I used to pore over the Martha Stewart Living magazine. I even preferred the magazine to the show. I loved the beautiful photos of her elaborate tablescapes. The layers of rich colors. Mustard-toned velvet napkins tucked into copper napkin rings on burlap placemats with terracotta dishes. Tiny place card holders made out of pinecones she gathered from the yard. I loved the step-by-step instructions on how to make a spring wreath, a summer table runner, and roasted game hen for a dinner party of twelve. I loved to find out how many things could be crafted of chicken wire, and then I never made a single thing out of chicken wire. But my favorite part of the magazine was the calendar. On the inside cover was a monthly view of Martha’s plans and projects. I am still a huge fan of a paper calendar since paper never lies and never crashes.
Martha’s calendar would have a day marked off for “deadheading and pruning roses” or an afternoon for “travel to Los Angeles”. And then there were days that had daunting tasks like “paint buildings in north annex” or “clean and organize kitchen pantry” or “meet contractor for library expansion”. Those big tasks Martha set out to accomplish in two hours before “attending gala” or “speaking at founders' luncheon” would take me four years. Even if I had her staff.
I visited a friend on the East Coast one year, and she took me on a drive past Martha’s Bedford Farm in New York. It was spectacular. Looked even more idyllic in person than in the magazine. The brick buildings. The manicured lawns. The perfectly painted fence. I oohed and aahed over it and pointed out the charming details like the color of the shingles and the perfect symmetry of the sconces. My friend laughed. She said, “That’s the stable. Horses live there.”
Ok, so maybe Martha and I are not living parallel lives in any way, shape, or form. My calendar says things like “make dog grooming appointment” and “pick up dry cleaning” and sometimes those action items still don’t happen. It also says, “you already ordered the yearbook dummy” because one year I ordered it twice. But I admire both her transparency and ambition, putting it all out there on the published calendar. Because I’ll bet Martha follows it and gets that crap done.
I like the spirit of reserving days on the calendar for important events, especially this time of year. Because I want to do everything. The holiday shows. The holiday shopping. The Christmas markets. Seeing the reindeer. Drinking the cider. Going to the concert. The lighting displays. The hot cocoa. The decorating. The holiday lunch with old friends. All of it. But sadly, I can’t do all of it and therefore become overwhelmed with missing out.
So I have selected my top four priorities and put them on the schedule. No moving anything around unless it’s an emergency. There is a winter festival in my college town I go to with friends. It’s very Hallmark movie with student choir performances and holiday lights and me buying things I don’t need. Scheduled. Going to see the Dayton’s holiday display and pretending it’s still 1980. Scheduled. Creating winter spruce pots with friends (under heavy supervision of our Master Gardener friend). Scheduled.
And one entire day blocked off that is Martha-level ambitious. Cookie exchange. It’s happening. Bake. Invite everyone. Swap. Drink way too much coffee. Send everyone home. Take a fat nap. With any luck, I’ll have enough cookies to last until February.
Part of enjoying the season for me is carving out time to enjoy the season. Cleaning closets and the dental visit for the dog — that’s a January problem, and January can wait.
I hope everyone pencils in some joy this December!
Jen Fortner is a freelance writer who enjoys asking friends and strangers far too many questions. She spends her spare time sitting in inclement weather watching youth sports, traveling, cooking, and searching for the very best baked goods. She lives in Shorewood with her husband, three children and the most spoiled dog.