Done!

With my hatred of malls verging on the pathological (though, with news of Christmas shopping gridlock locally, entirely justified), a strong desire to support local businesses where I can, and a subscription for free shipping from Amazon, our Christmas shopping tends to get done early. Some years we're done by Thanksgiving, though that wasn't quite the case this year. It's a scaled-back year anyway, so all the little junk we waste money on in a normal year for this, that and the other one is out. Real presents for real family and friends, chocolate for anyone else we need to remember, one major, major item that cannot yet be revealed, and all is done.

The food shopping, of course, is another thing. In the past we've ordered a section of cow from a butcher shop across the river at extravagant expense. This year we're having fewer people and the weather has been insane for travel, so I took my chances with the grocery store this morning. Last week, after the ice storm but before the foot of snow, the store looked like Visigoths had been through it -- it was just looted. There was nothing. Today, it was back on its feet and there were actually things to buy, which was a relief, because it's hard to put on Christmas with just the last bag of bagels in the store and an off-brand of cream cheese. So, that's done, the presents are all wrapped, the house is mostly arranged and cleaned, and tonight there will be the traditional Christmas Eve lasagna at my mother's.

Of course, there's done, and there's done. I'd still like to make one more run up to Troy for something I didn't think of until yesterday. Hmm . . . .