I know, I know. We’re down to the last day of the year. But I figured I had some things I’d like to do before it’s over:

1. Sleep.
2. Deal with the two Groupons that expire tomorrow. (One is transferring money onto my Starbucks card, so that’s easy.)
3. Finish one last book. (We’re into the final 50 pages or so of a mystery, and I actually don’t know who the murderer is OR who the PI works for. Shocking!)
4. Complete one last knitting project. (I’ve just got a couple rows to finish, plus two thumbs to knit on my Christmas fingerless mitts that it’s been too warm to wear this year.)
5. Pay the phone bills.
6. Send out the last of the Christmas cards. (I like real mail no matter when it arrives. I assume other people will, too.
7. Unpack. (My carry-on is jam-packed.)
8. Compose a three beautiful things post.
9. Go to the movies with Sarah. (We’ve got a trio of films we’re planning to see as this year transitions out and 2016 moves in.)
10. Call Rudi to wish him a happy new year before he goes to bed. (He’s coaching up in Vermont and likely will be asleep by the time Sarah and I get out of the theater.)

How about you? Are you trying to finish anything up before the clock strikes twelve and the calendar flips over?

This weekend was spent in Connecticut. We drove up early in the day on Wednesday and came back in the wee smalls tonight.

I got to spend time with my folks, making Christmas cookies and watching movies and playing pool and sitting in front of the fire and baking scones and listening to music. We got a few tasks accomplished — like hauling some wood and setting up (but not decorating) Christmas trees — too.

There was a lot of napping — on the drive up and during the parade on Thanksgiving and during CBS Sunday Morning and when I went upstairs to get dressed yesterday afternoon — and some reading and a little knitting.

My best friend, Karen, and I got to spend some time together, which is always wonderful, with the bonus surprise of getting to see her kids for the first time in ages. They change the dynamic of the visit and it is definitely less restful for her, but it was really nice to see them.

It was the first holiday without Gramma, which was sad and weird. For the first time in a decade, no one stole the doughnuts Rudi and I were coveting most for Thanksgiving breakfast. No one did any crossword puzzles. No one wandered out midway through Thanksgiving afternoon to tell Mum “it smells good enough to eat” and to inquire if we’d be dining anytime soon, forcing us to have a snack of cheese and crackers. And no one trundled off to bed at ten with a warm mug of milk and a “Well, I’m going to bed!” I missed her, and her absence was felt all weekend long.

Weekending along with Karen at Pumpkin Sunrise.

I’m tired and want to go to sleep, so instead of finishing my March book report, I’m going to share another three random thoughts on three random things:

Small Business Saturday
1. President Obama and his daughters went shopping at one of my local bookstores and stopped for popsicles at a cafe I frequent. I’m excited for these businesses, because his patronage will definitely net them some new customers.
2. While I enjoy my holiday weekend in Connecticut, I am always sad to miss the to-do’s some of my local shops put on, particularly Labyrinth (a game shop) and Fantom (my local comic book shop).
3. The Yarn Harlot used her reach to share tweets about sales from indie dyers and yarn shops across her country and mine. I think that’s a really awesome way to use your fame.

Things I’m Looking Forward to Next Month
1. A Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings concert at Lincoln Theatre.
2. Writing Christmas cards.
3. Our New Year’s Eve movie marathon.

Movies I Want to Watch before Christmas
1. The Holiday
2. Miracle on 34th Street
3. The Polar Express

I just dozed off and had a dream where I kept being attacked by hordes of butterflies who wanted to land on me and lick me.

It’s not as nice as it sounds.

Carole’s Ten on Tuesday topic today is Things I’m Thankful for Right Now:

1. My family: 2015 has been a rough year, with death, serious injuries and illness, and unemployment poking sticks at us. But we persevere together.
2. My friends: See above. Dear friends from high school and college came to my grandmother’s funeral. Others friends have listened to me when I needed to talk or invited me out when they thought I might be lonely.
3. My three cats: They’re sometimes a pain, but how much lonelier — and chillier — my life would be without them.
4. Taxes: We all complain about how much we bring home each paycheck versus how much our employers say they’re paying us. But, man, we’re really grateful to everyone who paid taxes, which allowed my family to collect unemployment benefits and use local parks for picnicking in, rec centers and parks to play in, and libraries for letting us read books we could never afford to buy.
5. Hardy equipment: My car is 22 years old this fall and will, knock wood, get us up to spend time with family this week. The radio no longer works and the pickup is terrible, but it has a good heart and is a lovely shade of Colgate green. I dropped my phone a couple years back, shattering the screen. Gradually, it’s disappearing, but mostly it still functions just fine, especially after a system upgrade this summer.
6. Continued employment: Funding for the project I work on dried up earlier this year, but the director of our office has shifted around some of her funds to keep us all on for the time being. I don’t always love what I do and it’s not my dream job, but I mostly like the people I do it with and it does good in the world, and I could do far, far worse.
7. The Hamilton soundtrack: I’m afraid that no other music this year has captivated my brain the way this musical has, with its consistent ear-worminess, and one song or another is on constant loop in my head. (Currently it’s Thomas Jefferson’s “What Did I Miss?” Apologies to those of you who’ll now have it stuck in your head.)
8. Netflix: It’s really nice to be able to pull up an episode of Leverage or White Collar or Black Books or Miss Fisher whenever the mood strikes.
9. D.C.: Terrorists may be targeting it and the subway may keep breaking down, but its zoo and (many of its) museums are free, there are a plethora of bookstores and movie theaters and summertime outdoor films and farmers markets, the subway works most of the time, its bike-share system and network of bike-friendly trails and lanes continue to grow, and laws keep our buildings short and the sun peering down on us.
10. Bed: Because I’m tired and I can go join Rudi and the cats in it now that I’ve finished composing this list.

How about you? What are you thankful for at the moment?

This weekend included sleeping in on Saturday, but getting up early today.

I went to Georgetown, as I do many weekends, to visit the library and to get a snack. I swapped a few books out and stopped at a boutique that was having a going-out-of-business sale to buy a baby gift. I wandered into a couple new shops without picking anything else up before ending up at Chaia‘s new digs. [Sarah, I forgot to tell you tonight to check them out!] They’ve been making veggie tacos at farmers markets around town for several years and finally have their own permanent space. Their crispy Brussels sprout taco was quite tasty, as was the hot chocolate and gingersnap I picked up from perennial favorite Dog Tag Bakery across the street. I started one of my library books on the way home and was so enchanted I finished it tonight.

I scrubbed our bathroom. It took two days, which is utterly pathetic. The load of laundry I did didn’t take nearly so long.

I sent out the invitation to our holiday party. If you’re local and would like to come and I didn’t invite you, please let me know!

I bought tickets to a holiday concert as well as one for a Holiday Happy Hour at the library’s maker lab.

And we celebrated our friend John’s birthday. He turns 50 later this week, so lots of people showed up. It was nice to catch up.

And now the weekend is over and we begin again.