A Christmas Blog already? Really? Yes, really.

This morning I woke up, got ready for work, and headed out with Huff & Puff to start the day.  We didn't even get 10 minutes down the road and it started raining.  We turned around and headed back to the house. I just tried to type the word 'house' 15 times before I got it right. Wow. Rain days are my favorite! At least while I'm working. If there's rain in the forecast then that means we can't climb roofs which means we can't work. Thankfully we still get paid. I love my job. The 'Rain days' turn into a 'lazy day',  a 'songwriting day' an 'explore the city and see what kind of trouble I can get into day, a 'laundry day' Thankfully I finished up my laundrea  last night.(yeah that's how I say 'laundry'...laundrea. It's fun.  Try it.)  or a 'whatever I wanna do' day.   When we got back I packed up my things and headed to Barnes & Noble.  I heart B&N.   I had been there a while and oblivious to the outside I glanced out the window and what did I see? Snow coming down! It wasn't sticking yet but it was so pretty!

 I haven't even carved my pumpkin yet! #Octsnowber 

As I stood there and watched it I started wondering how long I would really be in New York.  I'm almost confident I will be spending Thanksgiving here with my NY family, but will I be home in time for Christmas in Tennessee?

Christmas is always so chaotic for me.   It's insane, but truthfully...I love it.  It's so easy to get caught up on gifts. What  am I going to buy this person? How am I going to afford to buy this for that person?... and 'God I hope this person doesn't get me anything, b/c I don't want to have to buy them a present too.  Come on you all know you've had that same thought about someone.

 As stressful as that can get for some people I'm so blessed that it's all about 'family' with my family. On my mom's side, every since I can remember all the way up to last year my cousins and my sibs would make up funny skits with character names like "Barbara Bouffant' and Reggie Redman the Reindeer Racer' and then perform them for the remainder of the family.  We all laugh and snicker as our grandpa tries to seriously tell the story of Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas. No one in my family can be serious. We are the people that inappropriately laugh at funerals. We play tons of games some involve wrapping each other up in wrapping paper and others building a Christmas tree out of cookies.  Playing  'Dirty Santa' is always a real treat.  You never know who is going to end up with the envious Starbucks giftcard or the pack of Gillette pubic bikini hair razors.    On my dad's side, the evening is filled with a lot of laughter and a lot of awkward moments. Come on now, lets just be honest. My Dad and Papaw play their guitars and sing the same old songs like 'Sugar Babe', 'Who Will the Next Fool Be' and  'Margaritaville' <----Yes even at Christmas.  Believe me after we're done with our Christmas extravaganzas that's exactly where my sister Tara and I want to be.  Finally theres the mad dash with Tara trying to make it back to Murfreesboro for the Christmas Movie Theater event with the family. During Christmas there are countless hours of being in the car running the backcountry roads of Tennesse with my sister singing everything from Florence & The Machine, The Moulin Rouge Soundtrack to Travis Tritt. Both of us just trying to keep our sanity and making sure we make it to both of our parents' houses for Christmas.  I couldn't make it without her at some of these family Christmas events. She's been thru 'it' all with me. Love her.

So as I stood in Barnes & Noble staring out the window, watching the snow fall, reminiscing on all these past times and asking myself questions about how this Christmas will play out for me and hoping I would make it home in time for Christmas, I reminded myself of something a dear friend of mine told me before I left for NY.  She said, "Go make memories."  So whether I'm here in New York or at home in Tennessee, that's exactly what I'm choosing to do.

find out what cougar paws are here in this blog Never Say Never.