal Christmas. I love buying gifts for my friends. I can't say I love the epic six-hour gift wrapping marathon, but I love having a small mountain of presents under the tree to give away. Most of what I ordered tonight is getting shipped directly to the recipients, and I am not even planning to put up a tree. I did get wrapped gifts from my brother and sister-in-law in the mail today, and I'm thinking about taking them to Hugh's to put under his tree. That's where I plan to be Christmas morning anyway.

I haven't done any baking. I haven't sent out cards. I did at least locate the cards I bought last year and didn't send out.

I hope that next year I'm still living in the same place and life is relatively stable. This is the one holiday that I really care about. I like spending an entire month celebrating. Being short of time and money and energy and space is just no fun.