The Christmas thread (2012)

[fruitbat]

As the self-appointed social convenor of this board, and because, although I am at work, I don’t feel like working, I thought I’d start this thread.

What are your plans for Christmas/The Holidays? I will be getting together at my brother’s, with almost the entire family (one BiL will be with his family in another province).

- Shopping: almost done
- Dvds saved up for watching: check
- Tummy bug still bothering me after three weeks thereby keeping me from enjoying all the Christmas goodies (bad) and eating too much (good): check
- List of all the chores I should do with all my time off but will ignore: check

How about you? Do you celebrate? Are you working? Finishing exams? Doing your best to ignore the fuss?

[ln419]

teehee, you give me warm and fuzzies fruitbat! and I enjoy your creative um designs, very pretty! My holiday is wrapped up and put away. But am anxiously awaiting my daughter to arrive from the East coast on the 24th (she was supposed to come home the 25 but the fare differential was $900, go figure!) Then I found out she's working the whole time she's here at her old cashier's job where my husband is the manager at the biggest kosher grocery store in the Midwest (and everyone loves her), so I guess I won't be seeing HER too much. And the son is going on some youth group 6 day skiing trip with a bunch of his friends. DH gets no days off, neither Christmas or New Years, but we do plan to see Les Miz on Christmas. No lists, no parties, no one cares whos naughty or nice..very low key, no big family to do...just work, work, work, work, work.....lots off smiles and gratitude for what we have. ellen
Happy Holidays to all... *I realize you didn't ask for my input, but 3 weeks is a bit of a long time for a 'stomach bug' (whispers: maybe you should call someone like a Doc...)

[Marie]

fruitbat move over - I am in that same boat you are - at work but don't feel like working! LOL

Thinking about trimming the tree tonight and hanging two big garlands (that's all the decorating I have left!)

My parents are coming on Sunday afternoon and will stay through mid-day Thursday.

During that time we will do a nice Christmas Eve dinner and invite some friends over also have a lovely Christmas day dinner planned. My Mom always brings over too much too eat and I already have cookies, candies, chocolates, coffee and other snacks that people at work gave me or familiy sent as a Christmas gifts. In addition to the 12 lb Turkey and the 8 lb Ham taking up a ton of space in my freezer. So too much food and over-eating is guarenteed!!!

My Mom loves to shop with me so I suspect we will go out the day before and the day after Christmas to look for bargains!

Mom and Dad also love card games and board games - so we will do a lot of that.

And watching Football!

Also doing a bit of walking though the neighborhood in the evening. I've never seen so many houses nearby decorate with so many lights as this year. It is really beautiful.

The funniest part of our holiday tradition is that it seems the cats always have more gifts under the tree than we do - this year is turning out to be no different!

I hope everyone gets to experience some time with family and friends. Have a wonderful Holiday Season!

Hugs,
Marie

PS - the stomach bug thing reminded me of "The Devil Wears Prada" where the assistant said she was one stomach flu away from her perfect size. But seriously - I hope you feel better soon.

[thunder]

I'll have a quiet Christmas just celebrating with the family. Since I'm a teacher, I don't have work to go to during the holidays (I have brought some work home, but doubt I'll do much of it). I'm about to start decorating my appartment, haven't had time for any of that yet. Promised my mum to make her some "kromkaker"(think I'll be doing that today too). I'm all done with the shopping.
Other than the usual traditions, I don't have a lot of plans. Just relax and charge the batteries to go back to work on Jan 2nd. I'll take it as it comes. I'm quite good at having vacation.

[Hilary the Touched]

My last day of work was Wednesday (I work at a school too). Spent Thursday getting my friend on the bus to New York and PICKING UP OUR VISAS!!
We are off to Nepal together next month--short of boot camp, prolly my biggest adventure ever--I anticipate returning with a tummy bug or two of my own (seriously, fruitbat, might you have reflux or something, honey? I think you should check that out too)
Got all my presents off in the mail (pretty painless, considering--I've been at my Post Office on some occasions that made me grateful I don't own a chainsaw, because hijinx would have ensued ), the tree's been up a week (we cut it at a tree farm--it looked quite modest out in the field with all the other trees, but, uh, in my living room? Not so much), and my lovely cards are all hung above the fireplace (including several from Lost Girls! ).
Now all I need is some snow!! (As ln might say, be careful what you wish for, eh??)

But most of my desires have already been satisfied: we ordered new cupboards for the kitchen that were scheduled for delivery the week after Thanksgiving. We JUST got the new countertops installed on Wednesday, so at last I can stop washing my dishes in the bathtub!!! (no counter=no sink=no garberator=no dishwasher )

[SeattleMel]

Wow Hilary -- I am envious of your impending Nepal adventure!

I'm visiting parents in my hometown of Pensacola, FL. That is the part of Florida panhandle indistinguishable from Alabama (not the South FL, Miami-Vice vision in most people's head). It still has beautiful beaches, though, and the weather has been cool but clear and sunny.

Every time before I visit, I make many promises to myself not to get into political debates with my family. As a post-election year, this is going to be especially challenging.

But, on the bright side, I get to have the now nostalgic foods I did growing up: fried mullet (a salt water fish), cheese grits, and hush puppies.

[fruitbat]

Thanks for your concern about my tummy bug. I had a doctor's appointment scheduled for Fri. Dec 21 already and I kept thinking it would get better. There were no other symptoms and I figured that if I could just get through....

My doctor suggested that I take a trip to the lab to um, supply some, um samples. I left the lab with a schedule that had to account for the holidays and ..... seriously, TMI already. So, of course, it became apparent by Friday pm that everything was running normally again, but I assume I should still "visit the lab".

Hilary, Nepal sounds absolutely fantastic.

SeattleMel , I know what you mean about political debates and Christmas. Years ago, someone, (from my SiL's family, I am certain) decided that gun control would be a great topic of conversation.

We have not have had a joint Christmas celebration since. Indeed, my brother and his family have been with us every year.

[LadySekhmet]

Merry Christmas everyone, Happy Boxing Day tomorrow for those across the Pond, and Happy New Year!

fruitbat, I hope your tummy bug is gone by now!

ellen, I hope you had a great Hanukkah!

Hilary, I'm wildly jealous. Do you need someone to carry your bags for you while you are travelling? That sounds like a wonderful trip. And there is nothing better than travelling with a good friend, especially if you travel well together. (I've done that and it makes it so much fun.)

My Christmas is very quiet this year (YAY!!)- just the way I wanted it. I just spent the past...several weeks travelling around the US, out of the US, or involved in holiday events for organizations for which I am a fearless leader, and while it's been great and fun and I've been really fortunate to have met great people, boy, am I tired. Plus, my friend finally finished his PhD and moved out of my apartment back to his home in Spain, so I've been reclaiming my space and getting the "boy stink" out. LOL. (I love him dearly, and he is one of my best friends, but I think that we were getting a little sparky at the end because we've been tripping over each other for months.) My mom is a nurse, so she works on Christmas Eve/Day, so we will be celebrating next week instead. And Dad lives on the other side of the country, so I will celebrate with him and my stepmom when they move back to California in a couple of months. Apparently, we don't believe in linear time and absolute dates in my family (which is bizarre because I'm an archaeologist)! lol. But this weekend has been one of the best, Best Friend and I saw the HP exhibit in NYC, did the last bit of our Christmas shopping (and scored some great pressies at great prices- YAY, NYC!!), saw friends, reconnected with a high school friend, had fabulous meals, survived the tourist hordes in Times Sq and The Tree, and came back out alive on the N train. I also had folks over for a small Christmas gathering. And today I'm off to a friend's house to celebrate some more...and if I ever see another Christmas cookie this year, I just might lose my mind and run screaming off into the night. So... wow...I suppose it's time to start coming up with those New Year resolutions that I am going to try not to break!

[Angel Tavington]

Merry Christmas!!!!!

_me

[Marie]

Too much food ..............

Happy Boxing Day!

[fruitbat]

Too much food ..............

Happy Boxing Day!

Possibly too much snow, here, in Toronto. But I don't drive and I live in a condo which means some poor soul does the shovelling. I went out for a brisk walk, happy that I hadn't thrown out my old snowmobile type boots. Well, that's what I call them. You know, the kind that look like they should be worn tobogganing.

[laurielove]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

My kids were great, my husband was taciturn but oddly appealing, and my mother and aunt had a massive barney.

So ... sort of a normal Christmas really.

(Oh, and then there was the Downton Abbey Christmas special ...)

[ln419]

sigh, hate to show my innate ignorance again LL, but barney has always reminded me of a purple dinosaur (well for about 22 years now), I DO hope thats not what you're meaning...come to Chicago, I can explain how I understand English sweetie. Well, lots of new fallen snow with ice beneath it here, have to take boy to 5 days of ski fun with his friends , daughter in very ticked off mood, can't WAIT for her to come in out of traffic. Ah, joys of motherhood of older "semi-independant" children... ellen

[LadySekhmet]

Ah, yes, ln, I remember this season from being at undergrad in Wisconsin. WI and IL have -as my advisor used to say - 9 months of winter and 3 months of bad sledding. ;^D (and with that special layering of snow/ice/snow/ice/snow/ice until March/April) Be careful out there!

[ln419]

chortle and gefaw... LN