To choose the good part in December

Another crazy week is over for the inhabitants of the Duck and Cherry. Let me see. What was crazy about last week? Maybe when I drove Arnfinn to an early train and got a flat tire.
I carefully drove to the nearest car repair shop up the street only to find that they didn't open for another hour. Problem was - it was freezing cold and I was in my pyjamas!
The pyjamas were pretty and decent - but let's face it, they were after all pyjamas - not appropriate for shopping our visiting car repair shops and not very warm either.

I finally gave in after standing in the cold for the longest time and asked a friend to come and get me, then called the repair shop when they opened to tell them why my car was outside their shop and where I had hidden the key.

It took hours getting it fixed as I had to call around to find someone who had Goodyear tires in stock, so that I did not have to wait 5-6 days to get it replaced.

How is this a happy story after all? Playing the pyjama game was pretty funny, but what I kept thinking was how grateful I was that this did not happen on the freeway - at night - all alone - etc. etc.
Even half wasted days when you don't get through your to-do list can be blessings in disguise.

Christmas stress creates traffic chaos, accidents, people getting frustrated in lines at the store, tension builds up because of all we should do - having to bake seven kinds of cookies (Norwegian tradition), clean the whole house (also tradition), Christmas cards, gifts and so on.

I would like to have Christmas joy instead of stress.
Think I'll do some planning today and see what is really important and what is not.

How can I choose the good part? What is most valuable and precious within the short time frame I have been allotted? What makes sense to spend time on this Christmas month?
My thoughts go to a scriptural passage in the New Testament about two women.

 38 ¶Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named ^aMartha received him into her house.

 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art ^acareful and troubled about many things:

 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath ^achosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Today's water color is a detail from a picture of pointsettas.