Thank heaven...

...for online shopping with fast shipping! I managed to buy a couple more Christmas presents today, which will be delivered on Dec. 24th! I even found something for my Dad, who is nearly impossible to shop for. There are still at least two additional people I need to get gifts for, so I'll be shopping on the island tomorrow or the next day for them. Luckily we have fabulous stores around here!

On a sad note, I'm a bit disappointed that this year I will miss an island Christmas tradition: caroling. Every year, a group gets together and walks around the village, stopping at homes of many of the island's elders to sing on porches, in front yards, and sometimes in living rooms. At the end of the evening, the group meets at one of the two island churches for a warm dinner (usually chili) to thaw out from walking around outside in December. This year, the "official" caroling night is this Friday the 21st. I'll miss that one because I'll be in Asheville NC that evening (will be spending the weekend there with my Mom and sister, staying at the Grove Park Inn and pampering ourselves in their fabulous spa).

Several other caroling regulars also will not be available on the 21st, so another outing was planned for this evening. I missed that one, too, because I have not been able to fully lose the lingering head cold I've had for a while, and I thought that perhaps I should not walk around with a group of friends who probably don't want to share it with me! Jamie called me while they were out to make sure I hadn't forgotten, which is always a possibility (ever since I burst into tears after realizing I had missed Charlotte's welcome party (i.e. baby shower) for no good reason other than just not remembering to go, I actually have a standing request to my friends to call me if I'm ever not at something at which they expected to see me, to make sure I'm not at home doing nothing except having a brain freeze). Anyway, I have been a member of the caroling group every Christmas since I moved here, with the exception of this year, which is why I'm sad that I didn't get to go tonight.

On another sad note, two of my favorite guys to sing to aren't here on earth to listen any more. But I suspect Roy and John Thomas were listening from heaven tonight. Probably playing guitar and singing along, too!