Monday, December 19, 2011

Country Santa

Day One of Country Santa.
posted by Melissa Baumgart
This month started with lots of karaoke.  Mid-month has brought more Christmas caroling and puzzle making.  Some friends of ours had their annual Christmas carol party this past Saturday, and it was a lot of fun as usual.  She hires a piano player and has books with the music and lyrics and a fluctuating group of about 25 -30 people and kids join in to belt out some well known carols.  Kinda like old fashioned karaoke, perhaps?

Then there has been the puzzle.  My mother-in-law sent us a box of gifts, and a couple things to start out the season.  One was this puzzle, called "Country Santa."  Levi and I started the puzzle Thursday morning, and many hours have gone into it since then.  I often have Christmas music playing the background, singing merrily along.

But puzzle making can be also addictive.  Today, I didn't get dressed, I didn't brush my teeth, I didn't even look in the mirror and barely fed my kids lunch.  My back hurts from being hunched over this puzzle all day.  I am now showered and taking a break, but I am determined to finish this puzzle by tomorrow.  I think I hit the tipping point this afternoon, and with any luck I might meet my goal.

I better, since I still have more Christmas preparing to do, you know for the real thing, not just a cardboard Santa that's been taking up the dining room table for a few days.  He'll have to go before the Baumgart Family Christmas Eve Party, or there won't be room for the tamales at the table.

I do suggest trying a puzzle, especially if you haven't done one in a while.  It is very satisfying.  And when you're unemployed and not in school, it kinda gives you a feeling of accomplishing something at the end of the day.

-Melissa

2 comments:

Bob Redmond said...

That puzzle was awesome, it was fun to see it come together. On the same topic, I would highly recommend the book LIFE: A USER'S MANUAL too (which takes place in an apartment building, incidentally). We are all just little pieces in a bigger puzzle.

Melissa Baumgart said...

It was awesome, indeed, Bob. Next year, we can do it all again :)
And I definitely am interested in picking up that book. Right after I finish my Super Sad True Love Story, of course. Which I do find to be a bit puzzling.