Carbs

 I have started a few blog entries and then just abandoned them because they have been so depressing (probably because I've been binging Endeavor, which is an amazing series but so very grim.) So I'm going to try again and try to be less of a downer.

Let's see. We managed to get our Christmas tree up and a few decorations placed around.  We even ordered a few more from Williams Sonoma of all places. Dave liked a set of copper colored glass baubles, so we got those. We also sorted through Dave's mother's decorations--that was depressing--which were mostly inexpensive plastic things that went into the bin, though I kept a few to use on the wreath on our front door. 

I bought Christmas presents that I now need to wrap. I sent out Christmas cards to family, a few friends and a handful of strangers. (I used up the last of Dave's mother's cards and parts of two sets of cards I got online. Last year I made cards, but this year I wasn't feeling it.) We ordered Droste chocolate letters and salted black licorice from VanderVeens, a Dutch company, for ourselves, and a Droste chocolate letter, hopjes, and spekulaas cookies for Dave's father. Dave's grandmother was Dutch, so those are some of the treats that Dave associates with her. (After Dave and I started living together, she would also send me a chocolate letter, which I always appreciated given how little the rest of Dave's family regarded me.)

We also ordered KF94 masks and Covid tests from Austria. (Covid tests in the U.S. run about $23 to $25 each though sometimes you can find them on sale for a bit less. The ones we ordered from Austria test for Covid, flu, and RSV and cost around $4 each. The ones that test for covid by itself are around $1.20. I had to pay shipping, but with shipping, I got 20 Covid/flu/RSV tests and the same amount of money would have gotten 5 Covid tests in the U.S.)

In addition to ordering all that, we placed a big order from IKEA for some more storage units. We ordered a large, three door wardrobe, some shelving from their Kallax series, a lamp, and a few other things. (They were having a free shipping period for the holidays so we took advantage of that. Shipping from IKEA is really expensive, so I often hesitate to buy from them.) 

Our house lacks storage space in such a dumb way. Two closets are completely unusable because the previous owners but the water heater in one and the floor heating unit in the other. There is a large walk in closet in the bedroom that is currently housing Dave's mother's art collection, most of which should go to his father but you know how that goes. The closet in Dave's office is used for storage. There's one more closet that has my art supplies and journals and other stored things. But what's missing is clothes storage and a broom closet. So clothes that should be hung up end up piled on the dresser and the brooms and mops end up tucked behind doors or leaning against the back door. We also still have books and books and books in boxes. The wardrobe should alleviate some of that and give us a place to put a broom and hopefully we can get some more books unpacked.

I thought too late that I should have ordered another two storage units for my sewing area. I could use the storage space for fabric and other things. (Probably I need to stop collecting fabric for a time.)

Anyway when that all comes, we (meaning Dave) will have to put it all together.

Speaking of Dave, he took a week off from work. Most of it was spent in his pajamas playing his new video game, which is great as far as I'm concerned. We all need time to do things like that. But he also did a lot of baking. He made lots of bread and chocolate babka and fruitcake and biscochitos. We've been living on carbs, never a good idea.