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I love wrapping presents. I don’t know what it is, exactly, that makes me love it so. The snap of the paper? Getting to use scissors (I’m suddenly realizing a pattern here…)? Constantly loosing the tape and hunting around for it on the carpet? Oh, the bows! I especially love the bows. And the sharp corners. And the tricky packages with complicated angles. Did I ever tell you that, oh, maybe 10 years ago, I applied one winter for a seasonal wrapping job at Belks? I never got a call back, even though I was desperate for a job. And money. And paper cuts. Maybe it was the fact I said I wanted to be paid $8 an hour. They probably saw that and hung it on the office bulletin board for a good laugh.

So, tonight, it was all about the wrapping paper and the bows and listening to holiday music with a few delicious holiday cookies from our friend Lydia. It was a calming end to Friday’s end-of-week madness.

And now I’m done with the wrapping. And the shopping. And the budget (which I busted, a little anyway — not in a Car-Christmas kind of way (WHO does that, anyway??) — but such it is). Now we’re getting ready for visitors next week (their stockings are done, I think) and I’m hopefully going to get a chance to get caught up on some postponed Advent fun.

And by the way of random Google searches, who knew that you can find lists of songs best listened to while wrapping presents? Well, even writing that it seems like lots of people would know that. But I didn’t! It honestly surprised me, though I almost totally disagree with this list. This list, about movies to watch while wrapping presents, is more my style.

Woah, the combination of work, family, holiday busyness is intense right now! The end-of-December trifecta, I suppose. We did manage to keep up with our Advent celebrations, though, and they continue to be such a fun addition to our days.

Wednesday, we went to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville to see the gingerbread houses entered in the National Gingerbread House Competition. The gingerbread creations — even the tiny Globe Theatre and the amazing matryoshka dolls — seem to pale in comparison with the inn itself, all decorated with holiday trees and roaring room-sized fire and views of snow-covered mountains.

And look!

I want to drive this car around, I mean, what?? Whoever thought of doing this is a wicked genius!

But when you can finally focus on the houses, you see how amazing they are. I can’t imagine the amount of work they take! This was the grand prize winner. How do you mold gingerbread into doll shapes?

But this is one of my favorites, because it’s the likeness of one of my favorite buildings in Asheville, the Basilica of St. Lawrence. It’s a beautiful church, which I appreciate so much even though I’m not Catholic. The artist even put some of the Basilica’s rose bushes out front. They are spectacular throughout the spring and summer!

And then! Yesterday! Finally, on Advent Day 16: Watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas!”

This is one of my absolute favorite things to do during the holidays. I love the sarcasm and honest angst about the holidays, how you’re supposed to be merry, but sometimes it doesn’t happen. I love Snoopy’s decked-out dog house. I love Schroder. I love the pink aluminum Christmas trees and the sighing. I love Linus, in the spotlight, reminding Charlie Brown of his meaning for Christmas. And of course I love the tree! Love, love, love! Do you have a favorite holiday TV show or movie? I want to know!

I was about to ask you if you have one of those days when nothing seems to be going right and you can’t get out the door in time or find your shoes and your cellphone isn’t charged (or you forgot it to begin with) and your e-mail goes down and no one returns your phone calls and it’s cold outside and your sweater is too thin and you pick up a piece of fruit at the store and it squishes rotten fruit juice all over your hands and you have a flat tire?

Of course you have!

But all this stuff happened to me today and while there were bright spots here and there (a toasted sesame bagel with cream cheese, eaten in the sunshine), it mostly was a day I wish I could start all over.

Ahem. But, according to the calendar, today’s Advent activity: Go downtown and look at the holiday window shop displays.

It’s getting shifted forward. Maybe one day this weekend!