I started off today running. I got up at 6 am (on a Saturday!!) to shower and take Kate to work. Since I was up, I decided to go shopping and by 7:15 I was in Lowe's (a home improvement store) and 7:45 I was in Home Depot and by 8 I was in Pathmark to do the grocery shopping. I stopped by the liquor store for rum for the egg nog and some beer for Pk and was home by 9:15 A.M. After we unloaded the groceries, I put the perishables away and sat and played on the computer for a bit. I needed a little rest. The house got cleaned and all the presents are now wrapped and the laundry is done. I have decided to give myself a present. I am taking all of Pk's dress shirts to the laundry and letting them iron them. I hate to iron and I don't want to spend any of my precious vacation time ironing shirts. There are about 10 dress shirts to be done so I figure it will be money well spent.

For the first time in years, and I mean Years, I had help wrapping the presents. No, not Calvin, although he helped by holding down the paper and ribbon for me. Peter Kevin wrapped 6, count'em 6 presents! I was just so glad to have some help (because I do all the shopping and wrapping for everyone) that I didn't say anything as he carefully cut each piece of paper as if it were fine, expensive linen- filled paper instead of wood pulp that will be torn and thrown away, and made elaborate bows out of ribbons. I cut and taped and attached tags. I left off the bows because they have a habit of fallling off and I was too tired to tie ribbon around everything. I have been having some trouble with energy levels this year. I just had some blood work done and everything looks normal but I have been so tired. I think it's because of extra stuff at work and I hope this week off will let me rest (once this holiday-thing is done!).

I still have not baked a single cookie. That is on tomorrow's agenda. I have a manicure/pedicure appointment (a well deserved gift to myself!) and then I will spend the next two days baking. I usually bake 6 or 7 different kinds of cookies with one new one each year. I haven't made the egg nogg yet and that is one of my favorite things. It is a recipe for coquina or coquito, I have heard it pronounced both ways. Several years ago, I bowled on a team with three folks from Puerto Rico. They shared some of this amazing drink with me and I have made it ever since. Here is the recipe:

3 cans of evaporated milk

1 can sweetened condensed milk

3 cans cream of coconut

5 egg yolks

vanilla ( to taste)

Rum

Mix the cans of milk and cream of coconut in a blender till well blended. Cream of coconut is thick and very sticky. Unless you have a mondo blender, this will take two or three batches.

Put the mixture into a large pot and whisk in the egg yolks.

Bring to a simmer and cook for only a few minutes or the eggs will curdle.

Let it cool and add vanilla and rum to taste.

This makes about 3 quarts of egg nogg.

Sometimes I thin it down with some half and half but it is so good. If I start drinking it, there will be some very interesting cookies made tomorrow! I am looking forward, finally, to baking cookies and of course the babka we have every year. Babka is a polish raisin bread that we only have for Christmas and Easter. It is Pk's mother's recipe and it is delicious. It's what we eat while we open presents. Usually I have to make two because one disappears so quickly.

There has been no knitting today. I have arthritis in my hands and for some reason, maybe the cold, damp weather, my hands hurt. The ibuprofen is finally kicking in but I am glad we finished the scarf and mittens and puppet for my niece. Now, I can go back to working on my snowflake socks and finish them. I want to use a similar pattern to make a pair of mittens for me. I think the pattern on the socks will translate nicely to a pair of mittens. I plan to spend some quality time this week with the needles.

It's only ten o'clock but I am fading fast. Just think only 3 more days....well, more like 2 days and a little bit. I think I'm getting excited.