So, for the past several weeks, I've been thinking Christmas was on Tuesday. I rarely look at a calendar and seldom pay attention to the date. Imagine my surprise yesterday morning when I learned the truth--Christmas is on Monday and Ethan and Aileen and their two dogs are arriving today.
It's not a big deal; all the presents are wrapped and under the tree. Aileen is bringing homemade ravioli for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner. I just need to make ambrosia and some cheesecake squares for tomorrow's feast.
There have been Christmases when I was frantically wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve or John was unhappily assembling the Millenium Falcon after the boys had gone to bed. We are older and wiser now, and better prepared.
Many, many years ago, John was doing some last-minute shopping in a big store Asheville and ran into one of our friends who was looking for gifts for his wife and sons. John said the friend had a look of wild-eyed desperation but finally hit upon a solution: he would buy three .22 rifles for gifts so he could get out of there and go home.
