Merry Christmas to all, and get out of my store!
\Just like Santa's elves, I working late into the night on December 23. But instead of making toys, I was making pecan pie muffins. I had wanted to make four dozen (two for all the relatives at Grandma's house on Christmas Eve, one for Teresa, and one for CJ & Company) but I ended up making just three. To top it all off, I ran out of muffin cups around 2 a.m. and had to drive over to Mom's house for some more. I hope I can make another batch for CJ & Co. soon.
I had to work on Christmas Eve, which sucked, and I didn't get to spend much time at Grandma's house. (The title of this journal was what I wanted to say to our last few customers.) After I got off I took a batch of muffins to Teresa and spent the evening reading this amazing book called The Hunger Games. I literally have not been able to put it down since I started it, and if I finish it before the end of the year, which I'm sure I will, it's got a good shot at Best Overall in my Book Awards. (Although really, I haven't read a lot this year, and my Book Awards are going to be pretty shabby. I'm a bad English major.) It's very dark and disturbing, and it reminds me a bit of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. Both made me wonder how the author ever imagined a society that was so barbaric, where humanity had become so completely inhumane. I've taken several creative writing courses, and I think of myself as a creative writer sometimes, but I could never think up something so dark.
Don't die of shock now, but on Christmas Eve night, Rebecca ... went to a Midnight Mass! I'm still surprised the cathedral didn't collapse when I walked in. Athena went with me; she's Mormon and hasn't attended a Mass for at least ten years, while I hadn't been to an English-language one since my Senior Farewell Mass in high schoool, back in 2003. This one was a little different and longer than a regular Mass, but I was surprised by how much came back to me. The cathedral was, as it always has been, intimidatingly beautiful, the smell of incense was intoxicating, and the music was outstanding. I heard a new song called "Noe, Noe" that I really loved.
Best of all, at the Mass there was a French bishop visiting from Paris! He said a blessing in French at the very end, and afterwards I had a short conversation with him in French. I was so nervous! I know that my French has rusted rapidly since I left the country, and talking with a native speaker on short notice was very scary. But he seemed impressed, told me my French was very good.
Today Sara and I slept in late, opened our presents, and ate a big brunch. I good quite a lot of good gifts this year; Sara gave three movies (Corrina, Corrina, The Secret Garden, and A Little Princess -- the 1995 version with Liesel Matthews, I already own the 1939 version with Shirley Temple, Teresa), two Barack Obama magnets, and a really nice 365-day calendar of France. One of my gifts for her was the exact same brand and style of calendar, only of Ireland instead of France, so that was a cool surprise.
We also invited Athena over for a big brunch of cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and chocolate milk. We all ate until we were stuffed and have spent the rest of the day loafing around and being lazy. I'm going to try to convince Sara to watch one of the movies she gave me tonight, although I don't think she really wants to see them.
I had to work on Christmas Eve, which sucked, and I didn't get to spend much time at Grandma's house. (The title of this journal was what I wanted to say to our last few customers.) After I got off I took a batch of muffins to Teresa and spent the evening reading this amazing book called The Hunger Games. I literally have not been able to put it down since I started it, and if I finish it before the end of the year, which I'm sure I will, it's got a good shot at Best Overall in my Book Awards. (Although really, I haven't read a lot this year, and my Book Awards are going to be pretty shabby. I'm a bad English major.) It's very dark and disturbing, and it reminds me a bit of Shirley Jackson's The Lottery. Both made me wonder how the author ever imagined a society that was so barbaric, where humanity had become so completely inhumane. I've taken several creative writing courses, and I think of myself as a creative writer sometimes, but I could never think up something so dark.
Don't die of shock now, but on Christmas Eve night, Rebecca ... went to a Midnight Mass! I'm still surprised the cathedral didn't collapse when I walked in. Athena went with me; she's Mormon and hasn't attended a Mass for at least ten years, while I hadn't been to an English-language one since my Senior Farewell Mass in high schoool, back in 2003. This one was a little different and longer than a regular Mass, but I was surprised by how much came back to me. The cathedral was, as it always has been, intimidatingly beautiful, the smell of incense was intoxicating, and the music was outstanding. I heard a new song called "Noe, Noe" that I really loved.
Best of all, at the Mass there was a French bishop visiting from Paris! He said a blessing in French at the very end, and afterwards I had a short conversation with him in French. I was so nervous! I know that my French has rusted rapidly since I left the country, and talking with a native speaker on short notice was very scary. But he seemed impressed, told me my French was very good.
Today Sara and I slept in late, opened our presents, and ate a big brunch. I good quite a lot of good gifts this year; Sara gave three movies (Corrina, Corrina, The Secret Garden, and A Little Princess -- the 1995 version with Liesel Matthews, I already own the 1939 version with Shirley Temple, Teresa), two Barack Obama magnets, and a really nice 365-day calendar of France. One of my gifts for her was the exact same brand and style of calendar, only of Ireland instead of France, so that was a cool surprise.
We also invited Athena over for a big brunch of cinnamon rolls, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and chocolate milk. We all ate until we were stuffed and have spent the rest of the day loafing around and being lazy. I'm going to try to convince Sara to watch one of the movies she gave me tonight, although I don't think she really wants to see them.