Shop 'til you run screaming from the mall . . . .

So today was a snow day for the urchins, but a shopping day for me. I know it shocks you to realize that I may or may not have procrastinated a wee little bit about the merry old Christmas shopping . . .

. . . but the beauty of my system is that I get to shop with every other person on the planet -- who all come to my own personal mall to enhance my Christmas angst joy. So that's a plus.

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Last night was the first night of Las Posadas -- the Latin American tradition that celebrates the scripture passage, "because there was no room for them at the inn." My family has always been drawn to this tradition; the "Catholic" part of the tradition appeals, even though we cannot claim to be Latin American. Today behind the door of the Advent calendar is another story by Tomie de Paola -- this one a sweet telling of the Las Posadas story. We do love us some Tomie de Paola. I hope you enjoy The Night of Las Posadas as much as we did.