It's beginning to look a lot like...
Are you scooting right along with the holiday spirit, or are you resisting it in a big way?
Ages ago, my husband and I decided to have Christmas Eve at our house. I'm a control freak, and if I'm doing things, then they get done how and when I want. When I send out Christmas cards to family (mine are going out today) I include info on what time we'll celebrate Christmas Eve. I make it early - around 3pm - every year, which leaves everyone free to attend the more traditional, later plans with other family. But for anyone who wants to stay, we keep the fun going for hours. On average we get between 40 and 60 people.
The last few years we've cooked lasagna, pork roast (with sauerkraut and without) and ham. We also supply fruit salad, mac & cheese, rolls, mashed potatoes, and deviled eggs. Some family members bring assorted desserts, and my wonderful Mother in law always brings potato salad, baked beans and green beans.
I went to the hairdressers a few days ago - way overdue by the way - and my stylist was not in the holiday mood. LOL. Like many of us, she had divided-family issues, too many places to visit, too much indecision, and too many responsibilities to too many people. In other words, lots of STRESS. I felt bad for her, and we ended up laughing about a lot of holiday snafus and how to remedy them.
For years now I've tried to set up my contracts to leave me free for December. The few times I've had a book due in late December or January, I've about gone nuts.
You see, there's a whole lotta stuff I do just because I want to. For instance, I LOVE to decorate the outside of the house, and the inside! And now I also decorate the pond.
My pictures are a little dark and don't show details well, but here's how much of it looks:
House first, and then the pond... it looks really pretty from the street. :-)
House first, and then the pond... it looks really pretty from the street. :-)
Do you like to decorate? Is it inside and out, or something else?
This year has been funny because of the "helpers" I've had. My four-year old (very adorable!) grandson helped me decorate inside. I'd put 4 ornaments on the tree, and he'd take off 3 to examine them more closely.
I'd put a snowman on a shelf, and he'd take it down to sit it by another snowman so it wouldn't be lonely. :-) We did finally get it done, but he's over-using all the holidays gadgets that sing and play music. I think I might have to hide some of them!
I'd put a snowman on a shelf, and he'd take it down to sit it by another snowman so it wouldn't be lonely. :-) We did finally get it done, but he's over-using all the holidays gadgets that sing and play music. I think I might have to hide some of them!
Oh, and the animals! The cats crawl beneath the Christmas tree and pretend they're in the jungle... or something. Even after the presents went under there, they didn't give up. They just crush things. Which is okay, since there's nothing breakable at risk, and honestly, I enjoy their antics just like I enjoy my grandson.
Can you see the kitty under there? That's KiKi, the only female.
Look right above the green box.
Look right above the green box.
And there's Liger, the 23lb cat. All you see sometimes are pairs of glowing eyes!
Kiki and Liger have golden yellow eyes, but Gremlin, the only cat not interested in the tree, has the most amazing emerald eyes that, even though this has nothing to do with the holidays, I have to share a funny photo of him.
Like a true Scrooge, he's giving raspberries to all holiday fanfare. :-)
Kiki and Liger have golden yellow eyes, but Gremlin, the only cat not interested in the tree, has the most amazing emerald eyes that, even though this has nothing to do with the holidays, I have to share a funny photo of him.
Like a true Scrooge, he's giving raspberries to all holiday fanfare. :-)
Ages ago, my husband and I decided to have Christmas Eve at our house. I'm a control freak, and if I'm doing things, then they get done how and when I want. When I send out Christmas cards to family (mine are going out today) I include info on what time we'll celebrate Christmas Eve. I make it early - around 3pm - every year, which leaves everyone free to attend the more traditional, later plans with other family. But for anyone who wants to stay, we keep the fun going for hours. On average we get between 40 and 60 people.
Do you have a regular place you go, or like me, do you have everyone to your house?
The last few years we've cooked lasagna, pork roast (with sauerkraut and without) and ham. We also supply fruit salad, mac & cheese, rolls, mashed potatoes, and deviled eggs. Some family members bring assorted desserts, and my wonderful Mother in law always brings potato salad, baked beans and green beans.
Do you have a regular holiday meal that you cook, or that you eat at someone else's house?
Christmas Day is open for people to visit us and for us to visit them. Easy-peezy, right? Well, it is now that our kids are grown. When they were young, hubby worked 3rd shift and by the end of Christmas he would have been without sleep for days. He did it, but it sure wore on him.
Christmas Day is open for people to visit us and for us to visit them. Easy-peezy, right? Well, it is now that our kids are grown. When they were young, hubby worked 3rd shift and by the end of Christmas he would have been without sleep for days. He did it, but it sure wore on him.
These days, Christmas is relaxed compared to the chaos of young kids. I love it.
My cards are going out today.
My gifts are all bought and, other than a few things that haven't yet arrived by mail, everything is wrapped and under the tree (or on the living room couch, so I can keep it sorted.)
My Christmas CDs are getting plenty of play time.
Everything is decorated.
So tell me, are you scrambling, taking it easy, making solid headway, or ignorning it all? LOL
***As one of those things that I did "just because," I wrote a FREE Holiday story for my readers - my gift to you! The info went out in my newsletter, but I'll dish here too. If you want to read it, go to either of my websites for a link on the home page. It's called CHRISTMAS CANDI and I had a blast writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading it.
***As one of those things that I did "just because," I wrote a FREE Holiday story for my readers - my gift to you! The info went out in my newsletter, but I'll dish here too. If you want to read it, go to either of my websites for a link on the home page. It's called CHRISTMAS CANDI and I had a blast writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading it.
Whatever your holiday plans, I wish you health, happiness and peace this holiday season!
posted at 5:36 AM
