Have yourself an edgy little Christmas

I’ve realized what it is about this time of year that makes me “edgy,” which is my husband’s word for b--, well, I’ll let you guess.

The period of time between Dec. 1 and Dec. 25 requires gift buying and wrapping, cookie making, party planning, light hanging, entertaining, scheduling, chorus-concert listening, tree selling, cutting and decorating, Christmas card sending, and, given the times, some penny pinching, all while doing the day to day things that must be done 365 days a year. It’s no wonder I’m bitc---, I mean, edgy.

The problem is I’m not naturally organized. Since I’m a writer, I guess I can say I’m “creative,” to explain the stacks of paper surrounding my desk, and, most of the year, I can get away with it.

But then Christmas rolls around, and I can no longer fool myself. Fortunately, the majority of people are none the wiser. I show up with freshly baked homemade rolls, my grandmother’s recipe, and they have no idea that I lost the recipe, drove to my mother’s, copied the recipe again, lost the recipe by the time I got home, found my recipe, and then had to go to the store a dozen times for the ingredients. Or that I actually gave up and let my husband bake the rolls. They just see Leigh showing up with the homemade rolls, and I am shamelessly happy to take the credit for it (unless my daughter is there to rat me out).

In my attempts at organization, I’ve tried shopping in advance, only to forget where I’ve stashed the presents. Perhaps the hardest thing for me, however, is the ye olde family Christmas card. Just getting the family together for the photo is extremely difficult and then, of course, there’s the mailing. I hate to use a stamp to mail something to my next door neighbor, but when I keep forgetting to take it over there…One of my friends sends Valentine cards in lieu of Christmas cards, which I think is a terrific idea that I just might steal. Either that or resort to photo shopping some of my family members into the picture.

But, ready or not, Christmas comes, and somehow the world doesn’t end, even if the cards show up on New Year’s, and we find surprise gifts hidden in the closet six months later. Truthfully, if we find a moment or two to remember the real reason for the season, then all is not lost.

But for now, I’m breaking out the egg nog. We only have 23 days left, and it’s time to take the edge off.