Been busy

Hi all-
I've been keeping myself pretty busy lately. I've been helping a friend with watching her kids for a couple hours twice a week in addition to my two hours at the Humane Society once a week. Just having regularly scheduled activities is getting me out of the house and taking up a bit more of my time so I'm staying busier. In addition to that I've been trying to get my Christmas cards done and sent out and I finished the table runner pictured below.
My biggest time suck right now is getting prepared to go on my trip to visit my sister in Italy. I leave on Sunday! I can't believe it! When I get there we'll be spending our time in Florence until the 26th when we fly to Paris! We'll be there until the 30th when we go back to Florence. We stay there for New Year's and on the second we go to Rome. I come back to the states on the 6th. It has only mildly hit me that I'm going, every once in a while I realize it and get really excited and unbelieving. I'm so practical so much of the time though that I don't know that it'll hit me until I actually get on the plane on Sunday. I'm trying to get loose ends tied up here before I leave. Bills paid, mail stopped, etc. I have a pile of stuff in my room that will be going with me but I haven't really started packing yet. I still have time. My flight leaves at 2pm on Sunday and I believe it's a 10 or so hour flight straight to Germany. I think the timing is great for sleeping the whole way but I don't usually have much luck with sleeping on planes so we'll see how that goes.  I hope to get everything of mine cleaned up in the apartment so that when I come home it won't be a mess. I hate coming home to a messy house. My roomie on the other hand is a different story.

I've been home to Yuba for the last three weekends in a row. First for Thanksgiving, then for the birthday party of a good friend, then again this past weekend for a Christmas party. I had a great time with my friends and I love them dearly!

I may be too busy for the next couple of days before I go so if I don't post again before I leave I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!