Make me smile...

--feeding the growly bottomless belly that is Lola-Kitty, our neighbor cat that we're watching while her mama is away for the holidays.

--putting the finishing touches on several gifts ;-)

--getting a present from Bonny and then the elation at finding that it's like the one (tho even better!)that's been on my amazon wishlist for soooooo long!

--dropping by my favorite plant nursery while John was on a super-secret mission at the GameShop adjacent to it. Finding poppies and roses and sweet peas and so many other plants begging to take them home with me. Restraining myself mightily and just enjoying the thrill of so much beauty (ok, so a few of them did find their way into my basket...)

--feeling better. My neck and back are still sore, but the pinching nerve pain is dissipating quickly.

--giftwrapping. It's actually one of my favorite parts of the holiday, but only when I can do it with a bit of creative flair. In years past I've hand-aged paper with tea, reproduced vintage photos of Paris landmarks, wrapped with maps from my travels, sewed reusable cloth bags, stamped designs on butcher paper, etc. I like it when the giftwrap hints at the type of gift that lies inside or when it connects in some meaningful way with the person I'm gifting.