Today's decluttering has been of the virtual sort, deciding if I'm going to keep a subscription to Flickr when it doesn't really sort well and I rarely use it any more. Once you start wading around in photos and videos they kind of have you - but they also exist in many other places, and several of them are free.

Last night I got out a few items and some garland and decorated the mantle with lights and holiday stuff, and hung up a basket with lights where it usually goes, and a wreath on the door. The mantle is enough, I think, to achieve an indoor holiday spirit; anything else would be overkill. Especially with dogs, two of whom manage to chew up a lot of stuff.

I awoke to thunderstorms this morning and the day has remained heavily overcast. Our long and lovely autumn may finally have come to an end (last week was kind of a revival after the prior week being cloudy). It was W*Y*S*I*W*Y*G who in past de-clutter year threads wrote about the right kind of light for this time of year with short days - that does make a difference in how it feels.

Time to make the snickerdoodles and spritz. I'll be giving them to people still, it'll just be a handoff and not giving covered plates to people who are here visiting in the house. The good xmas movies haven't been playing much yet, just the low-budget Hallmark type on the channels equivalent to the old UHF spectrum. I guess I'll have to dig out a few DVDs and crank up the player. I found notes to myself last year about finishing my holiday letter and sending it late but I never did, so I really must finish one this year and send it before people forget I even inhabited this planet. And perhaps catching up with people is the best gift I can give this year.