Bubble Light Thanks

We got home last night after an excellent holiday trip to Madison. I'm thankful we were able to have all day today at home with very little planned. Other than Joe coming down with some kind of stomach flu last night and being down for the count most of the day today, Sunday was solid. I had brunch with my parents, got some Christmas shopping started, bought saltines and Sprite for the rarely ill husband after waiting in line behind the lady using 35 coupons at Walgreens and then came home and hauled the decorations and tree trimmings up from the basement, avoiding one very large, angry looking non-festive spider in the process. (I saw it eyeballing my bare feet, contemplating running over them just to make me shriek, so I grabbed the closest box of bubble lights and ran up the stairs like I was being chased. He had hidden somewhere by the time I got up enough nerve to go back down for the next box. He was hairy and conniving.)

So the house is all decorated. And now I want to sit on the couch with a cuddly blanket and hot cup of tea to watch Elf or Love Actually or Nightmare on Elm Street (just making sure you're paying attention) and relax in the festive splendor. Nat King Cole and Eddie Izzard helped entertain me while I decorated the house. It was kind of lonely doing it by myself while Joe slept or watched Return of the Jedi in our bedroom. But I only dropped the f-bomb once while putting up the pain in the ass bubble lights. It's not really Christmas in my family until someone fights or curses over a string of faulty holiday lights. And those damn bubble lights always cause trouble. But they are worth it, because now it's done and pretty and my in-laws can enjoy it all with us when they visit later this week.

Tomorrow is back to work. At least for the next couple of weeks before the holidays roll around again. This week I've got to finalize our shopping list, start working on my handmade presents and figure out what cookies and candy I'm going to make to ship off to distant friends and family this year. I'm thinking salty caramels, but the other slots are open. I'm looking for some new options. Do you have any family classic recipes you want to share? Some treat that makes Christmas Christmas in your family? But the baking will wait. Because tonight  I'm going to put on my pjs and pop a movie up on Netflix and relax the evening away while Joe watches Sunday Night Football. The last gasp of the holiday weekend. Hope you had a good one too. Because tomorrow it's back to reality.