Most weekends, my friends and I will try to get together to do twenty-something things: drink beer, play some poker, maybe a bit of risk, and solve all of the world’s problems.

I’ve always had a penchant for dandelions and dandelion flowers. I would get upset when my dad mowed the lawn and all the pretty weeds flowers were gone.

I still can’t pass up a dandelion without blowing on it.

The Boy and I haven’t said a word for 30 seconds. We stare at the Christmas tree that had been pulled out of the outside storage closet, dusted off, and put up at the last minute. The wire limbs are wonky and the lights are still tangled. I know that he’s thinking the same thing that I am. Why did we put this thing up anyway? and, more importantly, which one of us is more obligated to take it down?

I wonder absently if it would be socially acceptable to leave the tree up all year. We’ll decorate it according to season. Why couldn’t there be a St. Patrick’s tree?

“Technically,” he says finally, “Christmas is 12 days long.” I glance at him and grin. This is why we work together.

It’s decided. We’ll deal with it on January 6th.

Overall, I had a lovely, pleasant holiday spent with my two families (the Boy’s and my own). There was a lot of Christmas baking in an effort to handmake everyone’s gifts and to ease up on the budget a little.

It was fun to get everyone together and play the Wii at the Boy’s or watch Christmas movies like The Polar Express at Mom and Dad’s house. Everyone learned the trick to bowling strikes at Wii sports, which the Boy swears is a particular fashion of “booty wiggle” before throwing. Much craziness ensued as his great aunt really got into her own special jig. It worked, apparently.

One aspect of Christmas that I particularly enjoy is admiring the decorations. Any holiday that comes with twinkling little lights is ace in my book.

As the holiday season winds down and 2008 draws to a close, I can’t help but think about the past year and the new one coming up. 2008 has been good to me. I graduated, which is huge; I adopted the most awesome, quirky cat; and I streamlined everything for a New Year launch of my business. 2009 will see the official launch of Shades of Green. Other than that, who knows? I’m not a big one on resolutions, but I figured I’d give them a shot this year, just for giggles.

I’ll keep you posted.

It’s Christmas Eve Eve!

I’d say that it smells a lot like Christmas, but really only in my kitchen. Outdoors, it’s pretty much the same old story of humidity and flowers. It smells great, don’t get me wrong, but living in Florida really has me missing the cold smells of winter and fireplaces and cinnamon.

I’ve been taking nice walks in the mornings, though, to clear my head, start my day off on a good note, and hopefully get a few photos of some interesting sights around me. I snapped this shot of the trees along the sidewalk yesterday.

Christmas presents will be all handmade again this year, so that’s what I’m working on. (I know, it’s the day before Christmas Eve and I’m not even close to done… for shame…) I’m taking pictures of the whole process, of course, but I don’t want to post them as I don’t want anyone to see their gifts before Christmas.

I have 6 papers, two presentations, and a major holiday that must be celebrated with two families (and a partridge in a pear tree) due over the next week and a half.

Oh finals, how you do give me tension headaches and shave years off my life…