Tap tap tap. Slurp. Purr. Clickety click. ... Sss Sss.

I sit in a burgundy wicker arm chair, its traditional position reversed, so I can look outside. The living room lights are off, but I have switched on our porch light and exterior garage lights. One of my cats, Serendipity, sits contentedly on my lap and purrs. Tiny bits of sleet and ice tap on the large bay window. I slurp my hot cocoa, marshmallows floating on top stick to my lips. I lick off the marshmallow goo and look outside eager to catch the first glimpse of snow. I drum my fingers on the wicker arm, disrupting Serendipity's purr, making a clicking noise. It is quiet outside. No sleet or ice is falling. Serendipity jumps onto her perch at the window to look out into the darkness. There! Do you hear it? Listen carefully. The snow susurrates against the windowpane as it slowly falls from the heavens to the earth below. Ah ... winter is truly here.

Waiting ... waiting ... waiting ...

I have a pretty nasty head cold, so my concentration is pretty poor. I am also distracted by looking out the window every 5 minutes to see if snow has started falling. I am working on finishing up a few layouts I started over the weekend. Some are coming together in my head quite nicely, others are more of a train wreck, but at least they will be done, and I will be free to concentrate on Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas class.

Shoutouts to Jacquie and Linda for checking out my blog. It's only a half a day old & I've already got a following. Okay, so I don't know if I can count two people looking at it once a "following," but it makes me feel special. *grin*

I'm heading back downstairs to watch The Count of Monte Cristo and finish working on the layout I call 2:36 am I'll have it posted in my gallery over at House of Paper sometime tomorrow.

Supplies assembled and ready to go!

Well, I've rooted through my supplies and come up with a bunch of items to use for my album. I have some really bright stickers from Pebbles Inc and Doodlebug, but they don't go with the more mellow color scheme that seems to be evolving for my book.

I am getting excited about getting my first "prompt" for page #1 tomorrow ... and for the snow we are supposed to be getting overnight. Maybe as much as a FOOT of snow in 12 hours! WOW! I love snow!

Enjoy the season!

Manifesto: Noun. A declaration of one's intentions.

Starting December first, I will keep a Christmas journal. In it, I will write something every day to reflect on the holidays of my past, enjoy the holidays of the present and dream about the holidays of my future. To some, this will be a stack of papers and trivial scribbles, but not to me. I am taking back my Christmas, I am letting it be something I relish and, most importantly, I am giving at least fifteen minutes every day to myself no matter how crazy this season becomes. I hope you will share, encourage and understand as I make something with my own hands, my own words and my own memories.

I may post some or all of my entries here. Other artists are doing this with me, and you can see their work at www.writtendown.com. Or you may join us here: www.shimelle.com/classes/105/its-beginning-to-look-a-lot-like!

Above all: enjoy the season. I will.

Latharia