28 Day of Thanks – Deliveries

It came! It finally came! The holiday order arrived. (Let’s just say I found a new way to sweat the details of the holiday season.)

At first, I thought I was pretty smart about it. Making my way to the checkout area of a local Old Navy store a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to count 31 shoppers ahead of me. No way!

I laid out my intended purchases on a sale table and snapped a photo with my cell phone. Then I put the stuff back and went home to order it all online. In the process, I found a 30% off code. So that was handy. And they offered free shipping. Ding! Bonus!

I scratched three people off my Christmas list in one flurry and began waiting for the packages to arrive.

Two weeks later (I believe I mentioned that, but it bears repeating.), I waded through the merchant’s online customer service holiday quagmire, listening to horrendous canned music and hoping to pinpoint the expected delivery dates for the now-split shipments.

The cheery, but not particularly plugged-in, phone rep (once I finally landed a live person on the line) parroted the shipping information I had already personally tracked online. He promised my stuff would arrive by December 24^th.

That didn’t comfort me much, as several items were due for a December 20^th celebration. That’s pretty much why I ordered them on “December Freaking 8^th.”

That conversation took place last night. Today, a large parcel arrived. Most of the items were included. Still, short of a big brown truck or a team of reindeer making an overnight stop at my house tonight, a certain sweet little girl may be receiving a darling new dress for New Year’s … or Valentine’s Day … or … or ….

Despite the shipping delays, I am grateful for online ordering and home delivery, especially as I am sporting a dandy little arm cast for this holiday season. It’s nice that I don’t have to load up the sleigh in shopping mall parking lots.

Now, if I could just find some nimble elves to help this one-armed Santa with the gift wrapping.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from Delightfully Amiss.

 Images:

Vintage/public domain artwork

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28 Day of Thanks – Holiday fashions

Holiday fashions are fun. Mostly, they’re just plain funny. And I’m not just talking about the Ugly Christmas Sweater craze or the glitzy holiday blinged-out apparel folks like to wear to prance about from Thanksgiving to New Years.

Personally, I enjoy dressing up during the holiday season. Sure, I’ve stepped away from shiny blouses, velvet dresses, and sweaters or turtlenecks bearing appliques or pictures of Christmas cuteness. But I love red and green and classic spiffiness.  

This year, however, it seems a new fad has taken hold. People are having holiday pajama parties. It’s a THING. From special-interest club gatherings to work parties to family get-togethers, PJs are all the rage. Or so I’ve been told.

We’re going to just such a fete in a bit. And I am truly torn. I love my comfy PJs. I even have jam pants in red-and-green plaid. But I am not sure they are just the ticket for a festive holiday event. What if we have car trouble along the way?

And I am pretty sure there are one or two folks on the guest list that ought not to wear PJs out and about. Nope, not ever. And I’m not naming names.

Sure, fuzzy feetie pajamas are adorable on little kids. Pretty nightshirts and matching family PJs are fun at home, while children are still small. But for an extended family gathering or a group of colleagues? I just gotta wonder. This trend may not be exactly the cat’s pajamas. And after a nightcap or two? Well …

Maybe Ugly Christmas Sweaters weren’t so bad, after all. Let’s bring back holiday fashions – before Santa puts us all on the OTHER list. (That’s right. You know the one I mean.)

Images:

Vintage/public domain artwork
200th post graphic created by this user

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28 Day of Thanks – Brakes

I’m abundantly grateful that we live in a relatively low traffic area. Driving on congested roads is not something I have to face on a daily basis. Honestly, even during road construction season (which is more than half the year), our traffic tie-ups aren’t all that terrible. Sure, we may have to slow down for a stretch, but we are seldom slammed to a total standstill.

It’s easy to forget what a blessing this is – until I have to go somewhere jammed up. Yesterday was just such an occasion. Driving to the city for an appointment, I cruised around a bend in the highway, enjoying the scenery and the radio. Then I saw it – the seemingly endless line of brake lights up ahead. Red eyes blinked at me for as far as I could see, with commuters playing lane-change zig-zag bumper cars.

I hit the brakes and sighed. Then I grabbed a tiny opening between rumbling right-lane trucks and veered over to catch the upcoming exit and make my way to town on back roads. And I admit it. At first, I groaned over the traffic jam. I switched the radio to the AM news station for a road report and discovered the multi-mile tie-up resulted from gapers slowing to view an accident.

At least, I wasn’t in the crash, or even the subsequent gawking drivers’ near misses.

So I am thankful, even if I arrived a little late this time.

Images:

Vintage/public domain artwork

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