Wandering Along the Path: Right Speech

This ordering online is stress inducing. We sent five gifts weeks ago and they keep changing the ship date. Clearly nothing has been shipped. Even one of my old reliable companies is shipping the four items slowly and separately, so one definitely has reached it's destination, one has been shipped, and two haven't. It's a crazy end to a crazy year. If my daughter and her family quarantine and then test negative, I'll have four stockings to fill, but I think I'll go to either the pharmacy or my local grocery to find stuff. Just these normally ordinary tasks, which were fun in the past, feel insurrmountable. My friend said on the phone yesterday she's not putting up a tree or decorations, but is baking. I realized that was a good idea, once I make the list and have Instacart deliver the ingredients. But what to do? My mother always made divinity, fudge and bourbon balls. I used to make fudge and fruitcake, and some years green salsa. Last year I only made fudge. Maybe banana bread or persimmon bread, as I have frozen my persimmons, and could use them. At least looking through my cookbooks would be fun. No gingerbread house this year, as that involves children. Same with sugar cookies. Now, of course, I myself can't eat any of these goodies, but I'd love to give them to friends. That's settled: baking as therapy for the stress of the holidays@