must. get. to. post. office

In the usual pre-Christmas mayhem that has become my norm since seminary (well, okay, since leaving New England, which pretty much coincides with the end of seminary), I'm down to the wire with Christmas. Three packages need to get to the post office. Today! One is packed and ready to go once I slap on a label.  The other two need to have gifts wrapped and then packed and labeled and off we go! All because of pillowcases.

Yes, pillowcases. This is all my mother's fault. When we were kids, she made Christmas pillowcases for me and my brother. Since I don't have kids of my own I like to adopt other people's children to live out my Mom-like holiday traditions. So when  my unofficial goddaughter and her sister came into my life I made Christmas pillowcases for them. Now that same unofficial goddaughter has children of her own, and she asked me if I would make pillowcases for her kids. Awwwww. Can you feel my heart melting?

You betcha! I thought that while I was at it I would do pillowcases for the other kids in my life who matter more than most. That meant eight pillowcases. Hmmm! And I still want to make Advent calendars for the three families in question. hmmm. The Advent calendars would have to wait (how appropriate!), but the pillowcases should be a snap.

Right. Getting the fabric was easy enough, but then there was the matter of measuring, pairing, cutting (remember: measure twice, cut once), clearing off the counter where I cut fabric, clearing off the table where I sew, moving things off the floor to set up the ironing board... Get the picture?

I managed to get two pillowcases finished yesterday afternoon before we went out for the evening. The red one required a facing because there wasn't enough border to make a hem. In imagining this project I thought it would be fun to put a pocket on the pillow where little gifts could be tucked in occasionally, or a tooth might be left for the tooth fairy. In the end, however, I failed to execute that portion of the plan. No matter! Two pillowcases will go in the mail today that I finished yesterday afternoon. Did I mention that I'm cutting it close? The third, for my goddaughter's youngest child, will have to wait. He's only five months, after all, and not sleeping on pillows, nor will he be aware that he's missing out. I may do his today when I get back from the post office, for no other reason than to bring closure for myself!

In the meantime, I've got a few presents to wrap. And pack. And take to the post office.

Don't I have the best Mom?