The downward slide

The state of my bedroom, pre-Christmas, stressed me out.  UPS exploded at my door, and all of the packages went back to the bedroom.  MY bedroom.  That, on top of all of the other crap going on lately at Camp Rustown  makes me want to plot my escape from my own house.  

Remember this story? 

I know I said last year that I was looking forward to Christmas shopping in the stores, but I started feeling like I could get so much of it done on-line, and for the most part, I paid no shipping fees.  Plus, I had 5 people to shop for. Mainly. And a lot of the things my peeps expressed interest in could easily be found on-line.

However, things arrived on top of each other, faster than I could go through them, until one day I had to haul it all out of my closet and sort it, wrap it, and list it, so that Mark and I could compare our lists and make sure we were done.  Every year it seems to get more complicated.  Maybe because our "kids" are older.  Maybe because we have more discretionary income to put towards Christmas than in years' past.  Maybe because instead of keeping it simple, and doing four of something, I instead painstakingly put together stockings and gifts that are as individual as the person themselves.  And Mark really gets into it, too.  He really thinks about each kid and what they could use or would like.

But for some reason, the ever-growing pile of STUFF precipitated a slide back into the blues.  I know that the holidays are famous for that.  I realize that I'm in good company when it comes to holiday-induced depression.  And realistically, I know that in a few days' time, it will ease up, and be back to business as usual around here.  February brings a new house note, new truck payment, new insurance policies, and tuition due for Dylan at ACC.  Plus, a whole new year of medical deductibles.  And I have no doubt we will be able to manage all of it with careful planning.  But that doesn't do a thing for me right now, while I am in the thick of commercial holiday stress.  I really...no, really...want to escape to Australia.