Mrs. Teabody Greets the Day

The greatest gift is a portion of thyself. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Mr. Teabody at the fireplace he created. Not a single glimmer of daylight pierces the horizon on this third day of winter, but Chez Teabody is  lamplit and humming along inside where Mrs. Teabody sits happily pecking away -- once again bundled up in winter flannel as the short-lived summer that waltzed through with its fifty degree temperatures has just as willfully waltzed off. In no way is this a complaint, mind you, as everyone will agree that it is easier to be filled with the Christmas Spirit when one is not dragging about a nearly frozen posterior. It is Christmas Eve, 2013. Are you ready for Christmas? How many times have you heard and/ or uttered this phrase in the past few weeks?  What happens inside your brain when someone asks? Do you envision a checklist of things done and to do? Perhaps a list of names pops into your frontal lobe and you are at once pleased with the perfectly-imagined gift already

Lovely Erika allows visions of Sugar Plums to dance through her head. Good Morning, Gentle Reader! If you are unfortunate enough to live anywhere else but here, perhaps you are unaware of the positively balmy weather being enjoyed this first week of December 2013. At present the thermostat is registering an outside temperature of 47 degrees. Mrs.  Teabody ran errands yesterday afternoon not even wearing a jacket, and she was quick to note folks outdoors hanging greens and lights as they prepare their homes for  this most generous of seasons. Of course, if you ARE fortunate enough to live here, you are also aware that whatever the current weather is, it will change, and all too soon your teeth will be clattering together like castanets from the cold. But this is not a day to borrow trouble, Gentle Reader. This is a day to cut loose that stubborn little part of you that may keep you from enjoying this festive season. Mrs. Teabody suggests giving and before you dash to stand on