Unorganized Ramblings During the Holiday Corridor

Goodbye, Thanksgiving. Hello, Christmas.

Time sure does fly. I call this the Holiday Corridor, which starts with Halloween and goes frantically until the end of the year. Because I tend to visualize most things, this time of year is a visual of a big mess in my head. There is a feeling of frantic energy, of mopping things up before the new year starts, of hoping to accomplish a gazillion things and only accomplishing a few.

I do, of course, understand the Reason for the Season, and I enjoy spending time with my family on the holidays, as well as quiet reflection on the blessings I have. But I can't get rid of the overall impression this time of year has always had on me.

For those of you not my friends on Facebook (are there any? Does anyone even read this anymore, what with my long absences?), here's the latest news:

I got a job as a free-lance writer for a web design company. It's part-time and allows me to work from home. Aside from the necessity of phoning clients during business hours, I have a very flexible schedule. It's the ideal job. I get to wrack my brains (and heat up the thesaurus) coming up with inviting text and keywords (to optimize search-engine searches, of course. Ha! Kind of a steep learning curve there.) for clients whose companies and services have never been the same twice. I know a lot more about private labeling of dietary supplements or what exactly a party bus is for, for instance, than I used to. I have been doing pretty well at it, figuring out how to organize myself to be efficient. All but one of my clients have liked me and my work.

The first couple weeks were quite stressful. It's not like I am taking something out of my duties; I am simply adding more to them. For a while I was walking around unconsciously wringing my hands and feeling my stomach churn in unpleasant rhythms, trying to prioritize work, kids, housework, cooking, church calling, etc., etc. It was a little overwhelming. Also, not having an office to go to is hard. I can close and lock the door when I need to make a phone call, but the kids find that an invitation to knock long and loudly if they need anything -- anything at all. I've had to explain to a couple clients that I work from home because of that. I wouldn't want them thinking I'm in a construction zone or that the boss is yelling at me and having a temper tantrum. Fortunately, those clients have been very understanding.

Other than the kids still getting used to me not being available all the time, I am very, very happy to have this job. We need the extra income and I can still be Mom.

I have been called as the 1st Counselor in our ward Relief Society. (The Relief Society is the LDS church's organization for women, and it's the largest women's organization in the world. Our motto is: Charity Never Faileth.) So far, I haven't had to be running here and there too much, but I have to get to know a new ward's worth of women and figure out what I'm supposed to be doing. I have never served in a RS presidency before.

I burst a tire driving into a curb while successfully avoiding a collision and we spent some Christmas money on two new tires for the van. Merry Christmas to the van! No one was hurt, thankfully. Husband and I waited three hours for a tow-truck (we chose to call it a "date," since we got to sit and talk without any interruption whatsoever because the kids were safely and warmly with my parents and brother) and spent the weekend at my parents' house in the Big City because no tire stores were open by that point on Saturday night. I think that was the first time I've really thought of this house as HOME. It was nice to spend time at my parents' house (the kids were very happy about it, as it was the first home for most of them), but after a couple days without a change of clothes, deodorant, or a toothbrush, it was a relief to get home. Once we have a piano, I will never need to leave this house.

[Insert Murphy's Law jokes about extra money and cars suddenly needing fixing here:]