A Long Winter's Nap

Among my friends, I am known as someone who is "(very) early to bed and (very) early to rise". I wake up without the alarm at 5 am each day, and go to bed hours before my peers, apparently. The other night I was talking to a friend at 9:30 pm. Her husband happened by and asked who she was talking to. When he learned it was me, he questioned, "WHAT is SHE doing up SO late?"

Anywhooo, I planned to take a personal day today because I have so many things I needed to take care of on weekdays between the hours of 8am-5pm. Which, coincidentally, are the same hours that I teach. So, I intended to make my customary predawn leap out of bed and totally eliminate the long to-do list on the kitchen counter. Maybe even have time left for a Starbucks run.

Good plan, except I ended up sleeping until noon today. NOON. May I type it again? NOON!!! Hear that loud thumping noise? I am fairly sure that my friends and adult children are falling over backwards throughout the nation.

I have not slept that late since the mid-1970s when I returned from a six-week European study abroad trip. When I am pretty sure I did not sleep a total of twelve hours. Total. You know: places to go, things to do, sixteen year-old European boys to meet. But WHY in the world would I sleep so long on my To-Do Day Off?

I can think of two possible reasons. One involves the five words that any teacher hates to hear on the Nightly News: "a new strain of flu". Symptoms? Sleepy, achy, dry coughing, runny nose and did I mention sleepy? Could that be me?

Or could it be The Other Reason, that involves oh-the-festive weekend I had? Friday night I helped host a table at my church's annual Christmas Women's Dinner. My co-host (and former fellow teacher) spent the night at my house because we also had a table at the annual Christmas Women's Brunch the next morning. And we may or may not have stayed up most of the night talking and catching up. The afternoon was spent getting the Christmas letter/cards out. The evening was spent with my date, Loyal Sister, at my grief class leadership dinner. (Oh, I live the fast life.) We later went to the Christmas Stroll on the Square in the quaint little town where the dinner was held, and arrived home pretty late. Sunday? Church, Sunday School, house cleaning and Family Group Christmas Dinner. Yes, rereading that list makes me understand why I may have been a wee bit tired today. Lots of fun things to do+ lots of energy expended + little sleep. Equation for The Tired today.

But guess what? With only half the time I expected to have, I totally finished the To-Do list. Woo Hoo!

I'm ending with pictures from my church's annual Women's Dinner/Brunch. We host a table for seven other women, decorating with our best Christmas finery. There are carols, fancy food, a great speaker, door prizes and fun. The event has grown so large, we have to hold it twice in one weekend to accommodate all the ladies who want to attend. Hope you enjoy the table settings. (Not sure why they lined up center/left, but you can click on the photos to enlarge them.)