Slept soundly for about four hours, then had to get up for you-know-what. With the crutches and the hip rules, this requires really waking up pretty thoroughly--and thus going back to bed wide-awake and feeling sleep-refreshed. Being limited to one sleeping position doesn't help either. Therefore, Plan B comes into effect. Get up and do stuff for a while, then fool my body into thinking that phase two of the night's sleep is a Nap on the couch. I end up with the needed sleep for a 24 hour period, and this attitude is ultimately much more productive. (I doubt this would work in a multi-person household.)

"IT" is just a week away. Between the trip and the hospital I have done almost no shopping. (I also have almost no ideas.) I did order a couple of things by phone, and I tried to order a third, but I didn't get an answer on that number. (I'll try again today.) I've got the rocking unicorn for Anna--but I bought that back about March. It was so cute I couldn't resist it, even though at that time she was only crawling. I am not about to attempt to venture to a store this week.

But the general attitude towards Christmas (spend, spend, spend--and measure caring by amount spent) is really good at giving if not guilt feelings, at least slight uneasiness at not fulfilling the contemporary, predominant American attitude that things are what really count.

So, I have to keep telling myself that it is really all right to give only a couple of gifts at the holiday season. Gifts are NOT what the season is about, no matter what your spiritual path.