I'm not ready, but I'm ready to start getting ready!

So the tree is decorated (right on time, thank you) and I feel good about that. It was touch and go for a while, because I am fundamentally lazy. But the urchins rallied and swarmed me until I succumbed to the pressure. They represent a united Christmas front and collectively they're impossible to resist. You have not lived until you've seen the tall boy, the sunny girl AND the girl in charge, all lurching toward you like zombies, chanting, "Doom on you! Doom on you!" The scariest part is the little skip they give to emphasize "you!"

But I do still feel like I have yards and yards of work to do -- buying, wrapping, cleaning, fluffing -- before the baby Jesus can be born. Do you think he'd be willing to put it off for a couple of days? No?

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The book behind the door of the Advent calendar today is The Tale of Three Trees. This is a retelling of an old folktale about three trees who each dream of greatness. One is cut down and made into a manger; one is cut down and made into a fishing boat. The third is cut down and is horrified to learn that he will be used to crucify a criminal. Do you think they all found greatness?