I just ate the last chocolate-covered cherry...

And that means Christmas is officially over.

I know. Christmas was technically over eight weeks ago, but until that last cherry is gone, there is a tiny remnant of Christmas left over.

You see, as much as I love them, I only eat chocolate-covered cherries at Christmastime. Someone always gives me a box as a gift, every single year, for as long as I can remember. This year I wound up with two boxes even! I keep them hidden in my closet and don't share them with anyone (mean mom that I am), and because they are full of all sorts of delectable, high-calorie goodness, I never eat more than one a day, sometimes not even that. This year, each box I received contained 16 cherries, so 32 in all. It's been 56 days since Christmas, so I guess that means some days I eat one, and other days I don't. Sounds about right.

Regardless.

This afternoon, about 30 minutes go, I ate the very last one. Now I have to wait over 10 months for my next chocolate-covered cherry. A friend once commented that these things are available year round, but I tried my best to ignore him. Really, what kind of a friend would tell me that?

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, another thing happened this week to mark the official end to Christmas: I threw away my last bag of used, scrunched up wrapping paper. Yep, the day after Christmas each year, I stuff all the bags of used wrapping paper that I can fit into the garbage can, but there are always way too many bags, so I make a pile of the others in a corner of the garage. Then, each week on trash day, I throw one bag into the big, blue bin. This week, I threw away the very last bag full of wrapping paper.

You'd think the universe was trying to tell me something: CHRISTMAS IS OVER, TERRIANNE!

My only respite in all this is that by the next chocolate-covered cherry eating season, my baby will be home. I'll be so happy I might even share one with him, but probably not.

Today I ate the last chocolate-covered cherry and threw away the final bag of used wrapping paper.

And that means Christmas is officially over.