The Christmas Rush

Zowee, what a day!

• Post awful: Mailed one package and got air mail postage for a card/letter to England.
• Since I came up with a sudden "you need to use the bathroom now" "message," I went to the closest place: the library. On the way out I passed the Christmas book section and ended up coming out with three I hadn't read. Not bad for less than 15 minutes.
• Linens & Things: Table runner in Christmas theme (bordered in red; holly garlands against ecru with damask-pattern background, which at home replaced pale eggshell runner with autumn leaves and cutwork around the edges; only changed runner and put Christmas basket on table and entire mood of table has changed) and one of those Squid electrical plug things (for porch to straighten out Christmas lights).
• Borders: Using my Holiday Rewards points/E-rewards points and my personal shopping day (and a 25 percent off coupon on one book), got Taaschen's All-American Ads 1940s, two Christmas books on the remainder table for $4 each, and the December Yankee for...nothing. Nada. Zero. Zilch. And have $16.71 left over.
• Costco: Gasoline for car, multipack of Doublemint gum for the car. Also "ate lunch." Costco gives lots of samples. Good Costco!
• Michael's: bought silver picks at half price and a small wreath for 40 percent off. Also two blocks of styrofoam to make a hill (more below) with my 40 off coupons. Also go next door to Petsmart to buy Willow an new hedgehog toy and "cookies" for Christmas.
• Dollar Tree: Bought big red bow for $1.
• Food Depot: Bananas and yogurt.
• Dollar General: A few special Christmas cards and also an old-world Santa (I had an uneven number, which I didn't like).

Then I was pooped and went home, whereupon:

• Washed a load of clothes. Made bed.
• Fastened silver picks and big red bow on wreath with the wretched floral wire (at least I found it <g>) and hung it from the porch rails. Used Squid to make sense of all the cords on the porch. Small Christmas tree with blue LED lights is now where it belongs. I also use the floral wire to attach winter branches to the little sled I bought at A.C. Moore in Virginia. That is also on the porch and completes the Christmas decorations there.
• Used a knife to carve the styrofoam into a quasi-sledding hill for a couple of the figures for the Christmas village, which has been set up on the mantel. These figures of kids playing in the snow and their snowman weren't showing up because they were behind the bus. Definitely not a real hill, because the boys sledding would kill themselves coming down the slope, but with trees and some silver glitter, looks okay. Village is now almost finished except for a couple of flags. I put up two signs, one in front of the church that says "BINGO, Friday night, Proceeds go to the USO" and another in front of the WENN building that says "TONIGHT, Hilary Booth in A Christmas Carol."
• Put up the mistletoe. (Hey, I have my priorities here...LOL.)
• Played with Pidgie and "Girlfriend" for a half hour.
• Started sorting new ornaments together as prep for putting up the tree tomorrow, but didn't finish.

By this time James was due home from work (it was his monthly weekend work day), so I was ready and waiting at the door for him. We went back to Border's and I got the Taaschen All-American Ads 1930 with another 25 percent off coupon, the rest of the Holiday Rewards/personal shopping day, and two $5  Preferred Reader coupons. Total paid: $1.07. And I still have three $5 coupons left. Yay!

Then James treated me to my birthday dinner early: we went to Olive Garden. Yum.