I smiled

People tell you not to fuss …. But when they are all at your house, you have to feed them and seat them and provide a reasonably clean house. But don’t fuss!!

Love the Ted Baxter reference! My fave tv comedy of all time.

It could be worse,of course. Everyone in my house right now, including me, has come down with Covid. One week before Christmas.

Can I join you in a glass of that cheap Zinfandel?

and I sure hope it is easy on you.

My best friend called, then my sister called. When I finished the call with my sister, I swore a lot and said, somebody else call, and the freaking phone rang. TG, it was a butt dial from my sister, or there wouldn't be a glass of wine left for you, D_D!

Feel better, be sure to get some down time to heal.

*glasses clinking*

It does sound like you are surrounded in love!

and I appreciate the people in my life. Just having trouble with the seasonal expectations

👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾

Last edited Sat Dec 17, 2022, 07:39 PM - Edit history (1)

I haven't seen a visitor in more months than I can think of, and my daughter is visiting today basically for Thanksgiving, her birthday, my birthday, Christmas, New Years and any other.

Edit to add: And I rearranged and cleaned for weeks!

It's the best day of the year.

So far.

Enjoy your daughter's company.

My older daughter and her husband live away from here, but will be home for Christmas. My younger daughter and her family live close to me, and we are lucky to see each other pretty often.

Just want to be ready for the holiday, and I haven't hit my stride.

Been living the monastic life style for awhile up here in rural Maine. My grown kids have plans for Christmas and I really don't do the Christmas thing anymore. I have 50 acres of pine trees here, so I see no point in killing one to bring inside. This will be the 1st Christmas in 12 years that I won't be spending with my GF in Mass....we split in July.

Soooo, I will probably head to North Conway to visit my sibs for a few days, into New Years. May do some downhill skiing and hang out at the Mountain bar, socializing...

I'm still working the the wine, something I don't usually do, but seems to be helping get me back in a better mood.

Maine is a lovely state. I have inlaws up that way

So, I made a run for a Black Box of Cabbie Sauvignon. So I should be OK for the rest of the weekend.

We did Thanksgiving at my sister's. Mom is in a memory care home. We didn't realize just how inaccessible Sis's house was until Thanksgiving (sigh). When we finally got Mom inside, and once the family all got there, it was a chaotic fiasco. Mom, Sis, and I both were a bundle of nerves unable to enjoy anything. Mom just kept saying she wanted to go to bed, but Sis's bed was too high for Mom to get into.

So, Xmas is at my house. Being disabled, my house is more or less accessible. Of course, it's a disaster right now... so, I'm trying right now to get my butt up to start cleaning (actually, right now I'm procrastinating!). Hadn't thought of lubrication, but I've got a bottle of mead already opened, which might help start the process. Grandson is coming over tomorrow to help get the tree out of the attic.

We had planned on doing Xmas at the Home, but they've just had an outbreak of Covid and are limited groups to 5 or less, which won't work for us. At least here, Mom has her own room with a bed low enough she can get into with help. The only problem will be in getting her to head back to the "hospital." But I learned the hard way that as much as I love her, I just can't be 24 hour care giver. She's beyond my expertise and physical abilities.

Before all this, I hadn't even planned on putting up a Xmas light, let alone a tree... now I have 20 +/- coming over on Xmas eve, and a Xmas dinner on Xmas day. Afterwards, I'm planning on a well deserved nervous breakdown! (LOL)

You can tell your Mom stories from a time she remembers, I hope. Years and years ago, a woman, a stranger. came to a yard sale I had. She was pushing her Mom in a wheel chair. Her Mom was mentally gone, but very pleasant and smiling. I said something kind about the situation, and she said, "I was her baby once, and now she's mine." And smilingly patted her Mom's shoulder. I never forgot that encounter and it helped me so much with my Mom and my mother-in-law.

My nephew is coming during the holidays and bringing his young daughter, whom I've never met. His plans were changed, and all of us are trying to be as flexible as we can, so as many of us as possible can see them while they are visiting. My sister, his Mom, is recovering from surgery and her boyfriend has health problems. They are planning to travel and stay with us, at least 1 night, now probably more. Not knowing what to expect or when to plan is making me crazy. I invited in-laws to dinner before Christmas, so I have to be ready for entertaining them. At least that is planned and set.

I opened a booth in a vintage mall in August. Living by myself, I am used to laying out my projects and not having visitors. I've been decluttering, trying to stay organized, and decorate. I was going to bake this weekend, but decided to finish cleaning first. If I baked, everything would be stale by the time I have company

The wine helped. I will have a Christmas cloth on the dining table before I go to bed. Yay.

the cats would run off with it and hide it, the little stinkers! (LOL)

Enjoy! I just decided my bed has dried up enough for me to sleep in it tonight, from the bottle of pepsi that exploded all over it last night. Flexibility, right? I'm going to try to forgive my low energy today and hope for better tomorrow.

Figure I'll start with making a "todo" list that I can cross off "done" items. That always helped me at work. Seeing accomplishments gave me energy to go on to the next task. I suffer so from SAD, and it gets dark so darn early these days! I swear, even the dog is affected by the lack of sunshine. But she'll be in heaven from all the kids, and "grandma" being home again. And, like I said, I've got the oldest grandson coming tomorrow to help with the tree. Hopefully he'll help with a few other things, too. As well as give his grandma a few big hugs to keep her going...

Good luck with every one coming in for the holidays at your place. Hope you can find everything you end up stashing in the meantime. Usually takes me months to figure out where I put stuff to get it out of the way.

Happy Holidays! And keep the wine flowing!

I have no family left (at least, not in this country) and my wife's siblings all live too far away to visit anymore. We used to make the 8-hour drive every year, but we're too old for that now (and we have too many pets to leave behind).

My father was an anti-social hermit, and I appear to be reverting to type as I age. I love the no-fuss, quiet version of the holiday.

Enjoy the holiday, however you spend it!

I had Thanksgiving with some friends about a 90 minute drive away. Very pleasant.

Christmas Eve I'll be at a nearby friend's house. New Year's Eve with another friend, likewise nearby. I have a very quiet life and I like it this way.