Not serious thread: How are the Holidays going

[TayTay]

I made my list, checked it twice and I managed to finish my shopping. (Yeah!) I have some gift wrapping to do tomorrow and some food to cook, but I am in good shape for the holidays to come! (Yeah!)

So, how's it going to everyone? Any special plans? I'm just hanging around home, hoping to enjoy some eggnog and down-time.

[politicasista]

1. Doing some last-minute shopping in the morning

Not too much to get. After that, just hanging around here waiting for Christmas morning. :hi:

[TayTay]

2. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas

How did the exams go? (My daughter finished her last one on Wed, 2 hours before she left NYC. That was a close one.)

[politicasista]

3. You too!

The exams went well. Even though they were open book (grad school), I got straight A's all the way! :bounce:

On edit: I am glad your daughter finish the semester on a high note!

[TayTay]

4. That's fantastic! You rock!

I am so happy to hear this. I hope Santa is extra special good to you this year, cuz those A's deserve some notice.

Wonderful! (Smart women rock!)

[politicasista]

5. Thanks!

That's right, smart women rock and always will! :kick:

[sandnsea]

12. Wow! Congratulations!

Got a smarty pants around here, eh? hehe

Happy Holidays!

[ProSense]

14. That's fantastic. Congratulations!

:toast:

[globalvillage]

6. Weird this year.

This is the first year my daughter is not teasing me about Santa (she's 21). It's always been a big thing between us, where she magically turns into a little kid in the run up to Christmas.
But not this year.
We will have big family gatherings Christmas eve and morning. I have a dinner planned for Sunday night.
Presents wrapped, shopping done. Just waiting for the jolly fat man. And Santa.

[TayTay]

7. I will be at the usual 'gathering of the clan'

We only had 35 for Thanksgiving. (Too many couldn't make it, sigh!) We should be back up to 50 of my immediate family (well, brothers, kids, and such) for Christmas Day, plus assorted drop-ins, friends, cousins and such. It really is a blast, but exhausting.

I can't wait until my brother brings up his Bush Christmas card again and how nice it was to get some notice by the Prez. I am going to mention the Party in Boston Beer with JK. I think I have the topper this year, in terms of stories. (hehehheheheeehhee)

[globalvillage]

8. My CA brother and SIL can't make it

Too bad, cause she's the biggest lib in the family. But here's part of the e-mail I got from her today. Reply to my family e-mail "On Having a Beer with John Kerry". It will be THE topic of discussion this year.

Your brother just let me see this. How incredibly cool!!!!!!!!! That had to have been one of your most thrilling moments! Those are great pics. I'll show them to all my fellow Kerry fans.

I wish she could make it. Most of us are Dems, but she's a real Kerry gal.

[ProSense]

9. Same every year, plan ahead

then wait until the last minute. I usually finish up in time though. Mostly concerned with the nieces and nephews, have to play favorite aunt. Hubby, will have to unwrap the picture of the stuff I ordered for him, not gonna come in time. Nothing spectacular planned, but this year that seems just perfect. I'll have my red wine night, then my bailey's night, then the whatever I can find around the house that's not rubbing alcohol night; won't over do it though.

:rofl:

[globalvillage]

10. Ah, I see you have the Christmas spirit(s).

Makes the season jolly, doesn't it?

[ProSense]

17. Yeah! I love this time of year.

A glass of red wine or bailey's on a steamy hot summer night just doesn't cut it.

[sandnsea]

11. Close to ready

It occurred to me this morning that the little rocking horse ought to have ribbon and bows, so I did run out for that. Still need to get him ready. My daughter is having dinner so I don't have to worry about any of that. I think we're going to stop over at a couple of elderly friends tomorrow who have no family in the area and we always have Chinese for Christmas Eve. So yeah, I think we're all set. Been a fairly calm holiday season, all in all.

[fedupinBushcountry]

13. Almost ready

Just a few more presents to buy, still got lots of wrapping to do. Son arrived from NYC last night, other son here too, still waiting on my daughter she had to work tonight and will be home tomorrow afternoon.

Had the house clean, but you wouldn't think it with two grown boys around, God can't they even push in a chair, put their dishes in the diswasher etc. :argh: and of course they brought their dirty laundry with them, I said don't look at me there's the laundry room.LOL

Lots of cooking to do tomorrow, we don't have any family here but my kids invite all their friends over for the grub.

On top of it all my birthday is in 13 minutes, worse day of the year to have a birthday. But to make myself happy I bought the Esquire and Farenheit 9/11, so I'm set.

So other than that Ho, Ho, Ho...

[TayTay]

15. Happy, Happy Birthday!

One of my brothers had his birthday today. Yeah, the timing is off, but you share a birthday month with some pretty cool people. (LOL!)

Have a happy and wonderful Birthday! And you were someone's present for Christmas, wow! that's so cool!

[fedupinBushcountry]

18. Thanks

Yep I was a present that wasn't suppose to come until Feb. and on top of it my mother thought she was going to have another boy and didn't have any girl's names picked out (she had 7 sisters, she wanted all boys oh well) so guess what my name is and yes it is Chritmasy. I ended up being the only girl I have 3 brothers.

Yes I do share a birthday with some very awesome people, now that puts a smile on my face. :-)

[Island Blue]

31. Happy Birthday Fedup!

Hope you have a fantastic one! I'm sure since your kids will be in town that will make it extra special! :party:

[globalvillage]

16. Happy Birthday!!!

Did you get ripped off every year with the combo Christmas/birthday thing?

Here's a birthday party for ya.

:party: :party: :party: :toast: :toast: :toast: :party: :party: :party:

With a card



And a cake



Happy Birthday!!!

[fedupinBushcountry]

19. Yep

I have never had a birthday party. One year my mother was finally going to have one for me, she knew I was getting jipped, and damn if we didn't have a blizzard and no one could come. Oh well.

Birthday wrapping paper what is that? LOL

[ProSense]

20. Happy Birthday! Try to enjoy it. n/t

[sandnsea]

21. Happy Birthday!

Definitely time to put your feet up and do nothing but pamper yourself. For an hour or two anyway!

[politicasista]

23. Happy Birthday fedup!

:party: :toast: :bounce: :kick: :yourock: :hi:

[frogmarch]

25. Happy Birthday, FedupinBushcountry!

Hope you're having a good one! If I could find it online, I would post a link to Mrs. Miller's rendition of "Happy Birthday" to help commemorate the occasion. It's unforgettable. Truly.

Have a great Christmas, everyone!

[Luftmensch067]

26. Happy Birthday, Fedup!!!

Hope it's an especially joyous one! I like your way of celebrating with Esquire and F9/11!!!!

[MH1]

28. Happy birthday FedUp!!

Yeah, "grown" kids are something, aren't they? Not that I have any... a nice thing about nieces and nephews is that "you get to give them back." ;-)

For your b-day I hope you get to curl up with the Esquire and enjoy the sound of your kids figuring out (on their own) how to use the washer. ;-)

:party: :toast: :toast: :party:

[JI7]

30. happy birthday fedup

have a good one

[whometense]

36. hahaha

Two grown boys here too - and I frankly didn't even bother to clean!!! Boy, do I hear you!!! Since everyone is sick as well , you can add to the dishes and mugs all over the house festive mounds of used kleenex. x(

I always leave the stocking stuffer shopping till the last minute, so I still have some of that to do, but at least the cookies are baked (with the help of my daughter) and ready to be packed up. Late, but who cares?

We had a family vote last night over what to do about dinner tomorrow, since we celebrate a very secular Christmas (a long story, but it goes back to my grandfather, whose mother was Protestant), but it's also the first night of Chanukah. Ham and latkes just didn't seem quite right. So tomorrow night, we'll be eating latkes and the ham will wait till Monday.

Happy birthday!!!!!

[globalvillage]

41. Traditions are pretty mixed in my house.

We are Catholic, Methodist and Muslim. So, ham is required, but also either lamb or beef. Thankfully, we can all agree on desert, which is anything chocolate.

[whometense]

42. That is a pretty good mix.

I like it, actually. To the outside eye our celebration may look confusing, but we understand it. I've never liked the way Chanukah was recreated in the image of the Jewish Christmas - it's nothing like Christmas, just a cozy, lovely little holiday with candles.

If you're gonna do Christmas, do it! And like Luftmensch we always go to the movies on Christmas Day too. It's the only day of the year the entire family is ever seen together at the movies.

And I think we all worship at the altar of chocolate!!!! :D

[globalvillage]

44. I've missed out on the Chanukah traditions.

My favorite uncle was Jewish, but he's gone now, and didn't really celebrate the holidays, anyway. I think it was weird for him, having to deal with all the Catholics at the holidays. Especially my grandma, who was, well, it's too embarassing. Let's just call her 'intolerant'.
Wouldn't mind learning, though.

[whometense]

49. It's really not a very major

holiday http://www.holidays.net/chanukah/story.html

Long ago in the land of Judea there was a Syrian king, Antiochus. The king ordered the Jewish people to reject their G-d, their religion, their customs and their beliefs and to worship the Greek gods. There were some who did as they were told, but many refused. One who refused was Judah Maccabee

Judah and his four brothers formed an army and chose as their name the word "Maccabee", which means hammer. After three years of fighting, the Maccabees were finally successful in driving the Syrians out of Israel and reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem. The Maccabees wanted to clean the building and to remove the hated Greek symbols and statues. On the 25th day of the month of Kislev, the job was finished and the temple was rededicated

When Judah and his followers finished cleaning the temple, they wanted to light the eternal light, known as the N'er Tamid, which is present in every Jewish house of worship. Once lit, the oil lamp should never be extinguished

Only a tiny jug of oil was found with only enough for a single day. The oil lamp was filled and lit. Then a miracle occurred as the tiny amount of oil stayed lit not for one day, but for eight days

Jews celebrate Chanukah to mark the victory over the Syrians and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. The Festival of the Lights, Chanukah, lasts for eight days to commemorate the miracle of the oil. The word Chanukah means "rededication"

To celebrate, all we do is eat potato latkes (pancakes) with sour cream and applesauce, play with dreidels, sing songs, and give gelt (coins) - nowadays most people give chocolate coins. You start out lighting one light the first night and work up to all eight (plus one "helper" candle, which is why most menorahs have one candle sitting higher than the others.) It's really less a religious holiday and more a quasi-historical/mythic/solstice kind of holiday.

More info than you wanted, huh?

Have a very happy Christmas! I'm very grateful this year that TayTay nudged me out of my usual shyness and enabled me to make so many new friends this month.

[Luftmensch067]

52. But don't forget Dan Pashman's Miracle of Motivation!

I can't remember this exactly, but they replayed it on one of the last episodes of Morning Sedition and I was dying laughing. Dan said that in college (was it his senior year or last semester? Whome, you'll probably remember this better than I do!) he decided at some point that he shouldn't have to take notes or study anymore. He had one night to start and finish a paper for some class and he stayed up all night doing it from scratch and still got an A on it. But the Miracle of Motivation (or whatever it was!) ensured that he then continued to do well for eight more nights!

Also, when I was in the Coop on Friday, I noticed that they have published a collection of essays anent the Great Latke-Hamantasch Debate (http://joi.org/bloglinks/Einsteins%20in%20Food%20Fight%20of%20Words%20-%20NYTimes%2011-24-05.htm) which delights me because I've never had the pleasure of attending one of these, but I know I would love it! I wonder which side Senator Kerry would champion? Myself, I favor the frivolous, sybaritic, symmetrical hamantasch.

[globalvillage]

55. Actually, that was perfect.

I knew the story about the oil lasting 8 days, but not the rest.
I know what a dreidel is, but I don't know how to play.
What's the significance of the coins?
And latkes, yummy with sour cream.
No, not too much at all. Thanks.

[rox63]

38. Happy Birthday, FedUp!

:party: :toast:

[beachmom]

53. Happy Birthday, Fedup!! My hubby can relate. His was yesterday

so we took him out to dinner at The Grate Steak in Chesapeake -- just an FYI, if you fill out the evaluation card, they will send you a post card around your b-day for a free meal (worth $15). You don't have to go on your b-day, but just within a 7 day range.

Anyway, hope today you have a wonderful b-day, even if JC's day will always overshadow yours . . .

[Vektor]

22. Surviving...

Still feeling a little bit sick. Done with shopping, and just NOT in the holiday spirit this year. Feeling a little out of sorts. I hope everyone is faring considerably better and having a great time.

Hugs for all.

:grouphug:

[WildEyedLiberal]

27. Awww!

I really hope you have a great Christmas (you just received your best present two weeks early, is all). Talk to me if you need cheering up!

[whometense]

37. Sorry to hear that.

:hug: Anything following December 11 was bound to be something of a letdown - and then being sick on top of it certainly didn't help! I'm chugging along too - finally feeling a bit better, but I don't have that inspiration thing going that makes shopping really fun.

[Dr Ron]

24. Had a great Festivus

We did things a little different, having the airing of grievances on line before dinner. A nephew who has sent out Festivus cards in the past came into town and wound up at my house at dinner time so we all went out for Festivus comfort food. So as to avoid being thrown out of the restaurant, we left out the Feats of Strength.

Now that Festivus is over, on to celebrating Christmas and Chanukah.

Fortunately we received lots of gifts of Godiva, a food package from Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, and other goodies to help celebrate with. It's not easy having all three holidays overlap.

[Island Blue]

32. Happy Christmas Eve everybody!

I have a little bit of last minute shopping to do today (and some wrapping). My parents, brother and SIL will be coming to my house later this afternoon and will spend the night. That will be fun.

Last night I went to a great holiday party at my neighbors' house. Most of the guests were folks from town (I live in a town of about 1,000). Sometimes I forget just how liberal my little town is. The surrounding area, not so much, but my town is. I was talking about this with some of the other guests. (I think I forget sometimes because most of the folks I work with (who don't live in town) are extremely conservative.) Anyway, it was a nice evening.

I got to tell my beer with John Kerry story several times which was fun. One of the ladies I told it to was a 85 year-old lady who's in my book club. She's sharp as a tack and a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. She was SOOOOO jealous - she also finds JK very hot. (Although I'm not sure that's a word she would use. I think she used the word elegant.) She also asked all about THK which was nice. Like THK this lady is quite feisty to say the least.

I also talked with someone who isn't politically obsessed, but said that she was beginning to notice a change (for the better) in people's attitudes about the * administration and what they've done to the country. This is good to hear from someone who doesn't spend lots of time on the internets discussing these issues - "normal" folks are starting to take notice. :)

On a non-political note, I also met a fascinating couple who are sailing down the East Coast (and beyond) on their relatively small sail boat. They docked in town on Thanksgiving to stay for an night, but loved the town (and the people in town) so much they've stayed for a month. They're writing a blog about their experiences so now I'll be able to keep up with their journeys. I admire people who make the most out of life and do what it is they really want to do!

Happy Holidays to one and all! Stay safe!

[MH1]

29. Pretty much the same as every year.

Last minute shopping, getting ready to visit family for the big day.

I'm further behind than usual this year and some gifts are going out late. I have a few chits to cash in on this one though (others in my family are often late, me almost never) so I'm not overly stressing about it.

I think the "twelve days of Christmas" concept is better for the kids than getting it all on one day, anyway.

;-)

[emulatorloo]

33. Shopping Done, Turkey Thawing, Snow and Ice on the Ground

We opened a couple presents last night to get things off to a good start.

A totally quiet and calm Christmas ahead, with some fun outings planned for between Christmas and New Years. It was a long year, but somehow we got through. I'm so thankful to be around to face another one.

Happy Holidays Everybody. . .

[Luftmensch067]

34. Very quiet (but long-winded!)

For once, I not only got my candles early, but I even know where the menorah is! I'm not very religious, but I do love the fire and the singing of the blessings and songs. My family all live on the West Coast, so sometimes we sing the blessings and light the candles over the phone together. I really treasure the quietness of my celebration of Chanukah.

Every year, I spend "Christmas" with a close group of friends -- this year, we're getting together next Wednesday. Two of us are Jewish, one is a Unitarian turned atheist, one is Catholic and one is Protestant (the most devout of the crowd, and also the most socially conservative.) The couple who hosts the party really gets into lavish decorating, with toy Christmas villages and a huge, beautifully decorated tree, and a delicious meal. In years past, we have all gotten very elaborate with our gifts, giving three or four, working hard to find items on wishlists, etc. -- other than my family, this is the principal group I buy for, but since we all went to England together in November, we're all poor this year! Also, somehow we all feel (and I'm hearing this from other friends as well) that this year, we don't want the holiday to be about material gifts as much. So we are restricting the gifts to one or two small ones, preferably homemade, and we will all chip in with parts of the meal instead.

Mostly we will enjoy just being able to be with each other and sharing the warmth of our friendship. Knowing that this is the tenor of our gathering this year, I feel so peaceful and truly celebratory -- although I loved finding gifts I knew would make them happy, and watching them being opened and appreciated was the biggest joy, not really doing any shopping this year has been amazing. I really feel the hush and slowing down of winter and the excitement of the various traditions of bringing light into the dark and cold. I went carolling in a friend's neighborhood and it was such fun to see people come out of their houses to hear us sing, and to tramp over the ice to the next house and make music with other people! Also, my landlord goes crazy this time of year and decorates our house to the TEETH. It is like coming home to Las Vegas every night! I love it. I think he just won a prize from the city and I really enjoy the pride he takes in making the place as special for the holiday as possible. He even strings white lights across the trees that arch over the middle of the street! And there is a giant inflatable Santa sitting on an igloo in the driveway, which never fails to crack me up!

On Christmas Day, of course, I partially follow the Jewish tradition. I don't actually dine on Chinese food, but I do religiously go to the movies (it's really funny around here to go to an earlyish show and see all the Jewish faces in the audience!) This year, I was thinking of choosing Narnia, which I want to see, but thought that would be a little TOO Christmassy, so I will be seeing The Producers, which will probably be dreadful, but fun. I always remember my Christmas movies as special, even when they are awful. In past years, they have included Altman's Pret-a-Porter, Titanic, and La Double Vie de Veronique. I think The Producers will be a worthy addition.

Sorry for the long essay -- I just got into writing it! I love reading about your various Christmas (and Festivus!) plans and I hope you all have warm, happy times with your families and friends!!!

[ProSense]

35. Nice story. Thanks for sharing it Luftmensch067.

Tradition is such a wonderful thing, makes me feel warm inside. Seems like it's alive and well where you are. I love the holidays. Enjoy!

[rox63]

39. Still sick... :(

I'm hoping I'm well enough to have company tomorrow. This sinus infection has knocked the stuffing out of me. I'm a little better today than yesterday. But I was doing pretty poorly yesterday. If I'm feeling ok tomorrow, I'll be having my mom and brother over for dinner. If not, we may actually delay our Christmas celebration until Monday.

I hope every one of you has a wonderful holiday. :grouphug:

[Island Blue]

40. I'm so sorry you're still sick Rox!

:hug: My crud never turned into a full blown sinus infection (thank goodness). A friend of mine recommended I take MucinexD and it really helped to knock this stuff out very quickly. I'm still a little stuffy, but I feel much, much better. Hope you (and everyone else who is still under the weather) feel better very soon!

Edit because I can't type correctly to save my life this morning.

[whometense]

43. Feel better, Rox

:hug: This is a killer virus, no doubt about it. Happy holiday - take care of yourself.

[ginnyinWI]

45. a bit more quiet this year

Only one out of three of the kids will be here. :( So we are trying to fill this week with special things every day from Winter Solstice (last Wed.) until the end of the year. Things like dinner out and renting a movie, or the art museum, etc. Will see extended family today (hubby's side) and tomorrow (my side). So it should be nice.

My favorite Xmas present is one I've given to myself: at the beginning of October I decided to lose 20 pounds by Christmas. As of yesterday, I've lost 19! That leaves about 20-25 more to go, but I know I can do it. :)

[globalvillage]

46. Congratulations!

I know you can, too. Diet, exercise or both?

[ginnyinWI]

47. mostly diet

I started counting carbs. Proteins and fats fill me up, but foods with a lot of carbs make me hungrier. So I keep to about 80 grams carbs a day (non-starchy veggies being freebies), and am losing a pound or two a week. There is diabetes in the family, too, which is another reason to keep away from a lot of sugar.
But this is not anything like Atkins: I get plenty of veggies, along with some bread, fruit, pasta, etc. Even the occasional single scoop of ice cream or cookie (15 gr. each). Just not so much as to start me on that sugar roller-coaster again. I also don't indulge in all those fatty meats that Atkins allows, but keep it to lean proteins, lean dairy, and use olive oil instead of butter.

I was doing yoga every day, which builds a lot of muscle, but then had to have surgery mid-November and had to suspend that--but will be starting up again after the holidays. When the weather is nice I like to bike and walk.

[whometense]

50. Congratulations!!

That's hard work, especially at this time of year, when the gifts of chocolate & cookies pile up. I feel best on a modified Atkins diet too - and get the same carb roller-coaster effect if I eat sugar. I've been experimenting this year with baking with whole grain flours, and have had some really good results with oat and barley flour. Upping the fiber helps, too. I make my own margarine - I mix half butter, half light olive oil in the blender and keep it in a glass container in the fridge - it spreads easily, and tastes really good (I've been doing that since my hippie college days. :hippie:)

I always enjoy the actual day, but the preparations are kind of murderous. I think we're going to go see Walk the Line tomorrow. Have a wonderful holiday!!!!

[ginnyinWI]

54. thanks for the tip on the butter-blend

I'll have to try that.

Have a happy holiday.

[Blaukraut]

48. Still debating if we should get a tree

On Christmas eve. We haven't made a big deal about the holidays in some time now, but we do have a little something every year. This year for some reason none of us could quite get it together. So Tony is out looking for a tree he can fit into our trunk, which will be tiny. I can just imagine how that's going to look with our high ceilings.

The only presents we bought this year were for our kids and our niece, that's it. Well, if you consider build-a-bear gift certificates a present. Our kids are getting cash, too. I haven't bought Tony anything, because I don't get around with only one car in the family at the moment. I bought him a new computer a couple of months back with an unexpected windfall of money, so I told him to consider that his present.

Dinner tomorrow will be at my fundy sister-in-law's in Eastbumfuck, NH, so I don't have to cook anything. (She's making me bring a pie, though, so we bought one earlier today.) Besides, I've been on a diet for a couple of weeks now, so the rest of my family suffers right along with me. If I cook, it's plain and very little.

Other than that, yeah, I guess you could say we're ready. :-)

[paulk]

51. my christmas season has becomes very wierd

since we opened our store eight years ago...

my focus isn't on me buying presents - it's on customers buying their presents from me. :)

and because the x-mas season is so important in retail - it has become the most stress filled month of the year.

it kinda sucks, actually.


but we are having some relatives and some friends over for dinner tonight and tomorrow we get the day off
(after being open 7 days a week since thanksgiving), so I'm looking forward to that...

[JanusAscending]

56. Merry Christmas to YOU ALL!!

My youngest daughter (35) was here this evening and announced that they are expecting their first baby in August!! I thought I wouldn't live to see this!! I know her Dad would have been blown away!! It's kind of "bittersweet" for us. This will be my 14th grandchild, but it's very special to me, because she was my and my late husbands only child. My other grandchildren are all teenagers, or young adults (from my first "litter" with my late ex hubby.) This is going to be a great Christmas for the whole family. They are announcing it tomorrow to the rest of the family at Dinner at my sons house. I have been walking around in a "cloud" since I found out!! The best gifts are those that money can't buy!!! Blessings on you all,and hope the New year will bring a MERRIER FITZMAS!!! Love DCO8) :toast:

[TayTay]

58. Congratulations!

Wonderful news, just wonderful. And what an amazing Christmas gift. You are entirely right, the best gifts are the ones that mean love to us.

A bright and blessed Christmas to you and yours!

[TayTay]

57. Christmas for me

I will have a friend come over in the morning and will swap some laughs. (We are still laughing over our trip to Scotland, maybe we can review some more pics.) This will be her last Christmas with me and my family as she is moving to Phoenix next year. Many laughs will ensue. (That's how I know I'm still alive and life is good, I'm still laughing.) My kids will eventually get up and I will make them breakfast and give them some streudel and other sugary treats.

We will open gifts and everyone will honor my request that I get toys for Christmas. (Can't live without some toys. Any ole thing will do from action figurs to comic books to gadgets, I love toys for Christmas. My poor husband. I am not a jewelry person so he has to be creative with me at Holiday time.) My daughter will marvel that I had the good taste to get her a gift certificate instead of clothes, thus showing everlasting good taste and reserve. (I really suck at picking out clothing. LOL!)

Christmas naps then and then we will go over to my brother's house. There I can catch up with family and see how things are going. All six of my brothers and their kids and such will be there. My sister will be in Colorado this year (Telluride, working.) I told her my 'Beer with John Kerry' story and she has already spread it around. I think I might get asked about it tomorrow. I can check up with my niece and see how that move to Florida is going. I can check with my nephew and see how his upcoming wedding plans are going and the move back to New Hampshire. And so forth and so on. I bought a bottle of Scottish Liquer and was told that it is excellent on ice cream and in coffee. I am bringing it, with the sole provision that it get used. (Things like that should be used, not saved.)

We will have a family friend don the Santa suit and give out gifts. (Takes about an hour or so. One year, when Christmas was at my mother's house, she got tired with the slow pace of gift giving and the fact that dinner was ready and started lobbing gifts across the living room. "Here, take this, and this and this and get your butt into the dining room. The Roast beef is getting cold. Now move! LOL! My husband took a magazine rack to the shoulder. Christmas can be dangerous.)

We usually end up playing cards or sitting around swapping stories and drinking Irish coffees and such. We call other relatives from all over and it's a good, but exhausting time.

I then go home and tuck everyone into bed and make sure that everything is in it's place. (My nephew will be coming home with me this year. He is my godson and I get to spoil him rotten when he is here. We are going to see 'King Kong' on Monday. So cool. Maybe I will get King Kong toys this year.)

And that's it. Love, life, laughs, warmth and the blessings of the season to everyone!

[wisteria]

60. Happy and blessed Christmas to everyone!

It's 1:30 AM and everybody has gone to bed except me. I have some family staying with us for the holiday.And my husband and I took a quick trip back home to see our daughter who will not be with us this Christmas and to say hello and drop off some gifts to other family members and friends,Thursday and Friday.
In some ways this Christmas isn't as sad as my last one. Last year I was struggling to come to terms with Bush's "win". The difference this year isn't so much I have come to accept it, it is more of about positive thoughts about the future and new hopes for John Kerry and this country.

My wish for the future is to see this group bursting with new members, to have JK recognized and respected for the truly exceptional person he is and for Bush and his administration to get what they deserve. I have to believe what goes around comes around. Sometimes it just takes longer than we want it to.

[elshiva]

59. MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thank you everyone for being such a great group of peoples in 2005
:grouphug:

Tommorrow is also the first night of Hanukkah, I celebrate Hanukkah,too. I am
half-Jewish. Happy Hanukkah, too!

Happy Kwanzaa, Happy 2006!
:party:

[GRLMGC]

61. We celebrate Christmas eve

so I baked cookies and we had tamales and opened presents. Maybe I'll go to the movies on Christmas day. By the way, you should all go watch King Kong, its really good and I heart Peter Jackson