I remember being a kid and thinking it took SO LONG for certain days to arrive. My mother always cautioned me that the older I got, the faster time would seem to go, but it didn't seem possible when I was impatiently waiting for my next birthday or Christmas or summer vacation.
Now I know exactly what she meant. Weeks are over practically as soon as they begin. The little things that mark each month—fresh pairs of contact lenses, new furnace filters, etc.—recur unimaginably quickly.
Even the span between holiday seasons seems so short that I can now almost understand those people who throw up their hands and just leave their Christmas decorations up year 'round. (This year my Halloween decorations were up for less than 24 hours. I got home that evening and put up just enough stuff to signify that we had candy, then quietly removed it all in the morning.)
This year I sent my first Christmas planning email to my sister in mid-October. The following week I started discussing Thanksgiving options with A Librarian, who joined forces with me for last year's dinner. Heck, I've made dinner reservations for Christmas Eve already because I decided that would be best for this year's circumstances.
That might sound like jumping the gun, but I know what my schedule is like. Between work every weekday, gigs most Saturdays (lately) and just the tiniest amount of breathing room on Sundays, I need to think these things through as early as possible.
For Thanksgiving, I'm actively searching for a humanely raised turkey to prepare. This year's Christmas Day food offerings are going to be chock-full of vegan and gluten-free options, which takes extra planning. That doesn't even count shopping for gifts, which will be part of this year's celebration after several years without.
Oh, and did I mention I'm planning both an anniversary party and a cookie exchange party in December? The cookie exchange party pretty much takes care of itself, but I'm tempted to make my husband do all the planning for our anniversary party.
Don't think I'm complaining. I love all this stuff or I wouldn't do it. I just know that I need to have plenty of time to get my plans in place so it all works out smoothly. Then it'll be time to start planning for 2014.
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