Holidays Approacheth...And Not a Second Too Soon

Whew, that was a busy week.

Yes, I did do #LightTheWorld this last week. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to do as much as I wanted. I made a donation to the International Rescue Committee. I've donated to them before, so I've had this one vetted and I know that the money actually goes to helping the right people, so I like this option and recommend it, though there are many good charities and options.

What have you done this week?

This coming week, Week 2, is about Lighting the Community.

Ideas for this week include:

- Perform an anonymous act of service for a friend or neighbor
- Volunteer at a homeless shelter
- Give blood at blood bank/drive
- Help clean a church building

But, of course, there are lots of other options. This one's all about helping the people around you. I might give platelets. I should have time now.

Like I said, this week was a very busy week. I was hard at work grading, and since I'm up next (a little earlier than planned) for my writing group, I was flying through a revision of my work in progress, tweaking and perfecting so that other minds than my own can understand it.

(By the way, if you want to know what the daily life of a writer is like, yesterday I contemplated the possibility of one day using the phrase "Seinfeldian arms race" in an actual piece of writing. No word yet on the conclusion.)

I don't have a lot to report today. I haven't been pondering very writerly things yet, although I have an idea for a future post about the balance of silly and serious in really good children's books. That, though, needs some thinking and evidence gathering, so it will have to wait.

Today I'm just going to say that holidays are important. I'm busy, and I have present buying left to do, and finals week is breathing down my neck, but someday soon, I'll see my family, I'll fly off to a magical land of joy and wonder with them (Pennsylvania...and then, soon after, Orlando), and I'll have the chance to NOT be in the daily routine of grading and conferencing, I'll NOT have to get up early every morning for work, although I do love my job.

Sometimes, though, taking that break away from normal, even if it's a busy break away, is a good way to remind myself why I like that normal. And the breaks, the vacations, the holidays, are fun and friendly and good on their own. At least, they are for me, and I believe in people making their holidays into whatever they want/need them to be. In my case, that means internet shopping and not fighting the Orem traffic to go to the mall if I can help it.

So, as the holiday season winds up and down, happy holidays, and I'll see you again next week with possibly a post about ridiculous but heart-warming middle grade fiction. But for now, I need to rest and ice my aching typing fingers.