Ed came to town briefly last week, and we saw him for a little bit over dinner on Thursday. During the course of the conversation, he said he guessed I’d be the type who, when trying to avoid a writing deadline, would take up cleaning instead. I wish it were so.

Instead, I’ve currently got laundry in various stages throughout the house – piles to carry down to the basement, piles to carry up to the living room, piles in the living room to be hung and carried back upstairs, an ironing board in the living room (not its normal place) with clothes hung around like a sink skirt and other piles folded on top. This look has been gracing our home for the past 24 hours.

Then I switched to cooking. Seven-layer Jello salad for Thanksgiving? Three layers done. Two chocolate pies? Done, and one half-eaten (not entirely by me).

Then, because this was oh-so-high on the priority list, I switched to mix-mastering a pretty great Christmas CD, as my true calling was to be a DJ, and I missed it somewhere along the way.
Because I know you are aching to know what has been oh-so-important as to cause me to 1) leave the laundry scattered all about the house as described above; 2) leave $10 worth of chicken on the counter last night (oh, did I fail to mention that? Made me cry, that did); and 3) put off further work for my project which is due, oh, really soon, below is my playlist. Bring on the season; we’re officially ready (as soon as I put the laundry away).

• Christmas Time Is Here Vince Guaraldi Trio
• Anthem For Christmas Michael W. Smith
• God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen / We Three Kings Barenaked Ladies with Sarah McLachlan
• Jesus, Oh What A Wonderful Child Ed Cash, Allen Levi & Bebo Norman
• Have Yourself A Merry Little Xmas Frank Sinatra
• Sleigh Ride Relient K
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Harry Connick, Jr.
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing Vince Guaraldi
• Little Town Over the Rhine
• O Come, O Come Emmanuel Matthew Smith
• It Came Upon a Midnight Clear Sixpence None The Richer
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jack Johnson
• Santa Clause Is Coming To Town Bing Crosby
• Little Saint Nick The Beach Boys
• Sleigh Ride Ella Fitzgerald
• (It Must Have Been Ol’) Santa Claus Harry Connick, Jr.
• Do You Hear What I Hear Martina McBride
• One Olive Jingle Over the Rhine
• Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing Sufjan Stevens
• Come Thou Long Expected Jesus Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken