Sunday, December 7, 2008

Christmas is coming fast!

Posted by: Terri Reed
Currently working on: My December 2009 release titled (for now) Chasing Shadows
Mood: fair, I have a sore throat compliments of my son who had a sore throat earlier in the week.

By now you should have your travel plans made and confirmed for the Holiday. We were going to head to Seattle but alas, I'll be having surgery on the 23rd with atleast one overnight stay possibly two.
So because I have to be completely ready for Christmas by the 22nd, I've started making lists. Lists of presents bought and yet to be bought, lists of food items for the big day as well as the weeks (yes, weeks) after and lists of who to call when I'm out of surgery (or atleast for my husband to call).
Thankfully, though I do alot of my gift shopping throughout the year as I find something that I think would be liked and appreciated. My kids are the hardest to find things for. They're at the ages where everything they want is very expensive or they just want gift cards so they can pick out their own items. Not much fun in that. But I have a few ideas up my sleeve. If I can find them. My huband's also difficult to buy for except this year the kids and I found the perfect thing.
So really I'm feeling pretty prepared but I know the time will go by fast and I will need to power through as much of this current book as possible before the 23rd. But thankfully the book isn't due until March.
Lists are good things. They keep me focused and on track when I can so easily be distracted by, say a sale rack and oh, if I see a clearance rack, I'm done for.
Anyone else make lists and find them helpful?

7 comments:

Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel said...

Oh, Terri! I'm a list-o-holic!

And they do help me stay on track--as long as I don't spend more time making lists than actually doing what's on the list!

I hope surgery goes well. Not the best timing in addition to everything else going on around the holidays. :)

Terri Reed said...

Glad to know I'm in good company.
No, the timing isn't great but its gotta be done.

Minnette Meador said...

Oh, Terri...hope your surgery goes well. I'm with Genene; lousy timing! I'm also a list maker, but not the master you obviously are ~wink~ Now that all my kids are grown, we're kicking back on the whole Christmas presents thing, except for the grand kids, that is ~smile~ Gift Cards are our friends! Anyway, we'll be thinking about you...:)

Terri Reed said...

Thank you Minnette.
I did break down and buy iTunes gift cards. The kids love to download the songs they like to their iPods. I even asked my hubby for an iTunes gift card. Love to have my iPod full on flights, makes traveling much better.

Jessa Slade said...

I put my lists on post-its so I can stick them to my forehead. Today's list had only seven things on it... Oh man, I just realized it shoulda been eight.

Sending pre-surgical anti-tension and post-surgical healing thoughts your way ~~~~~

therese patrick, author said...

Lists are a necessity still, in my life. I find the 'retired' lifestyle means I'm often disrupted! And that mental pause thing...

Some days I may only have one or two things on my list and it's usually a scramble to get them done. But if I hadn't writ it, it would be forgot!

Delle Jacobs said...

So sorry you're having to go through this, Terri. Hope it all goes well.

I make lists but then tend to forget to look at them. Fortunately my memory otherwise isn't all that bad, but things do slip by me sometimes. Christmas isn't all that difficult, now that the kids are grown, but soemtimes it's kind of, well, empty. This year, though, two of the grandsons will be back from Alaska for Christmas! Yay!