Oh, it made me smile when you wrote that you went to Stromness! It’s the only place I went (I had no car) in my one brief trip to Orkney, and I found it so wonderful. I remember buying two small pictures painted by the man who owned the shop where I bought my meat and bread for a sandwich one day. They were pictures of Stromness, one of the harbor and one of the narrow, cobblestoned street in a part of the town.
My Christmases have varied over the years, though I always try to watch the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol and a few other favorites. Perhaps my most unusual Christmases were spent in a Buddhist monastery in Carmel Valley, California, though I think my most meaningful was in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, when we were in strict lockdown. I was completely alone, and I knew back in March when the lockdown got intense, that my Thanksgiving and Christmas were going to be solo affairs. My parents were both gone, my brother and sister and their families mostly out of town, so I started planning early to prevent depression. I found a used copy of my favorite childhood Christmas book, which I then read on Christmas Eve. I also bought an inexpensive turntable so I could listen to my favorite Christmas album from childhood that I kept from my parents’ records. I had our 30+ year old tree and our family ornaments and decorated with them. The Christmas Eve was quiet and wonderful. And I talked with both my brother and sister on Christmas Day, so it didn’t feel lonely at all. It’s great to be with those I love, and sometimes it’s great to be alone. That Christmas I deeply appreciated the quiet.
Stromness is beautiful, I’m pleased you liked it 🧡
That’s great planning for your 2020 Christmas, what a lovely nostalgic and mindful way to enjoy the holiday. I love that you got a turntable to listen to the record - I hope you still listen to it 🎄
I like the sound of your shopping trips. I’m yet to do much of anything and though I bought cards and dug out leftovers, I’ve yet to write them. To be honest, I find Christmas a bit exhausting these days. I love the whole catching up with friends and family aspect - Friday night was a local vegan group Christmas meal, yesterday was the local WAY (the charity I’m part of) Christmas meet up and both were lovely social occasions - but I feel so much pressure to send cards and buy gifts and wrap nicely etc. I never start early enough and I never get as much done as I’d like. I was supposed to be writing cards tonight - but I watched a film instead. In my defence I did have a general anaesthetic last Saturday and have been extra tired. And now I’m on the clock as I collect mum on Friday lunchtime from my brother. After that it won’t be easy to get loads done. Anyway - when the day comes around we will have a good time - and I really hope you do too 🎄✨🥂💚
Sounds like you need to leave the cards this year, I’ve noticed fewer people send cards these days anyway. I’ve kept all the kids cards that they do at school so I have plenty to put up, if I relied on just the ones I got through the post it would be a sorry state! So I dare you not to do them…
The pressure is ,y issue with Christmas, it’s supposed to be a religious festival except it’s been completely overtaken by capitalism and consumerism. The gift giving can be really exhausting, I spoke to my brother earlier and he mentioned it & I panicked because we haven’t done presents for ages, why would we start again now?! Little tokens are great but actual presents, for adults, no thanks! Although I do for Erik & always did for parents, as I’m sure most parents do for their children, whatever their age.
I hope you were able to enjoy the film and relax into it and soon feel fully recovered from the GA
Thank you. I will definitely be doing less cards. I used to send 50-60!! I also need to work out time to write!! I’ve been trying to finish my post on adoption for Me Before The Mess for well over a month now. However, I finish at my job this week and after that I’ll be more free to focus on writing and my new little business. :)
We got our first snow last week here on the outskirts of Buffalo. Only three inches where we live north of the city. Down south at the higher elevations they got 3-4 feet in some towns. Temperatures are running all over the map; yesterday it was 14 degrees F (-10C) but by Tuesday it could go up to 50 F (+10c). My wife and I don’t exchange Christmas presents, even with each other. She is a former Jehovah’s Witness and I was raised Catholic like you. She got kicked out of JW twice, about forty-five years apart, mostly for smoking, but she still adheres to some of their tenets. I left the Catholic Church for generic Christianity, based on the teachings of the Bible. I see nothing wrong with exchanging gifts but personally I got soured on Thanksgiving and Christmas from working retail for many years. I saw some of the worst in people coming at what is supposed to be the most joyous time of the year and I choose to treat the Holidays just like any other day of the year. Having to work on Thanksgiving Day and the next three days, year after year, took its toll on me and, except for sending a card to one special friend who had moved to Texas, I’m done with Christmas.
It looks like my wife is going to have to undergo neurosurgery on her neck in order to save the function of her hands and arms. We’re going for imaging this week and I think they’re going to expedite her treatment because her condition has deteriorated rapidly in the past few weeks. I’m on pins and needles over it because the last time they operated on her spine she ended up in a wheelchair. We’re keeping our spirits up, largely through escapism by watching old movies and TV shows that we love. I think everything will work out well, because my wife has been through a lot of surgeries and pain over the past twenty years, and if anyone can come through this with flying colors, it’s my wonderful, beautiful wife!
I can well imagine retail sours the whole experience. I did a short stint in retail & longer stints in bars/restaurants which are generally way more fun - as long as no one starts a fight!!
Minus 10 is so cold!
I hope everything goes ok for your wife & the surgery is a success, she sounds brilliant & resilient
Ha ha.. your Nephew's comment 🤣 Sounds like you're settling nicely into island life and I'm loving reading about it all👍Wishing you a very merry (and cosy) Christmas 🎄❤️ x
Oh, it made me smile when you wrote that you went to Stromness! It’s the only place I went (I had no car) in my one brief trip to Orkney, and I found it so wonderful. I remember buying two small pictures painted by the man who owned the shop where I bought my meat and bread for a sandwich one day. They were pictures of Stromness, one of the harbor and one of the narrow, cobblestoned street in a part of the town.
My Christmases have varied over the years, though I always try to watch the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol and a few other favorites. Perhaps my most unusual Christmases were spent in a Buddhist monastery in Carmel Valley, California, though I think my most meaningful was in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, when we were in strict lockdown. I was completely alone, and I knew back in March when the lockdown got intense, that my Thanksgiving and Christmas were going to be solo affairs. My parents were both gone, my brother and sister and their families mostly out of town, so I started planning early to prevent depression. I found a used copy of my favorite childhood Christmas book, which I then read on Christmas Eve. I also bought an inexpensive turntable so I could listen to my favorite Christmas album from childhood that I kept from my parents’ records. I had our 30+ year old tree and our family ornaments and decorated with them. The Christmas Eve was quiet and wonderful. And I talked with both my brother and sister on Christmas Day, so it didn’t feel lonely at all. It’s great to be with those I love, and sometimes it’s great to be alone. That Christmas I deeply appreciated the quiet.
Stromness is beautiful, I’m pleased you liked it 🧡
That’s great planning for your 2020 Christmas, what a lovely nostalgic and mindful way to enjoy the holiday. I love that you got a turntable to listen to the record - I hope you still listen to it 🎄
I like the sound of your shopping trips. I’m yet to do much of anything and though I bought cards and dug out leftovers, I’ve yet to write them. To be honest, I find Christmas a bit exhausting these days. I love the whole catching up with friends and family aspect - Friday night was a local vegan group Christmas meal, yesterday was the local WAY (the charity I’m part of) Christmas meet up and both were lovely social occasions - but I feel so much pressure to send cards and buy gifts and wrap nicely etc. I never start early enough and I never get as much done as I’d like. I was supposed to be writing cards tonight - but I watched a film instead. In my defence I did have a general anaesthetic last Saturday and have been extra tired. And now I’m on the clock as I collect mum on Friday lunchtime from my brother. After that it won’t be easy to get loads done. Anyway - when the day comes around we will have a good time - and I really hope you do too 🎄✨🥂💚
Sounds like you need to leave the cards this year, I’ve noticed fewer people send cards these days anyway. I’ve kept all the kids cards that they do at school so I have plenty to put up, if I relied on just the ones I got through the post it would be a sorry state! So I dare you not to do them…
The pressure is ,y issue with Christmas, it’s supposed to be a religious festival except it’s been completely overtaken by capitalism and consumerism. The gift giving can be really exhausting, I spoke to my brother earlier and he mentioned it & I panicked because we haven’t done presents for ages, why would we start again now?! Little tokens are great but actual presents, for adults, no thanks! Although I do for Erik & always did for parents, as I’m sure most parents do for their children, whatever their age.
I hope you were able to enjoy the film and relax into it and soon feel fully recovered from the GA
Thank you. I will definitely be doing less cards. I used to send 50-60!! I also need to work out time to write!! I’ve been trying to finish my post on adoption for Me Before The Mess for well over a month now. However, I finish at my job this week and after that I’ll be more free to focus on writing and my new little business. :)
We got our first snow last week here on the outskirts of Buffalo. Only three inches where we live north of the city. Down south at the higher elevations they got 3-4 feet in some towns. Temperatures are running all over the map; yesterday it was 14 degrees F (-10C) but by Tuesday it could go up to 50 F (+10c). My wife and I don’t exchange Christmas presents, even with each other. She is a former Jehovah’s Witness and I was raised Catholic like you. She got kicked out of JW twice, about forty-five years apart, mostly for smoking, but she still adheres to some of their tenets. I left the Catholic Church for generic Christianity, based on the teachings of the Bible. I see nothing wrong with exchanging gifts but personally I got soured on Thanksgiving and Christmas from working retail for many years. I saw some of the worst in people coming at what is supposed to be the most joyous time of the year and I choose to treat the Holidays just like any other day of the year. Having to work on Thanksgiving Day and the next three days, year after year, took its toll on me and, except for sending a card to one special friend who had moved to Texas, I’m done with Christmas.
It looks like my wife is going to have to undergo neurosurgery on her neck in order to save the function of her hands and arms. We’re going for imaging this week and I think they’re going to expedite her treatment because her condition has deteriorated rapidly in the past few weeks. I’m on pins and needles over it because the last time they operated on her spine she ended up in a wheelchair. We’re keeping our spirits up, largely through escapism by watching old movies and TV shows that we love. I think everything will work out well, because my wife has been through a lot of surgeries and pain over the past twenty years, and if anyone can come through this with flying colors, it’s my wonderful, beautiful wife!
I can well imagine retail sours the whole experience. I did a short stint in retail & longer stints in bars/restaurants which are generally way more fun - as long as no one starts a fight!!
Minus 10 is so cold!
I hope everything goes ok for your wife & the surgery is a success, she sounds brilliant & resilient
Ha ha.. your Nephew's comment 🤣 Sounds like you're settling nicely into island life and I'm loving reading about it all👍Wishing you a very merry (and cosy) Christmas 🎄❤️ x
I'm not a christmas-er at all. Used to be a bit more but now that I'm in NZ and it's summer it just doesn't feel Christmassy.
As for your bonus question, yes I do let my posts rest! Usually a few days even. And I write in Notion as well.