Finding ten things to enjoy about Christmas, Dec 10-26.

[oak]

Hi friends.

Were I honest, I’d admit I’m facing a pretty lonely Christmas. I having lots of reasons to look forward to 2023 (and beyond!), but for now 2022 is pretty downer.

Rather than dwell on that, true as it is, this holiday season I’m going to try to find ten Christmas things to enjoy. Maybe a few things will find me.

I don’t know what this will look like, but I could use a little Yuletide cheer.

In the meantime, I sprinkle a little holiday joy on each of you.

Edit to add:

A rule I just made up:

All ten fun things have be fresh, new ideas and experiences. I say this because my best thinking got me here, a grim Christmas indeed.

Also, I open to suggestions. Simple to implement is especially welcome.

[rivergirl]

Oak, my friend,

I share your feelings about the holidays, and I know others have expressed those feelings here many times over the years.
I admire your attempt to nevertheless find enjoyment in the season.

I'll try to come up with an idea or two.

Sending you a bit of virtual warm holiday cheer in the meantime.

rg

[snoringdog]

As a kid, I always wondered about the world on Christmas...

How did it keep functioning?

Did people go to work?

And those who did, what were they thinking?

Didn't everyone just stay home and enjoy their presents?

And I'd see people going about their business, and felt that they were somehow missing out...

Wow, so naive...

[Mental Fairy]

This is sooooooo interesting for me. For some reason this year is different. I’m with Oak on this, I’m really struggling with the emotions this time around. It has been hard when we go down in numbers in our family. My son even asked me the other day what Christmas was like for me growing up. I down played it as I don’t want him feeling like he missed out on the best years with amazing grandparents taken too soon.

However, thinking more I think the population of NZ is simmering as we spent two Christmas seasons locked in our homes and not allowed out to mix with extended family and friends. It’s divided families, friends and general population.
Not sure if you have seen any news over there but the latest here is the government took immediate guardianship of a baby as the family refused to give blood transfusion to child with vaccinated blood during heart surgery. That kicked off and this morning a women was found in our town with stab wounds to her neck and as she is over 18 and refuses blood transfusion unless it’s from unvaccinated people she doesn’t want treatment. Effectively committing suicide. It’s madness.

So Oak, this Christmas I will try and find you 10 things, so far I can’t think of ten but…

1, I won’t be eating duck
2, Matt said a sleep in
3, ……….I’ll get back to you!

[Mental Fairy]

4….Christmas hampers with fruit pies

[manuel_moe_g]

1. enjoy time with my daughter
2. enjoy giving presents to my nephew's young daughters
3. food!

[Beany Boo]

1. Empty (unthreatening) intervals between teeming (hectic) events
2. People looking at me with, ‘why is someone your age single?’ vibes
3. Doing emotional labor for once-a-year relatives
4. Older adult afterthought gifts
5. Cleaning my place before the panic of having a guest in it
6. Wondering what my family of origin has told their other guests to prepare them for my presence

These sound awful but they’re comfortingly familiar and slightly exaggerated.

[rivergirl]

These are all memorable, even Beany's awful-ish ones!

Throwing out a few random suggestions, Oak. Feel free to disregard.

With my newfound appreciation for somewhat corny holiday romance movies, I can recommend "Holiday in the Wild" on Netflix (beautiful African location, middle-aged couple, non-traditional Christmas setting, elephant babies!) Also the sillier but still enjoyable "A Castle for Christmas" with Brooke Shields.

I know you're on the healthy eating path, but maybe a seasonal treat at the coffee shop. A peppermint mocha, a cranberry muffin, or whatever you would enjoy (bonus ... the pretty baristas).

Listen to a few non-traditional holiday songs that don't have quite as much emotional weight. Maybe others have suggestions?
I can recommend:

Don't Shoot Me Santa by The Killers (I also like the video)

Fairytale of New York by The Pogues (okay, this one may cause a tear or two)

reindeergirl

[oak]

Friends!

1. Thank you for your posts! I’ve read each one, and had the opportunity to apply a few.

2. I’m a bit blah or blue, not bad per se, just… hanging on for today. I’d like to post more, but I hope this can suffice.

3. I continue to sprinkle holiday cheer on each of you.

4. I was enormously charmed by “reindeergirl”; thank you for the smile you provided, RiverGirl!

5. A “small” but big victory: I put the groceries away. This is a bigger accomplishment than I am letting on.

[oak]

1, I won’t be eating duck
2, Matt said a sleep in
3, ……….I’ll get back to you!

Mental Fairy, please let Matt know I slept in today, very satisfactorily. And, you'll be pleased to hear, I am unlikely to eat any duck.

Shambolic shuffling to a blah Christmas
But it could be worse
Hallmark holiday better show up soon

Shambolic shuffling to a blah Christmas

Much as I'd like to have a cheerful Christmas, friends, it looks like surviving may be a win.

But it could be worse

I just had a root canal, but the recovery has gone well
We are in the very teeth of the worst winter storm I've ever seen, but as long as we have power I have all the video games I can want to play, football to watch, and food I want to enjoy
I am lonely, but I have my friends here

Hallmark holiday better show up soon

If I was in an O. Henry story, or Hallmark movie, I'd be the perfect fit for the male lead: a good brother being a good sport about a recent string of bad luck:

I am a workaday white collar brother, recovering from dental surgery.

Now I just need to meet a (1) bakery owner, (2) journalist sent to my small town to report on a local Christmas thing, or (3) a veterinarian who is obviously beautiful but no one notices, because she has glasses, which they all discover when she gets the obligatory makeover in Act II.

It is not too late for a Christmas miracle: I hope my beleaguered/frequently absent guardian angel can send me my bakery owner. Hurry!

In the meantime, I send holiday wishes and experience/strength/hope to all my friends here.