Taking the Plunge

I held my breath, squoze shut my eyes, and plunged in today.

I bought my first Christmas gifts of the 2005 Christmas season.

Last evening I had a bad moment. I sat at the dinner table full of anticipation for my quilting bee. Quilting bee is that gathering of quilting friends that I am part of that meets twice a month on Wednesday evenings. Every December we have a Christmas party and exchange small gifts and eat food and talk and laugh and do a little sewing. It's fun and quirky. But last evening as I sat in anticipation of going to bee I had a cold shiver run down my spine, because it suddenly occurred to me that it might just be the Christmas party that night and I had ....

.... NOTHING.

Not one gift. Not one card. Nothing. I had just that morning of the 7th turned the calendar to December.

I looked at LightHusband and under the chatter of the children said, "I think I'll have a slice of humble pie tonight." and he looked at me and said, "what?" So I repeated myself and then explained my predicament. LightGirl thought I ought to dip into my stores of fabric and quickly (with my remaining 10 whole minutes before my ride appeared) put together some fabric pieces for my friends. What she doesn't know is that tho my stash looms large to her, it is tiny compared to most of my friends. LightBoy suggested some of our hot chocolate. But I just knew I had to have that helping of humble pie. And I was already full.

So I gathered my things together, my needle, my thread and my handiwork, my show 'n tell for the evening, my courage to face the music. Then my friend who drives appeared in the driveway. So I kissed everyone goodnight and off I went, fully prepared to have my pie and eat it too. But I knew it wasn't going to taste good.

You know what does taste good? Grace. Grace is quite tasty. Even when you're full. For you see, I found when I got in the car, our Christmas party isn't until the 21st!

So today I began to purchase gifts for nieces and nephews. It doesn't seem as overwhelming as it did yesterday when I thought I had to eat humble pie. After a helping of grace, it seems easier somehow.