Coming Out of the Closet

OUR ADDICTIONS

Jessica Kelly Crapo:

-purchasing books: each Christmas/birthday books top the lists. Two favorite authors: Roald Dahl and C.S. Lewis. Striving to own all their works. For some time Rhett gave the requested books as gifts but finally told the truth: the number of books purchased grossly dominates the number of books read. But this is why it is an addiction. I could easily read them from the library but there is some deep inner satisfaction from owning them for myself.

-Christmas: I LOVE Christmas. Everything from the smells, sights, gifts, music, movies, decorations, family, for me it is magical and can't come soon enough. Lately I've been feeding the addiction by allowing myself to listen to one Christmas song each shift I work on pandora.com. My goal is to wait to bust out all the stuff until Nov. 1. I love it when stores change from their outdoor/garden stock to having there is an entire Christmas room in October. I get as excited about Christmas as much as I did when I still believed in Santa. To me Christmas is everything cozy, delicious, warm, and good. I've set up my family's Christmas tree since Jr. High--even after I was married. Last year was my first year not to dive into Christmas before anyone else would wish for it, but really, one month is far too short for such an amazing time of year.

-projects: painting, crafting, sewing. Great pleasure in making something useful out of trash...latest triumph: using the red, plastic, net-like bag onions are purchased by the pound in. The more time I have at home, the more I spend thinking of more items I must create.

-school supplies: for some reason from a small age I have loved school/ office supplies. For my 9th birthday my grandma sent me a whopping $20. There was no question in my mind what I would purchase. Things I'd been eyeing for months each time we went to Wal-Mart. 4" wide clear view binder, overhead markers to be able to write on the binder, and the amazing....label maker. This unexplainable desire to purchase pens and other supplies has not ceased, but like any addict, I have learned to discipline myself to a mere 24 pack of crayons each year when they are on sale for $0.25.

-journaling: I have never been a consistent journal keeper. Lynette is amazing and has chronicled her life all through high school. But what I lack in precision I make up in range. I have so many different journals for different areas of my life: life-happenings, spiritual, project, parenting, service, long-term goals, and more.

-pumpkin recipes: this began in college--my freshman year I made every pumpkin recipe I owned in a matter of weeks. One night I didn't have all the ingredients and we went to the Smiths at midnight, and my best friend Molly suggested I wear this werewolf costume, which I did and frightened some elderly shoppers...but old people aren't supposed to be out after dark!

-sleeping in: since I started working nights, I've not needed to wake up to an alarm clock and have taken advantage of being able to sleep as much or as little as my body wants every day. To always wake up naturally is such a pleasure, babies and old people have it going on. I don't know how long it will last, but it is amazing to never feel interrupted when you wake up in the morning...or in my case the afternoon. Also, I've come to really enjoy the quiet hours in the middle of the night to do whatever I want...me time is always nice.