Bagel Dogs

J is finally on the mend today and is back at work. I'm still wondering if/when this stomach bug is going to hit me. I spent a good part of yesterday cleaning and sanitizing, so hopefully that has improved my chances. Thankfully Tiegan is still fine too.

I'm antsy about Christmas shopping. We've been waiting until this extra money comes through from a photography job I'm doing on the 20th. Talk about last minute! If you know me, you know I'm kind of a last-minute person. But I'm usually not this bad. It can't be helped this time, but it leaves me with a lot of anxiety. I'll have 2 days to shop, wrap and get everything in order on my own. One day should be enough, though, considering we aren't doing much once again. I'm looking forward to the years we'll be able to do something nice for everyone in our families, without having to budget and cut back on other things.

I'm surprisingly full of Christmas spirit this year. Normally it takes me a while to get into it. The cold and snow makes it difficult for me. I'm not a cold-weather person. Bundling up, loading into the car, dragging the bottom of my pants through snow and having to peel them off as soon as I get in the door because they're soaking wet... not my idea of "festive."

This year, I don't mind. I look forward to the day the ice becomes thick enough for us to skate on. I want Jason to teach us how. (I can picture us laughing and falling down together and having fun.) I love the way the Christmas lights look from across the lake at night, reflected on the frosty ice. I remind myself that the cold won't last forever, and I should just enjoy it while it lasts. We can take Tiegan sledding at Cascades. We can make snowmen. And when we just don't feel like braving it, we can cuddle up on the couch and watch movies all day - and feel that much better about being warm and cozy while the rest of Jackson freezes.

You know what I miss? BAGEL DOGS. My mom used to order them all the time from this food catalog we had in elementary school. They were hot dogs, wrapped in bagel dough. The hot dogs were good. Kosher. The bagel part was buttery. It was the perfect balance.