The gifts were ordered days ago; now we’ve finished the cards, except for stamps & mailing. Holiday obligations are now officially out of the way.

There’s still osouji, the Japanese end of year cleaning marathon, to complete, but that will wait until closer to the end of the month. I have a very short list of things to take care of this year. Fix the squeaking hinge on the pantry door; clean out and wipe down the kitchen cabinets; tidy up the container garden; and give the veranda furniture a good scrubbing. Piece of cake.