Читать книгу Teach Us to Number Our Days - Barbara Dee Baumgarten - Страница 10

Some of the days of Advent require advance preparation. For example, supplies to make the Advent wreath on the First Sunday of Advent should be gathered before that Sunday. This is an easy thing to overlook since the First Sunday is the Sunday after Thanksgiving. If you opt to provide surprises on the feast of St. Nicholas, December 6, the stockings or shoes need to be set out the night before. The feast of St. Lucy on December 13 involves a special breakfast. Shopping needs to be done before opening the calendar on the morning of the thirteenth, lest you are caught short, without treats for a “Lucy breakfast.”

Always be ready.

—I Peter 3:15

When you select your Advent calendar dates, note the dates on your household and daily planners as well. For example, the purchase of the Christmas tree can be an event that requires many hours and thus you may select a date on your daily calendar or planner that is completely open. Noting the date on multiple calendars helps keep it free for the activity.

Baking and decorating cookies can be an all-day event that requires shopping in advance. Baking cookies is a messy business. Scheduling the baking just before housecleaning, so that you’ll know the mess is temporary, can cut down on the stress. This is one reason this calendar works: you can relax knowing that what needs to occur during Advent is scheduled and reserved in advance. In other words, the Advent calendar and the household calendar are coordinated to work together and eliminate the harried stress that is all too common during Advent.