Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Panic in Christmas Park

This morning the dude saw the draft of the Christmas newsletter. "Oh, you already got started on this?"
"Dude," says I, "dude, there are two weeks until Christmas."
There are two weeks until Christmas! TWO WEEKS!

This is where I am on the gift situation:
Stocking One:

Brett's Stocking
Sherpherd's Bush

Stocking Two:


Anna's Stocking
Shepherd's Bush

Angel for Auntie:


The Angels Sang
Little House Needleworks

I tragically keep making progress on these pieces so I keep thinking I can do it. People, I am no little engine who could. Do you want to take bets on when I will wake up and smell the chestnuts roasting on the open fire? I am thinking it will be on the drive to NH.

Plus, Christmas cards? None! They keep coming in the mail though. And when they do, they make me realize just how much there is to do still. So.much.to.do. And I suddenly realized that even though I don't have presents for at least three people (see above) I have no plans at all for my grandmother, old One-Eye (aka "sounds good since you had it fixed").

Can we invent a time machine? I'd like to go back to October and start over.

If you are uber-organized, please tell me what to do. I'm begging you: help me help myself.

16 comments:

Jacque said...

Gf, you are ambitious! I say finish the one you are most close to finishing and buy gifts for the other two. You can even shop online and just have the gifts magically appear in the giftee's mailbox.

Because I missed out on getting to Nebraska Furniture Mart in time for their black Friday sale, Marc and I still haven't purchased our gift to each other, but neither of us is fretting...if we don't get it by Christmas, we'll have something fun to do New Year's Day! : ) Christmas has changed so much for me this year...it's all about Gianna and the two families we adopted. None of the people in your family would want you stressing...do what you can and compromise on the rest!

xeyedmary said...

Geez Louise- I'm right behind you on that bus. I think I have...no, I guess I don't,...any one person "done" as far as shopping or making. Actually, haven't really started ANY shopping, except for buying the fabric to make six (boy am I stupid or what???!!!)doll dresses for my niece. An idea hatched just last Saturday. *S*N*O*R*T*!!!!!

Teresa said...

When you get an answer, let me know. I am crocheting a scarf that is FAR from done, no cards have been started yet, have to send back *the* present for DH and need to start over with something for him, I'm working until the 23rd, and my mother (as she does every year, lol) is most inconveniently having a birthday this weekend.

Like I said, when you get the answer......

Unknown said...

The word, Anna, is TRIAGE. Save what you can, lose the rest. You are not going to get EVERYTHING done. So concentrate on the presents that are MOST done or that you ENJOY the most or that are going to the OLDEST member of the family. I can get something else for my sister-in-law next year, but my mother-in-law may not be around next year. Saving the layette that I forgot to send for the shower last month for the new baby to be born in January, it now becomes a Christmas present. But if I forget to bring it, it becomes the size 3 sweater that I bought for a friend's daughter who is now 16. You do what you can; not a thing more. Throw the weak projects over the side of the lifeboat and bail like crazy for the rest.

We have two parties going this week. The CookieFest tomorrow night and the Las Vegas Fandom Holiday Party and gift exchange on Saturday. I ALWAYS plan about three more dishes than I actually make, but there always seems to be enough food and no one notices the missing dishes. Nope, haven't changed the sheets on the bed either. But the cleaners came today and we bought our exchange gifts and if we have to feed them platters of cold cuts on Saturday (and the cookies we make tomorrow), so be it. I've done what I can and not a thing more. (Did I say that I have a horrible cold? My husband may have to be cookie wrangler tomorrow.) Rethink, regroup, move forward. Onward in pragmaticism.

mainely stitching said...

Despite a houseful of kids, Christmas has managed to sneak up on me, too. I cut out a lot of homemade gifts I'd planned to make this year and am now only focussing on Niek and the kids. No time for anything else. Christmas cards went from getting along individual note in each one to only getting "Happy holidays" and our names scrawled across them ....

Sadie said...

Okay, I have 3 options.
1. Start drinking now, Christmas will pass in a blur and people will not notice that you haven't given them a gift. They will just be thankful you didn't puke on them.
2. Tell all your family and friends, except maybe the ones with weak hearts, that you have a fatal illness. They will all be too busy feeling sorry for you to care about presents. In January you can have a miraculous recovery!
or
3. Go watch the spiders on drugs on youtube. You'll look at everything in a whole new way after seeing this.
Don't fancy any of the above? Buy back up gifts in case you don't get your stitching finished. Take a deep breath and relax. Watch the spiders!

Donna said...

LOL

Lots of good advice here. I refuse to add to it.

Entering my own panic phase soon.

And wondering, just who have I forgotten?

Anonymous said...

Two weeks? Are you sure? I think you're wrong. Here let me just check real quick...

Holy shit! Two weeks! What the hell happened?

Anita said...

Beautiful christmas stitching and ornaments. No magic on my rounded floss tags, practice makes perfect. The ribbon around the stitched pieces help to hide some of the imperfect area. Trust me, without the ribbon/trim help, it is not that perfectly rounded. Have a wonderful holiday and Merry Christmas.

riona said...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with working right up to deadlines ... it is simply the mark of a busy person. This is my philosophy and I am sticking to it ... says I who turned in my BA thesis at 5pm the day before I got married.

Aussie Stitcher said...

Sorry, but I am unable to offer any advice but I need to heed what those that have gone before me have said. I have not bought ONE present so far.

Annemarie said...

I have an idea! Move to The Netherlands, where a lot of people don't do Christmas presents but celebrate Sinterklaas. Which was December 5th. Which was last week. That way, you won't have to worry about presents for another 51 weeks (well, perhaps a little less if you want to prevent present stress for Sinterklaas).
And if you can't move... Flee!

Michele said...

lol .. love all the advice you received, and it's all good! I would sit down with a hot spiced eggnog, heavy on the nog, and try my damnest to make a realistic list of what I really really really want to do/make/buy .. then I'd make myself another eggnog, crank up the Christmas music and breathe. And remember, those Christmas cards can always turn into Happy New Year cards :)

Lelia said...

Good Call to finish up these lovely gifts for next year. There seems to be more activity & less spare time this time of the year. Enjoy your holidays!

Michelle said...

I totally wish there had been a do-over from October. Then I wouldn't have been finishing up Eric's gift on Dec 28th, nor would I have been finishing up my Christmas shopping on Dec 31st. I am such a slacker.

Courtney said...

alright, my sister just had a baby and I'm making Anna's stocking for her...did you use the recommended #5 threads for this? I have a problem with my pattern, too...might you be able to help me?

and what color would you like your penis needle minder?! :o)