GRWM

 GRWM. If you know what those letters mean, you may have watched at least one of this category's 70 billion TikTok videos. My goddaughter clued me in a few years back, and I chuckle when I think about the push out there on Social Media to post footage of putting on makeup and getting ready to go out - hence the invite to watch and get ready with me. As a dyed-in-the-wool Boomer, I'm not a big makeup fan. My generation of women went the au natural route, and I've stuck to that religion. But, regardless of your makeup routines, like many of us this week, you are busy doing nothing but running errands, baking, wrapping, or feeling stressed that you are not. Today's topic covers another getting ready - preparing for the holidays. Although I'm still in the throes of it, that process began the week before Thanksgiving when I dug in and cleaned our house because my son and his family were coming for the weekend. 

At first glance, no one walking into my house would think I'm a slob. The piles of puzzles, toys, jackets, boots, or books that graced our house's corners, chairs, counters, and couches when the kids were growing up are long gone. Teresa and CJ will vouch for the semblance of order we've achieved over the years. We don't worry about anyone filming us for an episode of Hoarders, yet as much as I like things to be neat, I'm busy. I make a show of order, but inside my kitchen drawers, you'll find coffee grounds and all sorts of random kitchen crumbs accumulating there. I offer guests clean sheets and towels but carefully open my linen closet and watch out for stuffed-to-the-gill spillage. Not surprisingly, my laundry room sits last on my list of places to keep clean. Piles of lonesome socks loiter, and blue soap rings on the counter near my washing machine often compete with several empty detergent bottles. Regarding housework, I run the gamut from a calm, laissez-faire attitude to being distracted by life and blind to disorder.

In contrast, my daughter-in-law, Jen's efficiency makes housekeeping seem easy. She and Jason have been married for thirty years, and some of her good habits have rubbed off on me; I love her tidy fridge, and when I return from being with her, I'm always inspired to overhaul my mess. Her neat piles of towels and sheets inspire me to construct the same carefully folded stacks at my house. Her kitchen drawers are studies in simplicity compared to my jumbles. I don't always go crazy cleaning when they come to visit, but somehow, this year, I had the time and energy to go from room to room, trying to answer the question of what Jen would do. By the time they arrived, while I wouldn't say the house was immaculate (my mother's favorite term to describe clean house standards), my freshly organized drawers and closets freed me up to enjoy our time together more. And when I go into my laundry room now, for a minute, I think I'm in someone else's house. 

We had barely finished our Turkey leftovers when, in a near-exhausted stupor, we got in the car on Friday, December 6, and drove to the Berkshires for the annual Langton Sibling Holiday Weekend. My sister, Paula, and her husband, Ken, host this tradition, and although they live nearly 500 miles away, we hate to miss it. Both are professional actors, and their open, loving, vibrant personalities infuse our time with an extra shot of holiday exuberance. We indulged in good food and inspired conversations for three days - a hospitality brand rich with stories, laughter, poetry, and song.  Snow had already fallen onto their woodland property, Ken had made savory pans of lasagna, and with her boundless creativity, Paula transformed her house into a magical space full of colored candles, lights, glitter, and glass. I think of them both as wizards conjuring the wonders of the season.

Another fun part of the trip was the chance to shop for holiday gifts. My sisters and I discovered the perfect scarves, socks, candles, cutting boards, and bowls. There’s nothing quite like sisterly approval to make shopping feel less of a chore. Overall, the timing of this gathering, so early in December, felt like a fast-forward jolt of good cheer. We enjoyed all the many light displays on the trip back, and we hadn't been home, but a few days before, Jim untangled our stash of outdoor lights and traced a festive design onto our porch. 

There are moments before the holidays when I feel like Scrooge, dreading the work that comes with the festivities. For sure, getting ready for the holidays can be both exhausting and rewarding. As I look back at my clean house, neatly organized drawers, and now our festive decorations, I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. I still have lots to do, but I wish everyone the joys of the season - special people, food, music, fun, and some quiet time to reflect on our degree of readiness to open to all of the blessings - most not necessarily wrapped up in seasonal papers.

He traced a festive design onto our porch!