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....to be over?

Dear Conrad,
Late reply, but yes, not only do I wish that the Holidays were over, but that somewhere there is a world that exsists without any Holidays at all, esp Christmas. Growing up this holiday consistied of nothing but fighting between my parents and a sence of tesion in the house.My mother was always exhaused from all the baking that started the day after TG(Fruitcakes) then all the different Christmas Cookies,(at least 20 different types,) including both the "white"cookies and the gingerbread cookies, both that were roll out types that were cut out with cookie cuters and then needed to be frosted and decorated.And then there was the fights over the Christmass tree. Since there were 5 of us kid at home, my dad was in charge of getting the tree. Without a doubt, every year the tree was "too tall", "too short", "too full",or "too thin". I can remeber years when my Dad had to go out buy another tree to please Mom(that was 50 years ago, before trees would cost you your first born),or Dad would have to drill holes in the trunk of the tree and insert branches into the holes to "fill out the tree", Decorating the tree was yet another reason for a fight. We would decorate the tree, with Mom sometimes letting us hang the oraments where we wanted, but once we went to bed, she would "redecorate" the tree the way she wanted it. My Dad hated that she did that, and we could hear them arguing about from our bed rooms.And that type of fighting went on untill about 4 PM on Christmass Eve when we all had to get dressed up to go see my grandmother and other relitives(yet another reason for a fight between my parents),then all was suppose to "happiness and Joy".
So, that is why I wish the Holidays were over.
Mary

Wow.
So sad, msmarymac. Hope you have started your own traditions that don't follow any of the past ones? Even if it involves only you?

The fuss, gift shopping, cooking and large mandatory family gatherings are what I look forward to...being over. I love to get together with friends and family, but larger gatherings are not the venue that I personally enjoy.

I love January and February for their winter quiet and cozy times. But that is just me, I guess.

No, I'm still having fun with it all. Packages and cards are either in the mail to their destination or under tree-wrapped and house is decorated. Will finish last batch of cookies this weekend, do some advanced prep work for Christmas Eve and day in next couple of days after I squeeze in a couple rounds of golf. I'm trying to be organized this year as son and his family arrive on Thurs, for a week and I want to have a good time with them while they're here. I've learned to simplify and do a little bit each day, making it seem less of a chore.

We've got everything done except the popcorn/cranberry garland for the tree, and we would have started on that tonight had I not started a grease fire on the stove!!!! So tomorrow we will microwave the popcorn and proceed from there.

Sorry msmarymac that you have had such awful Christmas experiences. And not all families have Norman Rockwellian Christmases but I still adore the Ad vent season and the time leading up to Christmas and c*h*u*r*c*h part of Christmas.

But I also enjoy the special luncheons and parties, the baking and giving of baked gifts especially to people who don't expect it, and the family time when it is finally Christmas.

Martha

Yes, I think so for this year. Things feel unsettled around our house. DH isn't feeling well, so not much decorating going on 'cause I can't climb up in the attic to retrieve stuff. Let's hope it'll get better. Meanwhile, I can certainly wish all of us a Merry Christmas and a much better New Year.

As we have gotten older, we tended to put up a tree every other year. (the off year, I shopped for a few new things in the after Xmas sales)

It just seemed more special, with a year between decorating (and a few new things to enjoy). Now all our "stuff" is in the mountains, and not being there this year, no reason at all to put it up. I just hope the drought breaks some and everyone gets a good amount of moisture in the mountains and the mid west, or we are going to have "real issues" next spring/summer.

To each their own way of enjoying the season and end of the year. May it be happy, healthy and non stressful for all!

I am excited for the holidays to be over for one reason....we are getting a new little granddaughter at the first of the new year. Can't wait for that.

I am planning to have fun this week though. Setting aside time for baking cookies and wrapping gifts, so I don't want to wish this week away.

Minimal decorating this year for us, too. Christmas tree did NOT go up. The little bit that is around us....enough. So much focus is on other things. Wishing everyone a meaningful Christmas season.

I enjoy Christmas and over the years have learned to do exactly what I want - when and if to decorate and remove decorations. I have not decorated this year, but may drag the little tree out of the closet...maybe not. I generally have the shopping and gift making completed early...check for this year! I enjoy cooking and visiting with family.

Christmases growing up were good. A great time to spend with my mother, aunt, and grandmother in grandmother's kitchen. I stood in a chair to help when I was small. Then graduated to making some desserts in addition to helping prepare the meal.

I was childless until I turned 30 so devoted my gift making to my nieces and nephews who were my guinea pigs before son was born.

With my mother's death this spring, it is a bit melancholy but I refuse to let it throw a complete damper on my joy. Thanks to my two step-children I have three sweet grandchildren 25 months, 23 months, and 9 months. We will be with stepson's family Christmas Eve but on our own Christmas day. My son will be here the evening of the 27th - his birthday. Since we don't know when he will roll in, we will celebrate his birthday on the 28th with steaks grilled by husband, his step-dad (son's dad died when son was almost 13 so if you want to know someone who has a hard time with the holidays). I'm cooking Christmas dinner on the 29th and have invited my family as well as husband's family.

One year someone I did not care for at all...AT ALL!!! had been invited to my home behind my back. I dreaded Christmas day. Yet when I woke that morning I resolved to not let that one puny person ruin my day. I pulled back the responsibilty for making or breaking my day from that person and placed the responsibility back where it belonged - on me. I thanked the good L0rd for a beautiful day and hit the floor with determination. Since we had several family members and guests, I did not have to have a one-on-one with puny person and had a GREAT day!

Yes...I would love to roll back the clock and stand on a chair in my grandmother's kitchen with one of her aprons tied across my chest stirring, or peeling, or taste-testing (I did a lot of that!). But my today Christmases or other holidays are what I make them to be.

Well, our Christmas w/family was earlier than planned due to a funeral. The pall of that and also the fact that most family members were in some stage of colds, made it a bit stressful... and now hubby/I have the cold, also.

And, I didn't get to decorate cause we are still not in our house...it'll be at least two more months. But hopefully, next year our house will be super decked out...can't wait!

Hubby and I will as always have a wonderful Christmas as always, celebrating with lots of good food and we'll watch 'Christmas Vaca...' on Christmas Eve.

CJO, I'm sorry about the funeral and the loss all of you have suffered. Yes, it's hard to get in "the spirit" when life has been fundamentally changed with the loss of someone in the family even if you weren't particularly close ~ worse if you were....


It's especially difficult when you are "between homes" - no wonder it was hard to get excited this year. Next year? Next year when you have your new home and things have settled down a bit ~ bet you will get "that spirit" back once again and the memories of the one lost will bring smiles instead of heartaches to all of the extended family members.