Ten on Tuesday

Today's Ten On Tuesday topic is like a balm to my soul. Carole has asked us to list 10 Things You Look Forward to Doing After The Holiday Rush, and I'm so looking forward to doing these, starting the afternoon of the 25th! Due to some major family and work commitments I've done next to nothing for Christmas, but this time crunch has helped me to decide what is really important.

1. Decorate the tree. This one may sound a bit facetious, but we finally made time to get a tree just last night. This is what it looks like now, but decorating may happen in the near future, maybe even before Christmas. 
2. Spend time with my kids. It doesn't happen often enough, but both kids are here for a short while and I'm enjoying every minute of having the whole family under one roof.
3. Making (and eating!) prime rib. Our Christmas dinner is simple -- prime rib, twice-baked potatoes, and Brussels sprouts from the garden. It's easy to prepare and I can't wait to eat some delicious prime rib with some wonderful people around the table.
4. Finish some Christmas knitting. I have 7/8 of a hat done and have only just cast on for some fingerless mitts, but I hope to relax with my knitting someday soon.
5. Visit the alpaca farm. Ryan and I have a tradition of heading to our local alpaca farm together where we have a great day visiting the llamas, alpacas, and yaks, and he buys my Christmas present. I always look forward to spending time with him during this wonderful low-key day.
6. Knit a Baa-ble Hat. I've seen some really nice ones, and I think Donna has knit more than one. Every time I see a new one, I want one of my own even more.
7. Read. I've been listening to some audiobooks, but nothing that has been able to hold my attention while my mind feels scattered and worried. I really want to get lost in a great book.
8. Kon-Mari some more. I went through our Christmas lights in hopes of getting them on the tree some day, and was shocked to find six strands that didn't work (even though they were in the box labeled "lights that work"!) I hope to cull some more decorations along with whatever else does not bring me joy.
9. Get organized electronically. My laptop has a charging issue that probably means I'll need a new one in the new year. I'm going to go through files, photos, documents, etc. and not just transfer them without some thought and organization.
10. Spend time judiciously. I've been forced to think about how I use my time since there has really not been enough of it lately. There have been plenty of days that I have wasted time, and I find myself wishing I had some of it back. I want to consider the tradeoffs we have to make between presence and productivity and live my life well so I have fewer regrets. Annie Dillard said it well:  

"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing. A schedule defends from chaos and whim. It is a net for catching days. It is a scaffolding on which a worker can stand and labor with both hands at sections of time. A schedule is a mock-up of reason and order—willed, faked, and so brought into being; it is a peace and a haven set into the wreck of time; it is a lifeboat on which you find yourself, decades later, still living."

What are you looking forward to doing when things slow down a bit?

  I hope you find make time to do it soon.