almost Christmas

My tiny little bright green Christmas tree is up on the side table and the room is warm from the gas fireplace that we finally got working yesterday. The gas guy came out and turned on the gas and showed me how to clean the glass. I got out the vacuum and he vacuumed the white powder from the inside of the fireplace.

Then I wondered if I should tip him, but he said goodbye and left while I was packing up the vacuum, so it wasn't like he lingered as if he was expecting a tip. I never know what to do in these situations. When do you tip and when not? I regret not having tipped him. He seemed like he could use one, like he had a family at home depending on him, and it's almost Christmas, after all. Sigh. It's hard being a grown up.

But here I am, with a gas fire and a bright Christmas tree and a cup of peppermint hot chocolate and it's nearly Christmas. Except that I haven't really gotten into Christmas music this year. I continue to linger on the Patty Griffin station. Still, it's cozy and festive here in my living room, if by festive you mean that colored lights are twinkling and fiddles are fiddling in folk music, because that's what I mean by festive, and that's what it is.