Catchin' up

Sunday we spent driving back from Sharon, PA. It was a much easier trip than the ride out, I might add-- clear, and sunny, and traffic moved along nicely. An added bonus: Mark (aka, the newest Rev. Juchter) showed us an alternate route out of town that cut a bit of time off the trip, and was also a perfect stretch for the rookie driver in our car to get in some practice time.

The last two days have been taken up with a couple of tasks:

Overdue Ember Day Letter. Actually, Ember Day email would be more accurate. Ed prefers our missives to arrive electronically, and responds the same way. I am blessed with a bishop who revels in gadgetry-- computer and PDA are integral parts of his episcopal toolkit. Not quite a complete technogeek, maybe, but certainly inclined in that direction.

Fortunately, he's also patient and forgiving of tardy postulants; between sewing and travelling, the time got away from me, and this is not the sort of note one dashes off in 5 or 10 minutes.

Christmas Shopping/Sorting/Wrapping. Not my favorite task. Somehow that shopping gene that women are supposed to have, got left out of my biological makeup. I don't mind the grocery store so much; it's one stop, I go with a list, and I get in and get out. And I do enjoy the part that has me thinking about the folks for whom I'm shopping; it's fun, giving to people. But the crowds, and the browsing, and the multiple stops... I find it exhausting, and stressful, and overwhelming, and I'm so glad it's done.