Preparing for Christmas (and misc.)

We are so stoked! A couple months ago we had the main room of our new home cleared out. We didn't enjoy it very long though. There were all these boxes in the rest of the house and it was difficult to navigate. So we put all of them in the center of the main room so we'd be tripping over them and get to them eventually.

Last night, we got the last of them unpacked and cleared off our floor. We have a floor again! Hyrum can crawl all around to his heart's content. Joy keeps saying how glad she is every time she walks in the door.

We've got the tinsel and some decorative balls put up around the house. This week we'll get out the tree and hopefully find the lights. I'm REALLY looking forward to having some lights out that people can see. I also have my German Rauchermensch up - he's one of the three wise men, and you put a little incense cone in his belly so he smokes.

We're also preparing for Christmas baking. Steve and Emmy already did the family fatigmand fry. (A thousand thanks! Blessings on you, on your house, and on your camel! May your toilet always flush clockwise and ... yes, dear, I'll behave.) Mom and I will make German stollen and Danish kringla when we're there in January. This week will be pie baking (pumpkin and choclate pecan) and some gingerbread cookies for Joy.

Early next week we'll go caroling with some friends. (If you would like to be among those friends, let me know. I always say, the more the merrier.)

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Steve introduced me recently to Brandon Sorenson, a new fantasy author. I've been devouring his first book, Elantris, recently and really enjoying it. I recommend it for fantasy readers. He has developed a very detailed, interesting new world with a fairly complex storyline. There were a couple plot twists that were highly predictable (I have a very firm guess as to how some it will end) but he's thrown in some fairly major surprises I hadn't expected. The characters are drawn well and are very interesting.

Depending on what comes this Christmas, I may dive into some Star Trek (Captain's Table series) next.

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Joy has enjoyed her birthday present, Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility. "It has really great graphics. I like growing a garden in 3D! And I love the little animals, especially so far the turtle and the monkey. If you become good enough friends with them, they'll become your pet."

I've been enjoying her game a lot too. Unlike the Gameboy version, the day goes by too quickly to be able to do everything I'd like, so I have to prioritize each day. They also have a pretty strict stamina system that only lets you grow so many crops at the beginning, forcing you to spend the rest of your day socializing.

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Tomorrow I turn my dissertation over to Per for signatures, and then to the graduate school for approval and VICTORY!