Alllllmost There...

Alllllmost there. Stay on target. Stay. On. Target.

I am getting ever closer to being done with the holiday-related projects that have been consuming my mental capacity and sucking my energy like some kind of vampiric Frosty. Presents are finally all procured, wrapped, and placed in the general vicinity of the rapidly crisping tree (that's what happens when you get your tree a full month before Christmas). Arrangements are made for a wide variety of family get-togethers, starting tomorrow and continuing full-tilt through Monday. 2 out of 7 no-sew throws (this year's crafty present for all the kids on my list) are done--that was last night's project, instead of blogging. (The other 5 are scheduled for completion tomorrow, along with one more mixed CD I want to make for my Dad.) The house is mostly clean (or at least, clean enough for relatives to come over). Josh is pretty much on deck for tomorrow's Christmas Eve With The Archers event, all I need to do is wrangle and sous chef. The last big project is the holiday newsletter and cards, but I suspect that I'll get those out sometime around New Year's, as always. (We'll see what I have energy for between family gatherings.) It feels good to be almost done. There are many enjoyable things about this time of year, but I want my brain back now, thankyouverymuch. Time to take off the Virgo mask and release the inner Aquarius back into the light.

In other good news, I think the writing is ready to move forward again. I was actually able to spend some time over the last few days doing some much-needed rewrites/tweaks to particular chapters, to reflect some of the new information that I'd "discovered" before all this holiday madness descended. That helped me to get interested in the story again, and now I feel like I at least generally know where I need to start writing towards again. I'm still backfilling a bit (needing to write a connecting scene or two between 2 pieces I'd already written), but I feel like I'm at least moving forward again, like a car in first gear just easing out of a 4-way stop. My goal is definitely to have that backfill scene or two finished in some sort of form, no matter how rough, by the time our writers' group meets again on January 4th. Secondary goal (as long as I'm committing to things): to revise my chapter outline again so that I have a clear(er) plan for where I'm heading after this backfill is done, so that the forward momentum can continue. The story's got to *move*, people...it's been sitting around twiddling its thumbs and pitching cards at a hat for way too long, waiting for me to quit fooling around and come visit already. Or at least call.

Ok I must be tired, my metaphors are getting weirder and making less sense. I have the day off tomorrow, and the in-laws don't arrive until midafternoon, so I think I'll sleep now and scurry later. I have to admit I'm also sort of in denial again about this sore throat and growing achy head I seem to have picked up in the last few hours...maybe I'm not really getting sick, I just need some sleep. Yeah. That's it. Sleep. I might even get all wacky and go to a prenatal yoga class tomorrow if I'm feeling up to it (I did go to yoga on Tuesday, and man I'm still super sore from that...that's what you get if you don't go for a month. But I'm glad I started up again.)

So ho ho hum...time for bed.