Every so often – although oddly, never in December – I have a dream that it’s a day or two before Christmas and I suddenly realize I’ve done nothing to get ready for the holiday. So I start madly scrambling to find and mail cards, buy last-minute gifts and see if there are any Christmas trees left that I can set up and decorate in record time.

Maybe that recurring dream is part of the reason I usually start making preparations for the celebration weeks in advance. This year is no exception.