Withdrawal Symptoms and Returning to "Normal"

After blogging every day for a month, it felt strange NOT to blog yesterday, and today I'm experiencing what can only be called withdrawal symptoms. I even reread the first three chapters of my NaNo novel last night, correcting a typo here, doing a bit of rephrasing there, before reminding myself that I'm taking the month of December off to concentrate on the holidays.

Returning to "normal" is a process. It began yesterday with getting caught up on some much-needed sleep, reading some more of Death at Epsom Downs by Robin Paige (pseudonym for Bill and Susan Wittig Albert), and watching "The Bishop's Wife" on DVD--the original version with David Niven, Loretta Young, and Cary Grant. I also talked with my son and daughter-in-law, wishing them a happy anniversary--their second. Today, I had my last physical therapy appointment. It will seem strange not seeing my physical therapist, Jenn, after working with her for five months to get my hand back in shape. She's expecting her second child, another boy, in April, and I'll miss talking with her. We also called my father-in-law in South Carolina today to wish him a happy 80th birthday.

"Normal" also included our monthly trip to our local health food store to stock up on my gluten-free supplies and check out the new items they've added to their stock. I remember how truly awful gf foods were twenty years ago when I was first diagnosed with the condition. Really, the boxes tasted better than the contents! But now, there are so many delicious items to choose from, it's hard to decide what to have. Tonight it's lasagna, a salad, and gf cheesy garlic bread.

My husband and I are doing a "Countdown to Christmas" by watching a Christmas movie on TV, DVD, or VHS every night ending with "A Child's Christmas in Wales" on Christmas Eve--an annual tradition begun when my first child was a little girl. And tomorrow, I plan to start making room in the living room for the tree and start getting the decorations up in preparation for my son and daughter-in-law's visit from Chicago a week from tomorrow.

It feels good to know I accomplished what I set out to do in November. But it also feels good to return to my "normal" life, broaden my focus again, and fully embrace the Christmas season. What holidays do you celebrate in your family this season--Hanukkah? Christmas? Kwanzaa? Something else? How do you get ready for the holidays? What puts you in the holiday mood? Are you one of Santa's elves, or is the Grinch more your style? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Day Fifteen: Paige Pinch-hits

Hi, everyone! This is Paige. Donna is busily working on her novel and getting ready for next week's special blog posts, so I told her I'd write today's entry. Truthfully, I was beginning to wonder if I'd have an opportunity to write a post or two. You may recall that when we started this year's NaNoWriMo challenge, I gave her a checklist that included disconnecting from the outside world for the month, and sequestering herself with the computer. Who knew she'd take me so literally? I've had to step in a few times and remind her to eat and sleep. This NaNo thing has a way of taking over a person's life--at least for a month!

While she's busily writing away, I've been trying to keep tabs on her "real" life for her. After all, the world doesn't get put on "hold" just because a group of people decide to sidestep sanity every year during the month of November. When she returns from NaNoLand on December 1, I plan to hand her my notes and bring her up to speed with the lives of her family and friends. I must say they've been doing some pretty exciting things while she's been immersed in fantasy (writing, that is)--you needn't worry that she's hearing voices or seeing little green men--that comes closer to the end of the month when the sleep deprivation REALLY kicks in!

So, what's been going on around us while she's had the NaNo blinders on? For one thing, her younger daughter and son-in-law went on a European cruise. I'd be really jealous if it weren't for the fact that I get seasick, am claustrophobic (have you seen how small some of the bathrooms are in those cabins?), and my dogs would hate me if I boarded them for even an hour, let alone a week. I don't think the Princess Line or Carnival would let me bring them along. Anyway, the kids had a great time visiting Spain, Italy, and France. It reminds me of the Dr. Seus book, Oh, the Places You'll Go. And go they did--Barcelona, Naples, Rome (including Vatican City), The Leaning Tower of Pisa, Nice (which is nice), Marseilles, Monaco, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some. No "Bang-ups" or "Hang-ups," fortunately, but they did spend some time in the "Waiting Place" which in their case turned out to be six-hour layovers in Newark, both coming and going.

Donna and her husband have a new grand-nephew, born November 12. Welcome to the world, Nathan Patrick! Her husband's brother and sister-in-law are the proud grandparents, and their (the bro and sil's) daughter and her husband are the proud Mama and Papa! So, the "circle of life" goes on.

While some of her friends have been busy in the garden harvesting fall crops and planting bulbs for spring, Donna hasn't planted anything but her fingers on her keyboard--unless changing out incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescents counts. And speaking of planting, the weather has been more like spring than fall, with today's temperature topping out at 74 degrees! We should be somewhere in the upper 30s to mid-40s range. Nice for the heating bills, though. Either it's going to be a mild winter, or one of these days the bottom is going to drop right out of the thermometer!

Meanwhile, I've been trying to work on some holiday recipes that are gluten-free and will also fit her son's vegan lifestyle. If any of you readers have suggestions, please leave them in the comments for me. And speaking of food, it must be supper time because Higgins (my cat) and Noah and Cody (my two Border Collies) are ganging up on me. Higgins is eyeing my mouse and getting into attack position. Oh, and don't forget to tune in Monday when NaNoers share their responses to the question "Why do you write?"

Until next time!--Paige