To All I Love and Fancy: Not Ignoring You

If you, best beloved, have sent me letters or messages or left me phone messages, or filled my inbox with emails, and I haven't returned responses in kind, it is due to the chaos that is my home and head in preparation for holidays. Tomorrow is our Solstice feast, and though we haven't a party planned, we do have a guest coming to share our meal. More than that, I want our home, at least the common areas ready to receive guests and the blessing of the season, to be warm and inviting for its inhabitants. Today we clean, prepare, and decorate. Today I make a green garland from trimmings retrieved from our forest-yard, and today I attempt to make a tree made of wire, string, and ornaments.

I've sadly abandoned hope that I would be able to finish the toddlers' gifts in time for tomorrow and Saturday--the supplies didn't arrive until late last week--but they might appear wrapped and ready come their respective birthdays in spring.

In some ways I'm more ready than I thought I'd be; in others, I'm less so, and my body wants me to slow down to a halt long before the work is finished. I'll push on, but it means that until next Monday, unless it's holiday related, I'm not likely to be able to respond to anything deeper than a quick hello or the equivalent of a warm hug. Odd that a season meant to bring people together often finds me too busy to sit and enjoy said people.

And dammit, I want to be healthy enough to sing with my family Christmas Eve!

P.S.
All of those important emails requiring my undivided attention? They're all starred and at the top of my email list. Promise. ^_^