Happy Monday! Happy indeed! Boldog vagyok (I'm happy). Just printed an article off Yahoo! News about how to increase your overall happiness. Something to ponder after Thanksgiving. Guess it all falls in the same category - Be Happy! Be Thankful! Can you tell that the sun is shining today here in the otherwise wrist-slitting, grey setting of Pilisvörösvár (say that three times fast). Should add that it's only this time of year that is so crummy, or maybe just from November to March. Anyway, hope you had a good holiday weekend, if you had one. I definitely gained at least four pounds since Thursday, ate more than I could imagine in my wildest dreams. Had big turkey dinners with friends on Thursday and Saturday, and cooked big meals for just us on Friday and Sunday. Feeling it bigtime in my jeans today, will attempt to walk a few times this week and lay off the junkfood (as I sit here typing this whilst eating candy corn).

Went to teach my little Magyarlings this morning. We are working on Jingle Bells for the Christmas program. Think the little ones (Keira's group) will just chime in for the chorus, and the two bigger groups will only sing one or two verses. Did you know that there are actually four verses of the original 'Jingle Bells', written by James Pieront in 1857. There's some yuleful-useful information for you. I also tried to read them 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' this morning, but it was mostly lost on them. Lots of funky old school phrases in there, 'threw open the sash', 'his coursers they came'. I couldn't try to translate in English, let alone Hungarian.

I'm headed to Vienna tomorrow for a bit of holiday shopping. Not much to get really, just a couple of things for Bill. He's not easy to buy for, as he will only wear clothes that he picks out for himself and he isn't desirous (big word action) of much. Me, I could give you a list of 1,000 things right off the top of my head. I already got my Christmas present though, may have mentioned it in passing, in the form of car repairs. Had to take it back in a second time last week after the oil pan debacle to replace something on the motor, which was also damaged in my little mishap. Total cost at the end of the day for my doofusness was $800. Don't you just hate that? I know, I should be happy that nobody was hurt, and that we have the money to pay for it (i.e. thankful), but I always just end up thinking about all the things I could have bought with that money.

Bill's board meeting was scheduled in New York for Dec.6th and has, as of this morning, been moved to Copenhagen. This would be great news for him travelwise, except that one of us now has to fly to the US for a weekend to pick up all the Christmas loot that I ordered for the kids in anticipation of him being there next week. Oops. There goes all the moolah I saved buying the stuff in the US rather than here. Another plan foiled. No worries, it will be good to go and see his dad for a couple days. His condition hasn't changed much at all since they brought him home from the hospital last week, still has the feeding tube and is really depressed. His poor mom is ready to lose it, I can't imagine how people can take care of their sick spouses like this for years on end. Not saying that I couldn't - for better or worse, ya know - but it takes a huge toll. I saw my Nana do it forever with my Grandfather, it's just what you do.

So, my other big project this morning was to work on my to-do list for the next couple of weeks. Yikes - holiday baking, Christmas cards, decorating, shopping, meal-planning, etc.. I absolutely LOVE the holidays, just wish the countdown to lift-off wasn't so daunting. And then we will rush through the actual day trying to get organized to leave for our ski trip to Slovakia on the 26th. Think we will do part of our Christmas on the 24th this year. Celebrate with the Hungarians, who open their presents and have the big dinner on Christmas Eve. Again, slow it down and try to find happiness in all the mayhem. Did I mention, totally unrelated, that I got to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade last Thursday? What a treat. That's how I find happiness in small things, that just made my day. On another unrelated topic, just downloaded James Taylor's new Christmas album from iTunes - FABULOUS, as expected. Check it out. Also downloaded 'The Wonder Pets', which is my very, very, favorite thing to come from Nickelodeon in a long time. Not sure who likes it more, me or Keira.

Ok, now that I have gone on and on about all the things I need to do, I should probably spend the last hour of my free time today doing something productive. Have a happy day. xo.