I’m feeling a little random this week so I’m going to share 3 things that aren’t connected but are relevant in my life right now

1. Yesterday I turned in my nomination papers to run for the Board of Selectmen for my second term. That’s right, it’s been 3 years already! The way it works around here is that you go to your Town Clerk and get papers, which need to be signed by at least 50 registered voters in town who want to see your name on the ballot. I took out my papers last Wednesday, the first day they were available, and by Monday night I had filled both sheets which is 64 signatures. I dropped them off today so I’m officially running again. And I’m excited about it! I enjoy the work and feel like I still have things to contribute to make our town a better place to live.
2. I have resisted the allure of TikTok from the beginning but lately I’m having more and more friends encourage me to give it a try. Seriously, the last thing I need is another social media platform! I definitely reach the most people on Facebook (even though I try and spend very little time scrolling these days) and I love Instagram but have a hard time keeping up with all the posts. I’m on Snapchat but only so I can see cute videos of Jackie. TikTok just seems like another . . . thing to waste time. Having said that, I’ve seen a couple of videos that have cracked me right up and I’m tempted.
3. All the hibernating we’ve been doing since Christmas has meant we’ve watched a bunch of shows. I’m guessing none of these are new to you but the ones we’ve enjoyed over the last few weeks are: The Mandalorian, The Queen’s Gambit, Bridgerton, and The Crown. If I had to pick a favorite from the list I’d have a hard time choosing between Queen’s Gambit and Bridgerton. Truly, you can’t go wrong with any of them and they are all pretty different, too.

And that’s it for me this Thursday. If you wrote a post for today please include your link below and thanks, as always, for joining the link party.

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This Christmas season is certainly different than any I can remember. Or at least any I can remember as an adult. In the interest of it being Thursday, I’m going to share 3 specific things that are unique to Christmas 2020.

1. Dale and I are pretty much caught up on watching holiday movies. There are a bunch we always watch, from the silly like Christmas With the Kranks to the sentimental like White Christmas to our favorite, Love Actually. We generally have to formulate a plan of attack for when we will watch these, given that our lives are full with meetings and obligations, parties and socializing. This year, though, it’s mid December and the only one we haven’t watched yet is A Christmas Carol and that’s on deck for the weekend. I guess not having anywhere to go leaves plenty of time for movie watching.
2. I’m not prepping for a Christmas Eve extravaganza. With only a week to go at this point I’d have a finalized menu (not that it ever changes much) along with shopping lists and prep lists and timelines. I’d have coordinated with Hannah to come over and help us make 8 pounds of Swedish meatballs. I’d have talked with various friends and family members to make sure they were coming. I’d have ordered wine and washed glasses and made sure I had plenty of napkins and paper goods and more. And I’d be complaining about a bunch of this, too. Not this year, though. This year we’re still deciding what we are doing on Christmas Eve, our options run the gamut from snacks and apps to a full on sit down dinner. Time will tell on that one.
3. I haven’t participated in any Yankee swaps. You know what those are, right? Everyone brings a gift and you draw a number that determines when you get to open your gift and who you get to swap it with. They can be fun but both Dale and I feel like we always (a) put a lot of thought into the gift we bring, even if it’s a gag gift and (b) always wind up with a crappy gift to bring home. Bottom line? We aren’t missing this particular holiday tradition one little bit.

Rumor has it that focusing on the things that are different help you to accept that and move on. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

If you wrote a post for today I hope you will leave a link to it below. Thank you for joining in on Three On Thursday.

As the song goes, it’s coming on Christmas and in the spirit I am listening to lots of Christmas music. There’s the standard stuff like White Christmas (I actually like the song but adore the movie) and We Need a Little Christmas (never truer than 2020 amIright?) but then there are others that are less traditional like Sleigh Ride by The Ronettes or Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and literally everything by Darlene Love. In any case, today I’m sharing 3 I really love that you may not know in the hopes that you’ll find something new to enjoy this season.

1. The Oh Hellos Family Christmas Album. It’s only 4 songs and each is a different movement . . . really a combination of traditional songs with a new twist. Mvmt IV is my favorite in case you are wondering.
2. Annalise Emerick’s song This Love Won’t Break Your Heart from the album Starry-Eyed. It’s more of a New Year’s Eve song but I’ve never believed we should wait until December 31st to listen to Auld Lang Syne. (Speaking of Auld Lang Syne, Old Crow Medicine Show has a great version of it that was recorded live at the Ryman Auditorium.)
3. All The I Want for Christmas by The Rescues. Please do not confuse this with the Mariah Carey song All I Want for Christmas Is You. Not that there’s anything wrong with that one, I hear it’s a particular favorite of Jackie’s right now. But this one is soft and lovely and I first heard it many years ago on Grey’s Anatomy.

What are your favorite holiday songs? Tell me so I can find something new! And if you wrote a post for today don’t forget to include your link below.