Making a List and Checking It Twice...

I've been over my Christmas list many times today and have been sorting through the items in my Christmas closet, matching names to gifts I've purchased earlier in the year.  I purchased ornaments and wrapping supplies during the after Christmas sales last year.  As I have found things that I think particular people on my list will like, I've stashed them in my cupboard.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of my shopping is already done!  The Artistree Craft Show this weekend and a stop at L. L. Bean on Monday and I think I'll be done!

Because of my chemotherapy schedule, I have this weekend before my treatment on Monday to finish my shopping tasks.  Even when I'm not feeling so hot the next few weeks I can get wrapping and decorating done.  I have my last treatment scheduled for Friday December 17th, just one week before Christmas.  We're planning a small and quiet event at home for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with just Mom and Dad and me, anticipating that I'm not going to be feeling so great and will also need to limit my contact with people that weekend.  Our larger family celebration will be some time after the first of the year, once I've recovered from my last chemo treatment.  My brother-in-law Wayne, Barb's husband, is having surgery the same week I have chemo and he's going to need a few weeks of recovery time, too.  So I think this will work out all the way around.

I'm hoping to find a small tabletop tree tomorrow that I can put in my room for the small herd of sheep I've been acquiring.  I think Sunday may be the day to decorate the tree we put up each year in the dining room in the main house.  Dad's already made the wreaths and hung them outside and placed the tree that he will string with big brightly colored lights on the next warm day.  Mom and I will probably spend some time on Sunday addressing the Christmas cards I've made.  And Sunday night I'll pack my crafting bag for Monday's Spa Day at the Oncology Center.  I haven't yet decided what kind of a project to take for the day, but I want to have something that a group of people can participate in if they choose to.