I think we'll be ready for the party tomorrow. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure. I blanked out on the trip to the grocery, forgetting four key ingredients, so I was not able to make the cookies I had planned to make. Then, over the course of my two batches of fudge (nuts and no nuts), two loaves of pumpkin bread, step 1 of bonbons and two kinds of dip, I realized I had chosen some really complicated recipes. Perhaps too complicated. But why did they seem so worrysome and stressful this year when last year they were a breeze?

Duh. I was not working last year!

I had all the time in the world to whip up various platters of culinary perfection; endless hours before me to make my house look like a holiday fairyland. I'm pretty sure I had my holiday cards (hand made, of course) in the mail and all presents wrapped and under the tree by now, too.

I need to stop this constant comparison to years past and focus on what's going on now. The place looks good. We have some outside lights (Hubband is not happy with his work, but it's pretty at night). We have the tree up and decorated. The painted rooms look wonderful and I've hung all of the pictures. The drapes have been cleaned and hung back up. Our decorations are a little more subtle than in years past, because I think we purged a lot last year. The exception is the bar, which Hubband strung with strands of mutli-colored lights last night and it looks very cool. So much so, I might not want him to take it down.

So, I guess my point is, I'm prepared. If people were to arrive right now, I wouldn't freak too much. They'd probably starve, granted, but they wouldn't be calling child welfare to come take my son away because of the filth.

Unless, of course, they looked in his room.

So that is where I am right now. Deep in financial denial and desperately in need of a few more hours of sleep but ready!