Most of my stress has nothing to do with the holidays -- it's cumulative stress from this past, very stressful and still continuing, year. It's the constant scramble, struggling for something to kick in and actually work, so maybe I CAN take a coupla minutes to breathe or something.
The expenses are cut back as much as they can be. My main worry is that the mortgage and house expenses are covered. Came close to losing the house a few years back -- and I don't EVER want to be in that situation again.
Freelance, with or without a cobbled together succession of part time jobs, is, indeed, stressful. Literally not knowing where your next dollar is coming from and constantly hustling. And having to stay "up" so you CAN effectively sell yourself (and have the energy to look).
Sometimes the strongest urge is to curl up in the fetal position and suck my thumb. Unfortunately, that's not an option.
Yeah, eBay has to be a methodical and regular way to get rid of the "clutter" around here that is actually "stock." And there are other, more local outlets. And I even sold a paperback on Amazon lately! (Although the other books I currently have up there haven't sold.)
I really don't need to live in a warehouse. The stuff accumulated for resale, so it really needs to be SOLD.
Anyway, I like having a live tree -- even if I'm not planning any holiday gatherings or guests. I need something symbolically green to encourage me through the dark season of the year. Because I'm not planning on entertaining, I'm not doing any baking. Almost all the gifts I'm giving came from yardsales where I was purchasing stock (well, that's my rationalization -- actually, I just really enjoy the "thrill of the chase") so they didn't cost much. I'm a graphic designer, so sending out a card I designed and produced is marketing as well as a way to keep in touch with people.
I need a midwinter celebration -- and I keep celebrating through to Robert Burns' birthday on January 25th.