Santa's Workshop

I just finished eating my second piece of some amazing turkey pot pie that my friend Nancy made for us. Combine that with the awesome soup Lisa made for us during our craziness last week and I am feeling very blessed and well-nourished.

Today is one of my favorite days of the season, especially when it is set up as well as it was today. Today was Santa's Workshop, the period of time when I send my children off to school, have them picked up by someone else (ironically, the two above mentioned wonderful friends!), and spend from 9am to 4pm organizing and wrapping presents.

Previously, I had cruised through the LIfetime, Hallmark, and ABC Family channels to see what I could DVR in terms of original cozy holiday movies. There are plenty to be had, and many that even I have not seen. (That must be shocking to Travis who grumbles every time I bring one of these recorded movies to Sunriver intending to watch).

The two that I chose to watch today (this is a new idea for me - in the past I have stuck to my favorite DVD's), were both from the LIfetime channel - the first was "On the Second Day of Chrismas" (1997). Mary Stuart Masterson, Mark Ruffalo - a cute movie about a pair of pickpocketers who change the life of a security guard - I'm a fan of the actors, and the storyline was sweet, so it was the perfect choice to watch while wrapping. The second, also good, but not as much fun for me - was kind of a take-off of "Family Man" in terms of memory loss. It is titled, "Comfort and Joy" and starred the tomboy from "Facts of Life", Nancy McKeon. I finished the afternoon off with "Elf" - always a favorite.

I think the big theme of the week for me has been any time I have by myself, being productive, has been really positive time. It is renewing time- and a big change from the very fast-paced, many-people-interaction of last week.

Different strokes for different folks, but for me, today was the perfect recipe for a wonderful holiday day (if I am going to be without my family, I should make clear.....). Hope you've had some days lately that have made you really happy about the holidays......