Holly Jolly

The grades are posted, the papers and textbooks all put away until early next year.  I've got time to spend at home, as I'm doing right now, watching the cat as he keeps watch over the back yard.  He never looks so noble as when he's sitting at attention.  He's become an old friend, Sidney has. 

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We are actually going to be at our abode for Christmas Day.  I think I'm going to like it.  I do very much like the time to sit in my own chair with my cat in my lap (he moved just now).  Especially when the kids are quiet.

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We had an Elf on the Shelf mishap yesterday.  The Big Brother has been getting a real kick out of looking for "Frisbee" every morning, but yesterday Frisbee showed up in a location that he could reach.  Well, during the afternoon rest time (while he was playing in his room in lieu of a nap), he touched Frisbee, which as the book says is a big no-no.  When asked about it later, he at first tried to lie, but then gave it up, meanwhile asserting in his piping voice that the magic was NOT gone from Frisbee.  We told him we'd just have to see.  This morning, the elf had not made it back from the North Pole, but a letter did arrive explaining that Frisbee would be back once the Head Man had restored his magic. 

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Lots of packages have been arriving at our door this past week; some of them probably ought to make it into wrapping paper & under the tree before too long.  A Christmas Tree, even one as bedraggled as ours is, needs presents under it to really look respectable.  Of course, if they're under the tree, then we need to protect them from the depredations of one Little Red . . . and he has been absolutely wild since Thanksgiving.  Good thing he's got a winsome personality.

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The lesson I taught yesterday in ss has left me thinking about memory.  And then, wouldn't you know it, I read something this morning about . . . memory.  Sounds like a blog post being composed in my head.

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(purring cat looks up at me)

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I went up to work to print a few things off that I forgot on Friday . . . and the parking lot was full, to my great surprise.  However, you wouldn't have known it once you walked into the building.  I saw one other person while I was in there (I didn't stay long).  "Staff" (you know that university pecking order/caste system: admin-faculty-staff-students) have to work until the 23rd.  They did not take kindly to faculty complaints about having to go all the way to the 18th. 

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My feet are cold; I'm not thinking very much or very hard.

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Big drive to the ATL on the 26th.