Current mood:	cheerful
Current music:	Chopin - Waltz In C Sharp Minor Op. 64 No. 2

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas~!
During the course of all the hectic events of late, from my grandmother passing away, to Ryou-san leaving, to Kamio-kun getting injured, to... just everything, my favorite holiday has totally slipped from my mind.

No longer! I've already lost almost three weeks, and now with little less than a fortnight till Christmas, I'm rushing about to get everything settled.

This afternoon, I took Hiyoshi out shopping for our tree. It's a delightful thing, a forty-eight inch Douglas fir, with 424 tips. Hiyoshi chose gold, and I chose pearl, so our theme is gold and pearl. Some brushed gold balls with white snowflakes, strings of pearls, bows of gold and white, pearl icicles, and a touch of fake snow upon the branches completed our little tree. Hiyoshi did the top. I showed him how to make a florist's bow, and voila!

We hung up our stockings for Santa--a concept I had to explain to Hiyoshi. I think I might fill his stocking with mushrooms, if he persists with the funny looks. (The window has been finally fixed, by the by... Santa will have to knock if he wants in.) And then finally, came the crowning moment: hanging the year's ornaments on the tree.

Hiyoshi picked a lovely glass bird as his. I'm really surprised he picked such a fragile, delicate ornament, but it really is beautiful. It joined my crane of last year. I don't think it had any meaning for him, but it's pretty, nonetheless.

As for me... a candle. The whole thing is coloured glass, the stem hatched with gold and glitter. It serves as a reminder, that no matter how dark things get, I am not alone. There is always a beam of light to guide my way.



[ I'm really in a bind this year! I think most of my free time is going to be spent hurriedly making and getting everyone's presents. And there are so many! I won't get the presents to my relatives in Britain on time, but I think they'll forgive me.

Friends/schoolmates:

• Sengoku-kun: If only everyone were this easy; a handmade book of various fairy tales, with illustration, and some shiny baubles.


• Hiyoshi: ?? ... I found a cute mushroom pillow pattern...


• Atobe-san: ... I have to get two for him! Cursed Secret Santa! I can't even think of one!


• Oshitari-senpai: I have recently finished the French novel 'Le Comte de Montecristo,' and watched an American movie for it--which is ten times more sappy than the novel. ... I wonder if he's seen it?


• Mukahi-senpai: ... I wonder if it's hard to make a feather boa...


• Akutagawa-senpai: Most assuredly, a big lamb plush to cuddle.


• Kabaji: The mystery of mysteries. He's pleasant enough that he'll accept anything. But what? I'll have to ask buchou, who seems to know him better than the rest of us.


• Taki-senpai: ... I saw this really ridiculously large watergun... perhaps that and pink fairy wings?


• Kantoku: ...


• Sensei-tachi: Just some well-wishing cards...

Family:

• Dad: A compilation of Aristotle, from 'Politics' to 'Nicomachean Ethics,' all in the original Grecian text--I've been hiding it in my room at home since the beginning of summer...


• Mom: A dance.


• Nanna: One of my straw men dolls. Doesn't she have about eight now? I seem to make one every year.


• Pappy: Some green tea, and a sumi-e set. Doubtful he'll use them, but I'm sure they remind him of ... his birthplace. (All male Ohtori's seem to be doomed to wanderlust. Will it hit me too?)


• Jack: .... if I can make a feather boa for Mukahi-senpai, he'd probably like one too...


• Ronnie: A small jewelry box, that I'll have to make.


• Everyone else in Britain: Well wishes, some cards, and something appropriately 'Japanese.' Thankfully, the Oukamidani do not celebrate Christmas... (big families indeed!)

Others?

• Kamio-kun: ... is he still speaking to me?


• Rin-chan: I can make a nice barrette or hair bow for her.


• Sengoku-kun's mother and father: A delicacy recipe book for his sweet mother, and a coffee mug for his father.

.... and then Ryou-san....

I have a gift for him. I got it, a long time ago, when I went to Korea. That hat wasn't the only thing I got him... but, I don't think I will give it to him now... it's still wrapped in the blanket I left it in. It will probably remain there for a very long time.

Really, I don't think I have anything left to give him. He'll have to be content with that. I asked him not to give me a present--I hope he listens this time. ]



Such a long list--I hope I'm not forgetting anyone.

In the meantime, I seem to have caught a slight cold. Nothing substantial--just the sneezes and sniffles. It's not bad during the day, but during the mornings and nights, I go into long sneezing fits... I hope I'm not keeping Hiyoshi up during bedtime.

I will be dropping by to see Sengoku-kun tomorrow afternoon to apologize for my previous behavior. (I think Kamio-kun is there, too?) And then I think I will swing by Sei-Rudolph to return Ryou-san's umbrella. It did me little good against the rain, really--and the cold was even worse since I had no coat--but the gesture was certainly sweet.

Ah. And Atobe-buchou plays the piano very well, when he wants to. He can make the instrument sing... even if the song is painful to hear.

Also, Kantoku was not pleased with me skipping practice for two days in a row, unless I was dying or dead. I spent the last few days running laps, while carrying bags of sand. I expect I shall be doing more tomorrow. It is my just punishment, after all, for letting my own personal issues interfere with my required duties. So no stats today.

Although, I think my arms might fall off soon, if this keeps up.