Are you ready? Oh my! I finally am. And tonight we drove around Goderich and looked at all the lights! Soooo pretty.

So how are you feeling going into Christmas Eve? When we wake up in the morning it will be such a short time until the big day! Can you believe that? YAY! But, like I say every year, it’s so depressing how quickly everyone calls it over a day later. There’s none of that Christmas spirit that lasts. Everyone wants to make it go away. Sigh.

Well, let’s get on with our prompts.

Gratitude for the Past Year for today is A road trip you went on… tonight we just went on a short road trip and looked at the lights and that’s the road trip I’m going to stick with because it was so pretty with the lights and the Christmas music playing in the truck.

Year Gone, Achieved Nothing for today is New things you tried this year, even it it was just once… okay, the only thing I can think of is I tried AI! I tried it when I was struggling with writing altogether and needed that boost because I had ideas of what I wanted. It turned out it wasn’t bad. It gave me a base from which to work from.

Advent Calendar Gratitude (which will end in two days) for today is Something new you tried this year… okay, so we’ll just leave that alone! Been there, done that!

Since it doesn’t seem like we’re watching anything to do with Christmas tonight I’m going to go finish off my Christmas movie blog and maybe get to finalizing that thing I’m going to share with you!

And I got called in to work for four+ hours. Still makes me feel understaffed! So what I started off doing didn’t end that same way. Yes, I’ll take the time back, probably tomorrow afternoon so I can get it all finished.

So I never got this done earlier and now I’m scrambling. So let’s just do that.

Gratitude for the Past Year for today is Traditions you keep up… wrapping gifts… Christmas is the one gift-giving occasion that I wrap most of my gifts rather than use gift bags. Also making sure my Nativity gets put up every year and gathering with family and friends.

Year Gone, Achieved Nothing for today is Who made you laugh this year… who didn’t? Everyone who knows me and knows that I love to laugh has made me laugh in one way or another.

Advent Calendar Gratitude for today is A routine that you’ve stayed consistent with for years… mostly bedtime! Just making sure that I get to bed at the same time, or close to it, for years. It’s important but if I don’t I start to get soooo tired and it stacks up soooo fast!

Anyway, I also had intentions of doing a final pass on my gift to you but… well, not yet! Hang in there!

Off to watch what is probably the last new movie of the Hallmark Christmas movie season. 😦

until Christmas! Can you wait that long yet? It’s getting harder and I’ve got so much stuff to do now I’m feeling the pressure of running out of time! Today was pretty good. It was great seeing Lorna again and having my spot beside hers so I could actually see everything she has and we didn’t have to cross the room to chat with each other! I sold three books which wasn’t bad considering there was a lot of traffic but I think a lot of people were looking for stocking stuffers not gifts only five days before Christmas. But I am beat!

We’re going to sit down and watch movies so let’s get right to it.

Gratitude for the Past Year for today is Someone you had a great time with this year… our neighbours at the trailer. I’m not saying I didn’t have a great time with family and, in some ways, my parents are our neighbours at the trailer too so it kind of counts!

Year Gone, Achieved Nothing for today is What you’ve learned this year… okay, repeat from yesterday! Let’s just say I’m more resilient than I thought and move on!

Advent Calendar Gratitude for today is An everyday conversation you can remember in detail… I have the same thing for breakfast every morning so I remember what it was that I ate! That means that remembering a conversation in detail is not very likely!

Okay, so one of the things I have to finish working on is what I promised I’d gift to you. I haven’t had much opportunity lately to do anything.

Time for that movie!

Can time travel ANY faster? It’s just zooming by! I’m struggling in so many ways with how fast it is going. The only thing it means is that summer will be back before we know it! And what a blustery, disgusting day it has been outside. Although, all things considered, I’ve experienced worse.

Straight to the prompts though I am ready for tomorrow’s event selling my books… if you want to join, it’s at the Goderich Legion, 11-4 tomorrow. Small donation to get in.

Gratitude for the Past Year for today is Something you discovered this year… There were lot of things but do you think I can recall anything specific? I did discover that I’m more resilient than I ever thought I was. That was a pretty big discovery!

Year Gone, Achieved Nothing for today is Favourite movies and TV shows from the year… oh my! are you ready? NCIS, NCIS: Origins, Ghosts, Heartland, Shifting Gears, Chicago Med, and ALL the Christmas movies!

Advent Gratitude for today is Someone new who came into your life this year… my current GM who is retiring. I think we have a fair bit in common and, maybe, after she retires, we can sit and really figure that all out! Who knows!

Okay, I need to go put my feet up and rest my brain for a while. Hopefully.

There’s very little you can do when everything lands at once! You take it as it comes at you and you hope tomorrow will be better. It was a late end to the day due to sending someone to hospital. So I’m actually exhausted even though I think part of that is coming from my head pounding.

I’m just going to cut right to the prompts.

Gratitude for the Past Year for today is A book, a podcast, or article that inspired you… I think the article I have on hold titled Waterloo house holds a story of love and loss, 80 years after victory over the Nazis is one of those because I want to run with that in some way. Maybe some day I’ll have the ability to write a novel inspired by this.

Year Gone and Achieved Nothing for today is Favourite things you’ve read this year… That’s not a lot unfortunately. Considering that I used to read and read and read some more it’s harder when you also write and there is sometimes a trade-off. But I’m enjoying that advent book I told you about and I’m almost halfway through. I also read the latest Terry Fallis novel which was good, as always.

Advent Gratitude for today is A goal you made progress on this year… photography and trying to write a trilogy that I could publish together. Also being bolder about reaching out to the paper about writing and how much progress I made there!

Okay, I’m going to put my feet up for a while, hopefully. Maybe I’ll read my book.

And I’m not saying just for me, I’m talking about staff at work who had bad sleeps last night and are tired. Not sure what it is out there in the universe but it’s weird and has been all day! Just finishing dinner and quickly watching Finding Mr. Christmas to see who wins before the movie comes out.

Anyway, among interruptions at this end maybe I can finish these prompts!

Gratitude for the Past Year for today is What the year has taught you about yourself… I can go through something truly horrible and NOT cry about it! I had my moments but I never did!

Year Gone, Achieved Nothing for today is Identify five of your favourite conversations from the year… Oh wow! Conversations? That’s definitely different! At least three of them were based around baseball! The best conversations about the team, the decisions and the games and they would have been with Larry, my dad and even my mom. Sometimes when my dad is out and she’s watching the game alone and we’ve had the best chats with her about what’s happening! The other two, well, yesterday was a really great conversation, if you can call it that, and, finally, at least one of the great conversations I’ve had with my new boss since September.

Advent Calendar Gratitude for today is A positive surprise from the year… I think it was interviewing for the Assistant DOC job in JUNE and then silence. The assumption being I, obviously, didn’t get it. Then all of a sudden getting a call when I was at the doorstep of a work-from-home job. Not sure whether to take it. And then finding out she now needs a DOC!

Well, I’m officially running Book Club at work now! Can you believe that? How insane is that? It’s weird but I hope it will be fun for sure! Maybe I’ll get a writing club next… oh wait, that’s happening at home!

Okay, half an hour left on this! So exciting!