Here we are for Day 2 of “December Delights!” Remember – the whole point of these posts is to consciously seek out the delightful things in the season and to avoid the hustle-bustle stress that December can so often turn into.
For the “reverse Advent calendar,” today add a box of mac ‘n’ cheese to the box. Yes, I know that many of you make your own special blend of four cheeses and have very definite opinions regarding the recipe, but for our growing box of long-lasting food, just use a boxed version. You now have two items in the box and by Christmas Eve, it’ll be the size of a nicely-filled pantry. (And if you want to make substitutions or put in extra items – hygiene items like feminine products and toothbrushes/toothpaste are often in short supply, for instance – go right ahead!) Also, figure out where you’re going to take your finished box – you can search for food pantries and food banks in your community, or see what items religious organizations are gathering, or perhaps you have a Little Free Pantry in your neighborhood.
For your “Diva drill” today, I’d like you to make plans to spend twenty minutes today taking care of yourself using the age-old technique of “taking the waters.” While we can’t get away to the spas of France right now, we can run a hot bath (or shower, if that’s your preference) that’s designed to restore our equanimity as opposed to just washing away the physical grime. Oddly enough, for many of us, this is the HARDEST THING EVER TO DO! Listen to me – yes, you can do this! The house can run without you for twenty minutes. It doesn’t matter if your bathroom doesn’t look like a spa – most of ours don’t. (The picture at the top of this post is aspirational, to be sure!) Tumble a towel in the dryer (or have a “lovely assistant” do it for you! Yum!), break out the guest soaps, put on a soothing playlist (whether you are soothed by Swedish death metal or Vivaldi is totally your business), and splash around. PLEASE NOTE: If you take a drink in as part of your “escape time,” please make sure it’s not in something breakable – relaxed Divas sometimes have slippery hands and that doesn’t mix well with crystal. If anyone questions you, explain that you’re doing homework.
I got out my Christmas books today – yes, I have a shelf full of holiday books I’ve gathered over many years. The one I picked for today’s post is Truman Capote’s bittersweet A Christmas Memory. Capote was a lonely, sensitive Southern child in a house filled with people many, many years older than he and he observed everything closely. This short story is (mostly) autobiographical and is poignant without being saccharine. The full story is linked here.
As far as the holiday update goes, yesterday I did manage to get a wreath on the front door and my fuzzy marabou Christmas tree set up in my study. (Yes, it’s complete with pink lights – it’s completely over the top and I love it! Quite charming with a white pillowcase bundled around the base like Charlie Brown’s tree.) Today, in addition to setting up my Christmas bookshelf, I have the fireplace mantel decked with greenery, lights, and (yes!) stockings.
See you tomorrow!
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