When I went to get the papers, I could feel the morning chill. The air was clear, the way it is sometimes on winter mornings. The sunlight was slanted across the trees and empty gardens. I stood outside for a bit. It was a lovely morning, but since then, light grey clouds have taken over. It will be cold, down to the 30’s today with maybe rain tonight. I will be safe and warm at home.

This morning my mailman dropped off two packages. He was on a package run and will deliver my mail later. He told me he had worked all day Sunday.

Yesterday I ate Sunday dinner. It had been a while since I grabbed more than cereal, hot dogs or eggs on Sundays. I baked a spatchcocked chicken, two sweet potatoes and two regular Yukon Gold potatoes. For dinner, I chose the sweet potato to go with the chicken, and I added peas as I happened to have a can of Le Sueur Sweet Peas, my favorite, in the cabinet. The chicken was baked perfectly. The sweet potato was delicious. I loved my Sunday dinner, and I get to do eat it all again tonight.

I am behind my time as Bob Cratchit was. I have organized most of the gifts into bags and the bags are in family groups. I wonder what you call a group of presents in bags. I’m thinking a parcel of presents, but that seems too cute, too contrived. It could be an array as in hedgehogs, one of my favorite little animals. Even Henry has a hedgehog. I like passel as in passel of pigs though the pig part could be an issue, but, after searching a bit, I found the best description, a parade of presents. Into my head came a vision, a parade of dancing presents wrapped in different colored paper. Some had arms, some did not. Then It came to me. I remembered a popcorn box with arms. It was intermission at the drive-in when all the food went on parade.

My friends sent me an Advent calendar with a chocolate behind every number. I am so excited. I get to eat 7 days worth today.

The predicted winds arrived last night around six. They whooshed for a while. It started to rain again. The air felt warm at 48˚. But it’s getting colder now in the darkness, down to the 30’s. Henry doesn’t stay out long. I do have a jacket I bought for him last year, but I’m thinking he won’t allow me to put it on him. The jacket is blue, and it would stave off the cold and look good at the same time. Ah well!

As soon as I walked out the door this morning, I knew it was cold and it was cloudy, but the sun has since appeared with a winter sharpness. I asked and found out it is only 36˚ but the day will get as high as 44˚. That I think 44˚ is a high means my head is in winter mode.

Today is elf day when I am finalizing the Christmas count. Everything is so slow a few packages haven’t yet come. The one my sister sent the day after Thanksgiving priority mail from outside of Boston arrived yesterday. My mailman was delivering to me when another delivery car went by him. I asked about it, and my mailman said there were so many packages they had to have carriers just delivering packages, no mail, but my guy did deliver a couple of small packages to me.

When I was a kid, the mailman delivered twice a day during the Christmas season. We’d hurry to the door to be the first to grab the mail. There were always several envelopes, Christmas cards. We hoped for a card, and sometimes we got cards from our aunts. I remember a paper Santa Claus with a wreath empty in the middle for hanging on a branch. We put it on the tree, mostly to hide an empty spot. My mother would let us take turns opening family cards. I remember strings of cards above the couch and across the living room doorway. I still like to send cards. I have some amazing cards this year. I bought my Edward Gorey, a collection of Christmas cards, and there is a set with a pig walking upright who is dressed to the nines for Christmas. It is an amusing card. I have cards from the fifties which are wonderful surprises. I buy family cards. I wrote all the cards out last night, ready for mailing tomorrow after I buy stamps.

I’m thinking I need a ride to see the lights. Some neighborhoods are known for their lights. When I was a kid, it was a Saugus neighborhood, not so far away. I knew the route well. It was the same way we always got on and off Route 1. The houses were spectacular on street after street. I think we all had huge grins the whole time we looked out the windows. The lines of cars on both sides of the street went slowly. We went through twice so we each saw all the houses both sides of the street up-close.

My fence is lit with colored lights in the front. The side has a giant white star with a trail of white lights. The ornament tree will be lit from the new spot light I bought. I’ll put it out tomorrow. I also need to bring the cow up. I fell in love with him last Christmas. My yard will be bright in the darkness.