Iowa Girl on the Go

Another holiday season has arrived like a steamroller, and I find myself in the same situation as I do every year: Unless I quit my full-time job, I absolutely cannot find time to shop and decorate and bake and wrap and send Christmas cards and attend mandatory holiday parties AND find time to enjoy all the wonderful events that are scheduled exclusively at this time of year.

I find it terribly frustrating. This weekend, for example, I wanted to attend Iowa State’s WinterFest activities Friday night but instead opted to get a jump on decorating my house. On Saturday, I finished decorating, did my usual weekend chores, and attended my husband’s office party. What I would have preferred to do was attend Prelude to Christmas in the Amana Colonies, but there was no way I had time to do that.

On Sunday, I had the best of intentions. I was headed with my daughter to the Holly & Ivy Christmas open house at Salisbury House and Terrace Hill, plus Christmas shopping in Des Moines. As we drove into downtown Des Moines, I ran through my list of places I needed to shop and it became clear that we didn’t have time to do everything. So we shopped. Holly & Ivy just wasn’t as much of a priority.

I haven’t started my Christmas cards yet – I’m about a week behind on that. I haven’t wrapped a single gift or baked a single cookie. I’d say that right about the time I get caught up, it will be Christmas weekend and all the holiday events will be over for the year. That sounds about right.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Thanksgiving and Christmas need to be moved farther apart. And all the holiday events need to happen in January so normal (busy) people can enjoy them.