Two weeks ago, the bookstore was slamming. A steady stream of people coming in looking for presents to give, preferably wrapped by us into neat little packages.
Last week, the kids out of school and bored with Christmas gifts, so parents brought them in to find a book or toy to distract them until school started up again. We also got a fair number of late Christmas shoppers and gift certificate redeemers.
This week, the combination of children going back to class and crummy weather has combined to an atmosphere of tranquil silence unseen in months. It's peaceful, and while at the back of my mind I know it's bad for the bills I embrace the calm while it lasts.
I've been able to take care of lots of little chores, things that nag at the edge of my mind during the busy days but just don't get finished. Today I spent a couple of hours updating the list of autographed books available on our website, a task I haven't been able to approach since summer. I've answered e-mails, cleaned out my inbox, and started organizing for the upcoming Winter Institute conference. It's been quite lovely.
