Yesterday was supposed to be the busiest day for shopping, with a high likelihood that the debit and credit card lines will go down, although I'm sure today will be busy too. I can't believe how dependent on debit I've become - and how often I've been burned because I didn't have cash and the lines were down. The problem used to be that some stores didn't have debit, but that is becoming much less now-a-days (except at my place of employment, where many areas don't have debit - but there are scads of bank machines so those companies make money). I thankfully have no need to enter a shopping store today, just Sobey's for some groceries and then I'm done. I remember years ago Dadums and I doing our shopping on the 24th just before heading up to his parents' - it was madness. Thankfully I learned my lessons and now shop year-round for Christmas and birthdays. I have a gift closet where I'll put things away and then when the kids' have a b-day party (okay, not so much anymore) or I have a friend's b-day or anniversary, then I can go into my closet and see what I've got put away. It tends to get emptied out at Christmas. A few years of losing money to separating has caused the closet to get a wee bit sparse, but it's still there.
What is on your agenda for the next few days? Dadums and the kidlets are going to his sister's to celebrate tonight. I've been invited and would like to go see the little kidlets, but I'm just not sure. My friends with bats would probably say NO, but there is always so much that other people don't know. DBR thinks it would weird. We'll have to see. I have 3 other offers of places to go, as well as just spending quality time with my book and bathtub, so it's not like I would be bored. We have invited Dadums over tomorrow morning to open presents and then it will most likely be a quiet day. KVS put the turkey in the tub for me to defrost and I've got to run out to get a few fixings for tomorrow's supper, but it will be pretty low key. Not sure what Boxing Day will bring (although obviously not many good deals, judging by the flyers we've received so far) and we're getting together with Dō and Baba on the 27th.
The kids are getting excited, but the mood has changed as they've gotten older. A) they only ever ask for money anymore (or things that cost in the thousands - LOL); B) their stockings are costing more and more (yes, Auntie L was right!!) with each passing year; and C) they often are with me when I buy for one or the other and then bribe each other with the information so they know what they're getting even before the day (something I don't understand, never having had siblings). Having two December birthdays, we've always tried to wait to put up the tree and decorations until after KVS's b-day, which means we have less than 2 weeks with everything up before Christmas. We keep things up until after New Year, but take them down before Ukrainian Christmas and New Year, as that's a bit much for me. DBR did a great job of decorating the tree this year and we strung things all over the house and put our little decorations out and wall hangings and such - I think it looks awesome. We have such a diverse household religiously, but I think we're covering everyone's needs. The only I didn't find that I wanted to put out was my little white nativity set. I got it about 8 years ago, when we lived in Hanna, at the Super-A, for an absolute song (Calvin always had the best Boxing Day sales - I wonder if he still does?) and have enjoyed it ever since. So, how is it an atheist puts a nativity set out in her house? It's a religious symbol for some and a beautiful knick knack for others - people get too bent out of shape about what you should or shouldn't do and life is too damn short that. I've found an amazing blog written by an atheist, Jason, who supports Christmas. Very well written and so close to my thoughts and feelings that it is incredible!
I've spent a lot of time thinking about what Christmas was when I was a little girl. It was so much fun! We didn't have any religious connotation to it (until we met my step-dad) - it was all about fun and presents and Santa and snowmen and decorations and food and baking and just getting together and having a good time with family and friends. I learned more about the religious significance from the step-family and friends, but inside it was still really about Santa and the little guys for me. My Mom was absolutely incredible at Christmas. She made everything so much fun. She lost her mind with baking and food and the absolute most exciting part was always the stockings. She put so much thought and stuff into our stockings and she wrapped each little thing so it took you forever to get through it. The house was always warm and inviting and she decorated so beautifully. The year KVS was born, Mom had suffered her aneurysms and was in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. They made us take her home because they didn't have enough staff to look after her, which unfortanately is the way our health-care system still works. (In now way do I mean this as a slight against the Glenrose; they were just doing what they had to do because of staffing.) It was a really difficult Christmas and one I will never forget as being both good and bad - a new baby girl and beautiful toddler but a mom obviously very sick and most likely dying. The next year was harder in some ways because we didn't have her and we had the memory of the difficult Christmas the year before, but we had another new baby (BDJ) and two beautiful toddlers. Like with any grieving, it gets easier with each passing year. I miss her voice and talking to her on the phone billions of times a day and her stroking my hair and hugging me and loving my babies and ... I guess all the same things everyone misses when they lose a loved one. Anyway, I decided this year to try to make a Christmas like she used to - I even wrapped all the dinky little stocking stuffers (which I haven't done in years) and am looking forward spending some quality time with the kidlets. Maybe that's why I'm wanting to spend time with Dadum's family and the little guys too - they are what make Christmas fun and exciting. We'll see.
Anyway, as usual I have jumped all over the board with my rants. I wish you and yours days filled with love and laughter with family and friends, in whatever capacity you do or do not celebrate. Know that I think of you all often and am thankful you're all around me helping make my life complete.
As I was getting ready to publish this, my Bonnie called from Ontario! I have missed emailing and talking with her and it was so awesome to hear her voice. The kids are missing her incredible baking and they all had to say hello and have a chat. Sounds like she's having a great time with her family and friends visiting and shoveling snow and pushing out vehicles. I hope you have a fantastic time my friend. I look forward to seeing you when you get home. Lots of love to you and yours.
Toodles for now!
What is on your agenda for the next few days? Dadums and the kidlets are going to his sister's to celebrate tonight. I've been invited and would like to go see the little kidlets, but I'm just not sure. My friends with bats would probably say NO, but there is always so much that other people don't know. DBR thinks it would weird. We'll have to see. I have 3 other offers of places to go, as well as just spending quality time with my book and bathtub, so it's not like I would be bored. We have invited Dadums over tomorrow morning to open presents and then it will most likely be a quiet day. KVS put the turkey in the tub for me to defrost and I've got to run out to get a few fixings for tomorrow's supper, but it will be pretty low key. Not sure what Boxing Day will bring (although obviously not many good deals, judging by the flyers we've received so far) and we're getting together with Dō and Baba on the 27th.
The kids are getting excited, but the mood has changed as they've gotten older. A) they only ever ask for money anymore (or things that cost in the thousands - LOL); B) their stockings are costing more and more (yes, Auntie L was right!!) with each passing year; and C) they often are with me when I buy for one or the other and then bribe each other with the information so they know what they're getting even before the day (something I don't understand, never having had siblings). Having two December birthdays, we've always tried to wait to put up the tree and decorations until after KVS's b-day, which means we have less than 2 weeks with everything up before Christmas. We keep things up until after New Year, but take them down before Ukrainian Christmas and New Year, as that's a bit much for me. DBR did a great job of decorating the tree this year and we strung things all over the house and put our little decorations out and wall hangings and such - I think it looks awesome. We have such a diverse household religiously, but I think we're covering everyone's needs. The only I didn't find that I wanted to put out was my little white nativity set. I got it about 8 years ago, when we lived in Hanna, at the Super-A, for an absolute song (Calvin always had the best Boxing Day sales - I wonder if he still does?) and have enjoyed it ever since. So, how is it an atheist puts a nativity set out in her house? It's a religious symbol for some and a beautiful knick knack for others - people get too bent out of shape about what you should or shouldn't do and life is too damn short that. I've found an amazing blog written by an atheist, Jason, who supports Christmas. Very well written and so close to my thoughts and feelings that it is incredible!
I've spent a lot of time thinking about what Christmas was when I was a little girl. It was so much fun! We didn't have any religious connotation to it (until we met my step-dad) - it was all about fun and presents and Santa and snowmen and decorations and food and baking and just getting together and having a good time with family and friends. I learned more about the religious significance from the step-family and friends, but inside it was still really about Santa and the little guys for me. My Mom was absolutely incredible at Christmas. She made everything so much fun. She lost her mind with baking and food and the absolute most exciting part was always the stockings. She put so much thought and stuff into our stockings and she wrapped each little thing so it took you forever to get through it. The house was always warm and inviting and she decorated so beautifully. The year KVS was born, Mom had suffered her aneurysms and was in the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. They made us take her home because they didn't have enough staff to look after her, which unfortanately is the way our health-care system still works. (In now way do I mean this as a slight against the Glenrose; they were just doing what they had to do because of staffing.) It was a really difficult Christmas and one I will never forget as being both good and bad - a new baby girl and beautiful toddler but a mom obviously very sick and most likely dying. The next year was harder in some ways because we didn't have her and we had the memory of the difficult Christmas the year before, but we had another new baby (BDJ) and two beautiful toddlers. Like with any grieving, it gets easier with each passing year. I miss her voice and talking to her on the phone billions of times a day and her stroking my hair and hugging me and loving my babies and ... I guess all the same things everyone misses when they lose a loved one. Anyway, I decided this year to try to make a Christmas like she used to - I even wrapped all the dinky little stocking stuffers (which I haven't done in years) and am looking forward spending some quality time with the kidlets. Maybe that's why I'm wanting to spend time with Dadum's family and the little guys too - they are what make Christmas fun and exciting. We'll see.
Anyway, as usual I have jumped all over the board with my rants. I wish you and yours days filled with love and laughter with family and friends, in whatever capacity you do or do not celebrate. Know that I think of you all often and am thankful you're all around me helping make my life complete.
As I was getting ready to publish this, my Bonnie called from Ontario! I have missed emailing and talking with her and it was so awesome to hear her voice. The kids are missing her incredible baking and they all had to say hello and have a chat. Sounds like she's having a great time with her family and friends visiting and shoveling snow and pushing out vehicles. I hope you have a fantastic time my friend. I look forward to seeing you when you get home. Lots of love to you and yours.
Toodles for now!
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