If you have an Advent Calendar, today is the day that you should open up that nineteenth little door. You've only got 6 more little doors to open. No cheating! You can only open door number 19. For all the rest of you, you've only got 6 more days before Christmas. That's less then a week people. (As if you need me or anyone else to remind you that there are seven days in a week and six days is definitely less then seven days.) Now's the time to remember the real meaning of Christmas so you don't kill anyone when you're out at the stores.

I have to go to the store this morning. I need green sugar to decorate my cookies. My son went out looking for some but the shelves were bare at the one store he went to. I'll try another store. Maybe a couple other stores. I know that you can make your own colored sugars but somehow they never look quite the same. When going to the store at this time of year, one must bring along a huge amount of patience, understanding, and forgiveness. Tempers are short. There are lots of people out there who are downright cranky! That's why I prefer to avoid shopping at this time of year. Of course, I'm not saying that I don't get cranky when I'm stressed out but, I'm not stressed out right now. I'm almost done. The finish line is within sight. But as my Grandmother D. used to say, "Don't break your arm patting yourself on the back." I think she proceeded this with, "Well, Mama pin a rose on you."

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

The Philadelphia Zoological Garden, chartered in 1859, was the first zoo in the United States. It opened in 1874 on 33 acres, and 282 animals were exhibited. I remember visiting the small Como Park Zoo in Minnesota as a child. Monkey Island was a particular favorite.