Sunday Salon: My Favorite Time of Year

Good morning my friends!  Many of you commented that I sounded very relaxed last weekend after my week in St. George.  I was!  For about 24 hours.  Then my husband left for business trips for the week, my kids had activities four out of the five days during the week, and I launched into holiday decorating and shopping.  Ack!

But it is my favorite time of the year.  Once the tree and the lights were finally up, I felt a small sense of zen. 

I supported the nation's economy on Cyber-Monday by doing every bit of ordering I could online.  Hey, if there is free shipping, I'm there.  I do not like getting into games of chicken for parking spots at the mall. 

I shipped off my box 'o goodies for the Book Blogger Holiday Swap.  Isn't it so much fun?  Then you get to see all the posts of what people received.  I get so excited over the whole thing.

Also next week, one of my book clubs not only is going to discuss "Room", but will also bring a wrapped book and do a pirate exchange, Yankee exchange, or whatever other term (they are usually non-PC terms) you want to call it.

For the first time in ages, I played some golf on Thursday, and had the best score I've had in probably a year.  Damn that felt good!

I suppose this weekend will go down as one of the busiest EVER.  Friday night, after my son's basketball tryouts, we went out with some friends for a special 4 course dinner thing we got at an auction.  So good!  Saturday my daughter had to take an entrance exam for the high school she is going to attend (!?), then both kids had an 8 hour final track meet for the season.  But of course my husband's Christmas party was last night too, so children had to be shuffled.  Today, my daughter has an all-day Confirmation retreat, and my husband and son are going to a Father/Son football game in Tampa to see the Bucs.  I have no idea what I'm going to do.  Something bookish I predict.  Something relaxing?  We'll see if my guilt will allow me.

I finished up a couple of books this week in print.  I wrapped up "My Soul To Take" by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, which was entertaining but had some issues.  Then from the library I received the graphic novel "The Green River Killer:  A True Detective Story" by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case, which was excellent.  A total geek fest for me, since I love both true crime and graphic novels.  Now I am working my way through "Joy for Beginners" by Erica Bauermeister (whom I fell in love with when I read "The School of Essential Ingredients").

On audio, I wrapped up Patrick Ness's "Monsters of Men", and am grieving now on how I'm going to write the reviews for this trilogy.  I am now very very close (less than a disc left) to finishing "Before I Go To Sleep" by S.J. Watson.  This is a selection for January for Books, Babes and Bordeaux.  Pretty creepy, pretty twisty.

Hope you all have a nice Sunday, whatever is on your agenda!