The season of giving is upon us. Of course, it seemed to start long before the season of costumes and the day of feasting, but we can forgive that since it reminds us to start preparing to bring joy into the lives of others. That is the point, isn't it?

So how does one bring joy into the lives of others? I know that certain things bring great joy into my life. For instance, I like it when people talk to me about me or themselves. I also like when they don't spread rumors about me or try to get information from me that isn't their business. Joy also enters my life when my husband kisses me or I bake something tasty and don't eat it all by myself. That makes my tummy happy, too. Married life seems to have made me less healthy. That makes my doctor happy at least.

I have been working on my holiday spirit by wrapping presents, watching Christmas movies, making candy, and thinking about cookies. Granted, I spend most of my waking moments thinking about cookies, but selecting the perfect cookies for Christmas can be hard. I have a fondness and fans for sugar cookies and fans of my ginger crinkle cookies. I try to add more fans whenever possible. I have all sorts of new friends this year who might benefit from some cookies...

Like so many people, I find myself watching Christmas movies to get me in the mood for the holidays. Being me, however, I try to schedule the million other things that I want to do around my television watching schedule and the brief amounts of time to visit with all the people I love. I find myself struggling sometimes because I know that some people will be disappointed. In fact, quite a few people that I know will take it upon themselves to be angry at me for not making time for them. I have resolved to not let this bother me this year. Those people tend to be the ones who either only make time for me when all other avenues of entertainment fail or break dates they already made with me. In short, I think I should focus this Christmas on the unselfish, the sweet, the true friends. And, no, this doesn't mean that I choose to only make time for my husband though he is the epitome of all those.

A HOBBIT'S HOLIDAY GUIDE

1. Make time for propping your feet up in front of the fire. When one does not wear shoes in the snow, this is important.
2. Be prepared to eat, eat, eat--just like any other hobbit day.
3. Don't forget to get extra presents for yourself.
4. Prepare for the parties by throwing one of your own.
5. Take time to play like a child. It will help when picking out toys for the nieces and nephews.
6. Cocoa is for drinking; cookies are for eating. Try not to confuse the two.
7. Dancing.
8. Christmas carols.
9. Snow angels.
10. Sharing your body heat is a great way to say, "I love you" to that special someone on a cold winter's night.

As I sat down last night to play with my sweet new Christmas present and digest the massive amounts of sugar that I devoured with dinner, I began to contemplate that slightly sour disposition that I have. You'd think with all the sweet and wonderful things in my life, I would eventually start to become rather sweet myself. I admit that I have been accused of such a disposition in the past, but it comes and it goes.

So here is the problem, the true confession. Sometimes I say mean things about people who do things to hurt me (whether their actions were intentional or an oversight). Other times, I don't do my due diligence to get others to stop spewing vitriol at me. I know I can do better, but I fear that I may have to defriend some people in the real world in order to make that happen. I realize it sounds harsh but years of trying to reason with some people has led me to believe that they have no desire to change. Of course, it seems cruel to just cast someone aside for their state of being, doesn't it?

So, as we are in the season of giving, perhaps, we should all be willing to give more of ourselves to others. And, by that, I mean that we should give more of the good that is inside. We should be more willing to compliment and less willing to criticize. We should be more willing to give and less willing to take. We should not try to take advantage of others or always assume that we deserve everything we want. After all, what we want is not always what we need. Does any of this sound familiar? It should ;)

If you have made it this far through my rant, you should be rewarded somehow. I suppose if my readers were to e-mail me, I could send them their own personal holiday message of my perceptions of their best qualities. Merry Christmas and may tomorrow find me more amusing and less preachy!

The holiday season has been in full swing for a while now. I can tell by how full my belly has been of delicious numnums. It takes a good three weeks for that feeling to go away after the holidays have faded. I don't look forward to that day, but I know it is about a month away.

So far this season has brought me many Christmas cards. I openly admit that I am a fan of cards that have pictures of the senders and their children. I am lucky enough to have many friends with adorable little ones. I can't imagine how horrifying it would be if they had children that looked like Gollum. I shudder to think, don't you?

I have also scored lots of wonderful gifts from my husband. It may not be appropriate for me to count kisses, but what more could a young wife want than the feel of her husband's lips on hers? Okay, he did buy me a new computer so I can obsess over text documents and random games. He also has a few more gifts for me under the tree. I am not sure I deserve to be so spoiled.

Luckily, I am almost finished with my Christmas planning. I still need to package a few gifts for delivery, but my purchases have been made and most of my artwork is within a few minutes of completion. I just hope they are as appreciated byt their recipients as I expect them to be.

But what is the header of this entry all about. I attended our church Christmas dinner tonight. I provided peanut butter pie cookies and almond pie cookies for the happiness of the few who were brave enough to try the unspecified treats. I have a suspicion my husband may have told a few people they were dog poop cookies (he may watch a little too much "Glee") in order to take more them home. I can't complain about that. I do appreciate my own sweet handy work...

Another Christmas has come and gone. I hope yours was a merry one full of the true meaning of Christmas. This is the time when we tally all of the joy that was brought into our lives by the thoughtfulness of others. I have to start my list of bounty with kisses and time with my sweetie. That was followed closely by far more food than I should have eaten. I am pretty sure I shouldn't step on the scales anytime soon. I will cause it to explode.

Among my other gifts were the promise of fuzzy socks, chocolate and more chocolate, sweaters, a very tasty fruit of typingness, some music, and a glass butterfly bookmarker. I also got some nesting bowls featuring penguins, stripes, and polka dots. Not to be outdone, my mother-in-law got me a penguin ornament that is now gracing my tree. I also got some fuzzy socks in bright colors, which should keep my laundry fairies entertained, and some candles that run on batteries. Most of these were not on my list, but they'll amuse me anyway. I also got some movies and a promise of fabric of my choice. It may be time to start planning my next Halloween costume...

The receiving was not over though. This morning, my husband and I were having breakfast when his folks when more gifts found their way to our table. One of them quickly was dubbed Fonzie Frownie. "Eh!" My father-in-law probably wasn't expecting my giggling and frownie cuddling. Apparently, even a stuffed animal depicting sugar makes me hyper. We also got two new t-shirts to fight over. I'll probably win because I am so adorable...

I also realize it is time to review and revise my resolutions for the year. I definitely need to make sure not being a fatty and not encouraging gossip are on that list. Everyone needs some self-improvement goals, right?

The gifts keep on giving during the holidays. This is contingent on one's appreciation for cleaning, of course. I have spent much of the day tidying up the piles of Christmas cards and washing loads of laundry. The house should be clean by the new year if I can motivate myself enough. I suppose I could sign up with one of the sites that encourages you to unclutter your life, but I don't see that working for me. I proudly claim my heritage of being a pack rat. I just need to be a little pack rat not a big one.

Some of my readers probably miss my days of talking about barcodes and microfiche. Maybe I need to motivate myself to be more interesting. I could take up knitting. I am sure I could drive myself crazy as I count (and all the people I tell to stop interrupting my counting :).

After a filling and fattening holiday week, the husband and I hit the ice again. I admit to being worried that I would have lost all ability to stay upright, but I somehow succeeded in not falling down. I still need to work on ignoring the people around me. I have it on good authority that this is easier for men than women, so maybe I should try to be more manly. Does anyone think this is possible? I don't. I still maintain that I may have received more than my fair share of estrogen. Anyway, the point is that I am not quite as graceful on skates as penguins on plates, but I aspire to reach that goal.

Last night, I decided to pull up some videos with tips for beginning skaters. I feel no shame in admitting that I found them highly amusing. The "instructor" was a Russian gentleman whose friend held the camera while he demonstrated. His film crew of one didn't always point the lense where attention was being directed. This was not quite as amusing as the other man's use of the English language. It gave me some perspective on why I got so many giggles when I tried to communicate in France. I thought it was just because I am funny, but I am betting that it is because my grammar was beyond bad.

Today was spent obsessing over my new years plans. My husband and I are spending a quiet evening together to welcome in the new year. We had originally planned to have some friends over, but my husband has to work and the train schedule isn't too promising. We are having London broil, potatoes, and a New Years pretzel. This is apparently a German tradition that my husband mentioned to me a few months ago. I have been obsessing with pretzels since a dear friend sent me a recipe book including a recipe for Auntie Anne's pretzels for Christmas. I tried making those on Tuesday and they turned out pretty well, so I figure it won't hurt to try a larger sweeter pretzel. I am also making coleslaw for me since my husband won't knowingly eat vegetables.

Anyway, I should close now so I can ponder the post I should write for tomorrow: my annual mockery of my inability to keep resolutions.

It is never too late or too early to start keeping those resolutions, right? I have to confess that I have not accomplished most of mine, but we shall see as we go through it together. We shall also see what is carried into the new year and what new resolutions I have made for myself. Are we ready????

1. I have to carry over the desire to finish a novel. I did finish a novel this year, but now I need to revise it. This may not be my strong suit.
2. ...and make an honest attempt to publish. I obviously didn't make it to this point.
3. Discard my baggage. I did lose some of my baggage, but it tried to come back by latching onto my associates.
4. Be the best wife I can to the one man who is perfect for me: my husband. He seems to think I am doing a good job.
5. Revamp this website even if it means I have to learn a little more than basic html. As we can all see, I have not devoted much time to that.
6. Help disappear some fabric. This would work so much better if I wouldn't keep buying more fabric.
7. ...and sell some of my products on etsy. Etsy, what's that?
8. Explore my new surroundings and make them my own. I haven't been lost in a while, so I think I may be succeeding at this one.
9. Figure out why I like so many diverse and odd television shows. I have no idea why I put this on my list. I was probably watching television at the time.
10. Pray more, ponder more, and read more scriptures. There is always room for improvement in this area.

1. Be more positive and encourage more positivism and less gossip from others.
2. Write more, post more on my various journals, and share my alleged writing talent with the world around me.
3. Keep in touch with the friends who really earn the right to be my friends.
4. Organize my bookshelves and craft storage and keep them tidy.
5. Treat my body more like a temple and less like a tent (after all, I am no Jimmy Buffet).
6. Be more supportive of those who really need the support.
7. Give my poor guitar more love.
8. Meet more deadlines...
9. Keep being the best wife I can be to my husband.
10. Pray more, ponder more, and read more scriptures (and the pile of backissues of the Ensign that I seem to be accumulating.

I finished my short list. I think we should all be proud. I hope all my readers have finished jotting down their resolutions so they have something to avoid doing in the new year. Isn't that what resolutions are all about? Go ahead. Drink the koolaid. I have to go prepare for a long evening of torturing my hubby and my tummy with tasty delicious food.