The End of November

Did you happen to see the date on the calendar today? November 30th.  As in the END of November.  As in the end of Autumn, the end of Thanksgiving Holiday time, the end of sweater-less days, the end of ice-free windshields and the end of procrastination.  December is tomorrow.  December means CHRISTMAS is around the corner!  ACK!  I know, I know - Thanksgiving should be a MAJOR hint that Christmas is coming.  Black Friday sale day when one is CHRISTMAS shopping should be another HUGE hint that Christmas is coming.  But it still feels so early. It is after all - November - so all the while - you just think you are ahead of the curve, and so prepared, and then WHAM - it is November 30th and immediately - just like that - you are behind the eight-ball. The list of things to do triples in just one day.  Baking, and shopping and wrapping and decorating - so much to do! It always seems so overwhelming on December 1st.  Somehow it manages to all get done - but at this point it is a little intimidating and overwhelming. I need to make my December calendar tomorrow and schedule the things I must do so I am sure not to miss anything. I like to try and make homemade goodies so I need to be sure I make time for that. I haven't quite decided what I am making this year.  In the past I have made homemade salsa, fresh canned tomatoes, hearty pancake mixes, cookie mixes, soup mixes and hulless popcorn goody bags. I must figure out what goodies this year will bring. Other things to schedule are the big Army vs. Navy football party day.  I should get that organized soon because after all - we must cheer GO NAVY on December 11th and we need delightful snacks and treats to make the day even better. In keeping with the GO NAVY theme, I seem to be headed for Annapolis in mid-December.  I have several families on the east coast who would like one of our puppies. I really honestly do not have to make the trip. I mean that is right during the busy part of the Holidays and it is much easier for me to fly my daughter home from the Naval Academy. The flight is only 1 hour and 15 minutes long.  She can fly home in almost the same amount of time it takes me to drive to the airport. But I am feeling full of the Christmas spirit and thought that I could make several Christmases a lot better if they didn't all have to make the drive here. I can drive the puppies in the ever so stylish "Puppy Mobile" and save everyone else the hassle of the long drive. I can then pick my daughter up at the Naval Academy right after her last military obligation and we can have a fun road trip back home.  The puppies always travel really well in the puppy mobile as there is so much room to run around and play.  They never seem to even notice the road trip at all. It is just another fun day for them. Now if I could only teach them to take turns driving......that would really make the trip better!  So here's to the last day of November. One last day to feel ahead of schedule.  One last day to pretend that Christmas is soooooo far away. Tomorrow the Holiday Season starts in earnest. In order to be fully prepared for the ringing in of December 1st, I plan on staying up until at least 12:00:01 so I can be the first to wish Mr. Yesteryear Acres a happy start to the Holiday Season!