Last-Minute Christmas To-Do's

I actually enjoy leaving a handful of items to do on Christmas Eve. The day is so festive, everyone is in good moods, people wearing Santa hats while shopping. Dear daughter Harleigh agreed to tackle half of my list (a good portion of it more errand-related) and so in good time we got the last-minute gifts bought, Henry the mailman found en route so we could give him his Christmas gift (love living in an area where you know the mailman by name), dry cleaning picked up, met up for lunch together, got Gideon from the groomer (he's gotta look good when Santa comes tonite!), and finished the last of the cakes to deliver to neighbors. In past years I've done the standard 48 dozen cookies, but this year, what with all the other commitments, I scaled it back to something more manageable, so neighbors got a warm-from-the-oven poppy seed cake instead. The pans, bowls and beaters are washed, we're getting ready for church and an evening with family — dinner, English poppers, singing Christmas carols, and laughing. Jesus likes this a lot, I'm sure.