No matter how much I try to set myself up for maximum savoring of the holiday season, it always seems to slip through my fingers too quickly. This year, I tried hard not to crowd too much work into (moderate success), to wrap up lingering to-do list items before it started (mild success), and to make and enjoy a list of fun activities to try to capture the season, and while I think I succeeded at least to some extent in all of those things, I still feel like the time has flown by faster than I could hang onto. I am beginning to suspect there is no cure for this, no way that I will ever feel that I squeezed out every last drop that the season had to offer.

Today, though, I made another attempt: I finished working from home in the early afternoon, took some time to eat lunch on the couch (regaining energy is key to enjoyment), satisfyingly hung a load of laundry out to dry, and then hied off to Reggio to walk around in search of gifts for the boyfriend and a last look at the Christmas lights. The Christmas lights did not disappoint:

I spent a lovely hour or so walking around drinking them in, and also managed to find two gifts for the boyfriend that I felt reasonably happy with. (Why am I shopping for him only a mere two days before I leave? It is because for the past two years, we have contributed to a vacation/travel fund instead of giving each other Christmas gifts, but this year he surprised me with a pair of jeans. What’s more, it’s a magical pair of jeans: I hate shopping for jeans and these fit perfectly and look great even though I wasn’t even there to try them on. Christmas miracle, I say.)

I also stopped by the grocery store and stocked up on a mix of tortelli and a panettone for dinner – my best friend is coming over for a last pre-Christmas dinner and viewing of Elf. I love Christmas-time so much!!!