December 15, 2006 | Mama Smith

I should be packing...

...but instead, I’m sitting here at 10pm making… a tissue holder? And why?? I have absolutely no idea.

Yes, I should be packing. The suitcase has yet to be pulled out of the closet, dusted off and stuffed to the brim. Instead, presents, fresh laundry and lists of things to pack are piled high on my dresser. Which tonight, just seemed too overwhelming to deal with.

So how do I manange these precious few hours of Brighton-free time wisely? By only adding to the mess. Pulling out my fabrics, piecing together patchwork pieces and making an oh-so-UNnecessary item like a tissue holder. Do I even use those tiny annoying tissues? Don’t they just take up space in my already stuffed purse/Brighton bag? Yeh, but they might as well look cute now while they’re taking up that space.

I guess I just missed my sewing machine and missed creating and was tired of just checking off boxes on my to-do list. Water plants, finish laundry, clean the bathroom, send out Christmas cards, make dishes for various parties this week. I just wanted to create. Even something as simple and lowly as a tissue holder.

After those precious 30 minutes, it felt so good to see a finished creation sitting there on the desk. Even with the mess I’d just made surrounding me and a bigger mess of things to pack cluttering our bedroom. Sometimes you just need a break from the to-do’s and need to do something cathartic. This, for some reason, hit the spot for me tonight.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day in the Smith household. Matthew and I started the tradition of celebrating our own mini-Christmas together as a family before heading off to my folks. We like to give each other our presents without the chaos of all that ensues traditionally on Christmas morning in with a family of 6…plus 2 more with Matthew and Brighton now added to the Hall family festivities.

So the tree will be emptied of it’s bounty beneath the boughs tomorrow morning, then we’ll head off for breakfast in Chestnut Hill at the French Bakery. Our new favorite spot. Then the real packing must begin, seeing as it’d probably be a little imprudent to wait until the day OF our flight to begin this task.

Now that I’ve completed my emotional purging task of the evening, I’m off to bed. Matthew is still out with his guy friends at the Uki, a Ukrainian bar that has become a favorite among these fellas for their $2 beer and $.25 game of pool. Or maybe I’ll work on making a toilet paper roll cover instead of going to bed?!

Only kidding :)

Could I blaim this sidetracking project nonsense on pregnancy? Seems like you can blaim every fault you have during the 9 month span on those mysterious pregnancy hormones. So why not.

Here’s the back of the tissue holder, for those fellow sewing minds out there. Good thing I have this now. And made it before it was too late. What would I have done without it in London?!