I run hot and cold on this. There are aspects that I like. And there are aspects that I dread. I more or less walked away from religion as a young man. My family was small, but I married into a larger one that had strong Christmas traditions concerning family gatherings. I’m not very social, but they drank pretty heavily, so I didn’t mind as long as I could get drunk. After my marriage was kaput and I finally sobered up, the holidays were a kind of hollow time. At some point, I made a decision to “take back” Christmas and get into the spirit of it. Admittedly, it appears to be only the secular spirit, but I may be a little more spiritual than you think.
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I love the fact that the ladder is in the shot (1:32). Perfect for our band of irregulars.
I love it! My goal every year is to have enough xmas lights around the house that you never need to switch on a lamp. :)
Merry Christmas!
The ladder is always up - it's my cat's climbing toy.
Well, I don't exactly celebrate Christmas as most people know it. Still, I have some time off of work, lounge around with my cats, and have no family pressure. So yeah, I enjoy the holidays.
About the only Christmasy thing I do is a Jingle Bells 5k. This Sunday is the Winterhaven Run through the Lights 5k I will do (non-competitive group run just to see a local festival of lights). And I enjoy seeing the lights on my early evening runs.
In other words, I get a lot of the best parts of the holidays with none of the stressful parts!
love it Orbs :)
Before my divorce about 4 years ago,I used to love the holidays. I had family that I could spend time with. Since then,Christmas would depress me. My folks live Up North and is difficult to see them during this time of year.(the weather)
This year.however,has been easier on me than in the past. My ex's family has been inviting me over plus I have been reconnecting with some old friends. The JTI has definately helped. Thanks guys!
Merry Christmas!
I knew right where I was the minute I saw the ladder! :) I kept looking for charlie, but it was too dark. The decorations! You sentimental old fool, you! I'm surprised. Is that a nativity set??? wow.
Hale, I don't celebrate like other people do either. I prefer the "festivus for the rest of us" route.
I do have the family pressure, the gift pressure. I also get time off of work. I use it to try to chill. There is a tree standing at my place. I don't really know if it would be there if it was only up to me.
I used to really love Christmas, not exactly sure what happened. Think it is the fakeness of people and the commercialism.
Drew, glad we can be of help. You guys help me too. You are the best!
I have a good excuse not to go to the in-laws for Christmas Eve this year.....I'm having my sex change operation on the 22nd and three days in the hospital post op.
People have their own ways of celebrating Christmas. Some call it that, some call it the holidays. If people don't want to celebrate the messenger, that's fine, but somehow, I think we all end up celebrating the message....Trying harder for Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to Men....and Women.....and those in between.
I do enjoy the holidays, starts with Thanksgiving, then a number of birthdays, and Christmas and New Years.
They are also a struggle too, a rough past of long ago still haunts me so I really go nuts decorating and trying to stay distracted and busy, but this foot is slowing me down :( They get a kick out of me at work, I accessorize alot from the day after Thanksgiving thru Christmas, the pins, and Christmas jewelery, hair stuff, you name it, it's just plain fun! MUST HAVE FUN!!!!!!!
No, kk, not a nativity scene, but I wouldn't be averse to one.
I agree, Liz: must have fun! Even if I have to force myself.
Whoaaaa! That video made me kindof dizzy (not like THAT's hard..). And ironically, here sits I, in the midst of several boxes of Christmas effluvia that have sat in this spot for a good week or so:
As of last year, we are now celebrating the gift exchange part of Christmas at the beginning of December (the weekend closest to the 5th, which is St Nick). We used to have little gifts for St Nick, with bigger gifts to open on Christmas day, but last year I figured: why bother with two, when my cheapness and laziness make even *one* hard enough to pull off?
So now we get the tree up as soon after Thanksgiving as we can tolerate (cause decorating = work), shop right away (which makes Christmas music and decorations right after Halloween a little more sense, right??), and then get the gifting stuff out of the way so we can sit and watch everyone spin themselves into a frenzy the rest of the month, wheeeeeee!
We got a little off track already this year since we didn't have a living room floor until last weekend (remodeling), but now the floor's done, the boxes are out, and it's time to get rollin'.
I'm kindof bummed cause hubby put the traditional green tree up instead of the groovy aluminum tree I scored at Goodwill for $9.99 last year (truly, the find made my entire year, it's so ugly I adore it! Now if only I could find one of those color wheels to go with it, I'd be in HEAVEN).
I'm also going to try to have a dinner this Sunday, but so far, it's been hard to drag any committments from my family to come since we live soooooo faaaarrrrr awwaaaayyyyyy (some dopey Racine people think we live in like in another time zone or something, sheesh!)-- or maybe they're afraid I can't really cook a turkey after all, whatever!
KK: I'm making a chocolate cake roll filled with cream cheese espresso frosting and topped with chocolate ganache, mmmmm! Come on out and I'll save you a piece;-)
So, to answer your question, "Do I enjoy the holidays?", the answer would be NO! They're a huge hairy pain in the ass:-(
But between picking whatever the heck day I want to celebrate our "Worship de la Walmart", the cake roll and a couple festive gin and tonics (candycane martinis?), I think it'll be ok. Have a good one!
cyndi, you are the future wife I've been looking for... Cheesy aluminum tree, espresso cream cheese with ganache, thrifty wal-mart babe, oh yeah! Too bad you live in a different time zone. ;>
Loves my cheesy aluminum tree, but you have to watch out: it BITES (the ribbons of aluminum are razor sharp and will cut you when you least expect it, not to mention the ends of the branches are super pointy-- good for poking out yer eyeballs). It's my "live dangerously" tree:-)
Time to get my butt in gear and start baking! On the docket today: need to make homemade cranberry orange sauce for a brie wrapped in puff pastry, the cake roll, some more cookies, some homemade challah/sausage stuffing, and a gigunda pan of praline sweet potatoes (my favorite!). Oh! And I have to brine my turkey, yum (we didn't get any leftovers from T-Day, so we are still craving a big turkey dinner). Living in another time zone DOES have it's advantages, I guess-- lots and lots of leftovers and little cooking for the rest of the week, lol!
Cyndi, I have one of those aluminum trees AND a color wheel! :)
It was my Dad's. We always had 2 trees. The regular one and then the aluminum tree out on the sunporch.
That thing has to be 50 yrs old!
I saw a color wheel for sale at that antique castle place on the frontage road just off of hwy 20 a couple years ago. Might try there if you want one. Takes some digging to find what you want, though.
Logjam... I'm having my sex change operation on the 22nd and three days in the hospital post op. Dude...that’s gotta hurt!!!!
I think we all end up celebrating the message....Trying harder for Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to Men....and Women.....and those in between.
I like the way you listed it, “trying harder”, I guess that’s the best we can do as long as we keep trying. We all know that total peace is impossible... but damn let’s at least get closer to it.
Good luck logjam. We'll be thinking good thoughts and Carma and all that stuff for ya. Hope everything goes well.
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