Insomnia

Up at 4 again, can't turn the brain off. Lacey and I slept hard from 12-4. Now the body is buzzing and the mind races. I try doing mind meditation, visualizing the inside of the nose and the area behind the eyes and down the throat...says O mag.

Now3 that I have both Ugg slippers and boots my feet at warm. Today I am going to wear my boots for the first time. They may be too warm,,what a change,,,warm feet. It's 50. My feet are warm but I couldn't zip them alone. Fortunately, they kids here helped me!

I'm having a favorite book contest at school and the book fair at the end of Jan. We're also taking inventory. I need to clear out some books published before 1990.

Finished my book and am not reading Robert's Pagan Stone then on to Steel's

A Good Woman

and Oprah's

Big Book of Happiness

which is really cool filled with articles from her mag, on insomnia mental illness, bipolar disorder....

It was such a long drive to Concord yesterday. Some was carpool lane but, I's have to be there and get a roommate here. It's only 80 percent too.It's part public library since Baypoint is unincorporated and so my thoughts of sleeping there went out the window. bad idea anyway...I'd have to rent a room or something. But poor Lacey would miss me. Commuting would get old fast.

I made a sandwich today f avocado on my punpernicle swirl bread with turkey, cheese mayo and humus with red pepper on the other side. I made it during a literary magazine and the girls all wanted some! I didn't know what an avocado or humus was then!

I ate up all that wonderful casserole of scalloped potatoes and ham. I NEED to make a new one. Not with heavy cream this time as lovely as that was. I want to make some ass kicking mac and cheese too with 3 kinds of cheese,rue, milk, condensed milk...mac, and toasted homemade bread crumbs on top. Yummy! Comfort food,

I need to make my butternut squash in to soup or risotto or something soon too.
Made some stuffed red peppers now for some mushrooms too.

Boy, a lot gets done wen I'm manic and Lacey just watches amazed and puzzled as I rush from one thing to another. She stays and sleeps.

Things I realized...

Times with family for me are few and far between I need to go to all screw the cost..time dwindles down to a precious few, as the song and dad said,days together. Just go! The next time, la proxima vez...said that about Gwen too...still haven't seen any of her wedding pictures or video.

At least with Nancy I got a picture and Bob too.

It's 10:30 and I need a nap and I'm ready for lunch. Due to my meeting I actually got one.

---------------------a Christmas list of questions.......................

Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate. hot chocolate

Does Santa wrap presents or set them under the tree? Presents are always wrapped.

Colored lights on tree or white? When we had a tree, I liked the colours. Had some snowballs and bubble lights and still do but now the ones I find are white. We also put decorations around the door an wreaths on the double doors which are now red so the evergreen wreaths and red ribbons look good.

When do you put your decorations up? There are decorations?? Er, not very often these days. Last year I did a tree this year not... I hate taking it down.

What is your favourite holiday dish? ham and scalloped potatoes

Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Having time to read endlessly, balloons on the tree

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember

Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes after midnight mass

How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I have collected for 30 years from around the world and from my mother. Unfortunately my brothers Zorro one was broken in the hand over. He still has the plastic ones but he put them all in a paper bag together instead of wrapping things separately and with two little kids it was hard for him. These days, unless I have Christmas here, I don't bother. It is so liberating!

Snow! Love it or Dread it? I loved it, because we didn't ever have much, & it seemed special, & was soon gone.

Can you ice skate? Yep! Used to in Mi on the sidewalk and my brother and me on the Rouge River in MI...he fell in! When Joe was at USNA we skated a lot on the indoor rink. They have outdoor holiday rinks here and in S.F. and although I still have the skates from age 16, I haven't used them since then. Like the sled I left behind with Mickey when we moved to HI and CA gone.

Do you remember your favorite gift? A huge doll when I was 6, as big as me! Always books.

What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family get together, midnight mass, friends over for brunch, New Years dinner with friends.

What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?

What is your favorite tradition? balloons on the Christmas tree, Christmas in the Adobes in Monterey, La posada, Shopping in S.F., looking at the Christmas windows in D.C..

Which do you prefer, Giving or Receiving? I enjoy both, but I do love to give something, even if it is only an ear to listen.

What is your favorite Christmas Song? White Christmas, Whose Child is this

Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? Yum a little

Ever recycled a Christmas present? Honestly? yep I re gift

*********
I stole this from one of the Sunday paper magazines, because it appealed to me.

What would you like for Christmas....

If you were feeling greedy?
A trip to the spa, progressive supper in Charleston with carriage rides between courses
If you weren't feeling greedy?
time with my family
If you were being practical?
a clean house and yard work, clean the garage
If you had to share your present?
A first class trip for two around the world.
If you had a present for one day only, (then had to give it back)?
A chance to give the homeless 2 great meals for Christmas Day, with a bed for the night, in comfort & luxury. Well, one day is 24 hours right?

Try it if you like, I found it quite hard to think of things that were not flippant or ridiculous... after all it is just a fantasy...

I have Christmases when company alone is priceless.