Still a couple weeks away. Maybe you’re writing this from the future, in which case, I have to ask who gave you the time machine for Xmas and where did they get it, because I want one. There’s this guy I need to kill. Rhymes with Schmadolf Schmitler. Just sayin’. Don’t hog the time travel for yourself. I promise not to kill any butterflies.

Three more packages to wrap out of 32. Thursday will be drop off day for shipping to end destinations !
We will go to daughter’s house and bring presents and foods (sides and cheeses) !

I have made a couple of practice meals. They were ok.

I’ve been busy scurrying about searching for my two decorations – an old-fashioned Santa statue to put on a shelf, and a beaded red and white wreath, about 2” x 2”. Then I’ll be finished…whewww!

@Entropy What did that guy do? I think I heard about some explosion in a Christmas store the other day. Maybe it was really him that blow up the store? If so your service would be of great help ~

It isn’t Christmas yet. I can’t properly answer the question.

One thing I am doing this year is not stressing about the holiday. We’ve had too much illness in the family so my focus is on time well spent and enjoying every moment.

Non-existent.

The tree went up Friday. I hauled the boxes of ornaments up from the basement yesterday, complaining bitterly of the diversion from my life of enforced lethargy.
The wife baked a load of ginger snaps early this morning. I woke up to “ you gotta eat your spinach baaaby” blaring from the kitchen accompanied by wonderful aromas. Seems she decided on a marathon of Shirley Temple moves to flavor the day. She’d been really busy. The dining room table was covered with unpacked and unwrapped ornaments as neatly arranged and pretty as they would be on the tree. The minute she figured I was up and about, she appeared in the living room with a saucer load of ginger snaps as the balm to her announcement that this would not be a morning for me of robe and pajama indolence. I was to be prepared for visitors. Knowing full well, there would be no revolt with those cookies under my nose, she sauntered cheerfully back into the kitchen. By the time I was dressed and in the kitchen for a big glass of milk and another handful of snaps, she’d finished washing all the cookie baking apparatus (an ominous omen) and begun the process of hanging the ornaments. I’d strung the lights Saturday, but am not trusted to touch the ornaments. Sunday was a blur all day long and into the night of people in and out of the house. It’s frightening. I’m no longer used to it. People are work!!! They’re good people & most of them showed up with food, booze, whatever. But I’d fallen asleep Saturday night without a clue about Sunday. The wife’s trusted girlfriends hung ornaments with her while gossiping on which of them was cursed with the most useless spouse or partner. The spouses and partners lolled around compelled to watch Heidi, Little Miss Marker, etc. Some people would leave and come back. One couple went home and cooked up this delicious and plentiful batch of fried chicken, returning with it just in time for the football game. My duties of course consist of gathering, and dealing with the dishes, glassware etc., make and maintain the coffee, keep the kettle primed for tea, and prevent traffic pileups at strategic choke points in the kitchen and pantry, or the door to the deck where the smokers are confined. It’s fkn full time work. The dishwasher runs more or less constantly, and when it isn’t, everything has to be stacked and sorted into the dish closet, or out to the tables. The house cleared out around 9 as I sat there surveying the wreckage. The wife purred Isn’t the tree beautiful? Don’t you just love Christmas and our friends? I replied “you know what I’d love?” She smiled and cocked an ear “SERVANTS!!” She came back with “YOU did just fine”.

All done minus a few stocking stuffers!

Wait…you celebrate Christmas?

You might have seen my Q about the $150 gift limit my husband’s family decided in for secret Santa. That cause me a few days of irritation, but I’m getting over it.

I wrapped up two gifts for my husband to bring to work for their secret Santa and they also did a separate gift game with regifts.

I went to my husband’s work Christmas party last week (no gifts at that party) so pulled out my red Christmas blouse and hoped I wouldn’t get sick. It looks like I got lucky.

I haven’t shopped at all yet for Christmas. I’ll probably do it last minute for the big gifts. I have to buy my MIL the secret Santa $150 gift and I need to buy my own $159 gift because my husband was given my name. Lol. I’m so glad those are the names we got.

I only have a few people to buy little gifts for. I already have one regift to give. My husband got a candle from work that I’ll turn right around and give to someone else.

The end of this week I’ll probably drive around town to see Christmas lights.

I know a ton of people who are sick now and I’m skipping some things to try to stay healthy this Christmas season. Right now I’m at a hotel in Orlando! Germ vector capital of the western world in my opinion. The guy behind me at the front desk sneezed and looked congested. I had my mask on, but for the next three days I’ll be hoping I didn’t get sick.

@raum Well not actually celebrating it, but it’s kind of a celebration here and it’s an extracurricular activity of our center.

Expensive. Deck the halls with maxed out credit cards.

Christmastide begins on Christmas Eve. That is when my Christmas will begin and will last for twelve days.

I signed up for Chefs plate meals. I get my first delivery on December 22 Thursday. First meals are burgers and fries and broccoli and pasta.

First day of Christmas Party. There were fewer students than I expected. But then again it was raining hard so I didn’t expect attendance to be that great. Today the kids just decorated the Christmas cards that I had designed for them (here and here are how they look like). The kids just needed to color in the pictures and added stickers onto the space. I should have taken photos of the results but they did enjoy the activity.

Just came across this Christmas video from where I live in Florida. Gives you an idea of the atmosphere here for the month before Christmas. I’m pretty sure I saw snow in Florida at one of the events. In my zumba classes lots of people are wearing Christmas lights necklaces and Santa leggings.

Here’s the video: https://youtu.be/RxOGdqmHfTg

All presents that needed to shipped; were shipped yesterday afternoon. One has already been received. Plan is to go to daughter’s next Sunday, snowstorm may mess that up. . . .