On the Twelfth Day of Christmas...

I started out a clear, brisk but not freezing morning with work. The Acme was on-and-off busy all day. I spent the lulls putting candy away. Other than some annoying beginning-of-the-month people, there were no major problems and my relief was right on time.

Went straight home (picking up a box from Lauren on the way in) and changed into regular clothes. I did a few things around the apartment before starting the next phase of taking down the Christmas items. The garlands came down next. They didn't take very long; I twist-tied most of them to unused curtain rods.

Next up were the remaining miscellaneous items, which go in the large red felt "Santa Bag." These are items that I either want to pull out first or are too big to fit in the other containers. They include the wreath, mistletoe, pot holder coasters, the big plastic bell, the plaid ribbon I hang on the door to my bedroom, and several extra tins I didn't use for cookies. I'm going to wash the poinsettia placemats and the vintage handkerchief I use for a table runner before they go in the Santa Bag as well.

The last thing I did tonight was return the Christmas books to their crate in the very end of the back room. I still need to dress the American Girl dolls and Cabbage Patch Kids dolls in their winter clothes and the Sailor Moon dolls in their regular uniforms.

I opened the box from Lauren before I started in on the decorations. She's been on a Danny Kaye kick ever since she saw White Christmas for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I already have White Christmas, but she made copies of his other movies for me that she got from here and there. I started with one that sounded interesting, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

Walter works for a publishing company that puts out pulp fiction magazines, the pulpier, the better. He's constantly daydreaming himself into adventure and romance...and with a nagging mother, an obnoxious fiancee, and a boss who keeps stealing his ideas, who can blame him? He finally gets a chance to have an adventure for real when a pretty blond spy shoves a little black book into his hands that a renown art thief wants. Is he really seeing a killer...or is he just daydreaming again?

This is a perfect showcase for Kaye and all his nervous tics. Fay Bainter is fine as his bossy mother, too.