Being a newb and all, I was wondering what is different during the holidays? Ie. How do you guys find Shopping? Decorating? Wrapping? Entertaining / Going over to people houses? Also What are you guys asking for? Doesn't have to be Sjogrens related... more of a fun question?
:)
Shopping and hosting parties does me in. I used to be able to shop all day. Now I'm done after about 2 hours. ::)
I don't really need or want much under the tree this year. ;D
I avoid shopping and entertaining as much as possible.
I have found the holidays to be very stressful.I get very anxious and upset about the cooking,cleaning,groups of family and friends popping in and out,just everything.Every yr.I look for ways to make it better.This yr. so far I'm doing better.We are going to my son's so I won't be doing all the work,we're canceling my spouses relatives coming over Christmas Eve which is a huge relief,and I will still bake all the goodies I give to my kids and families but will go slow and stop if I can't do all I want to.It's taken yrs.to get here.
DH and I don't exchange presents.We like to enjoy it through the young ones in the family.I might even start liking the holidays again.Oops did I just say that?
Ruby
Bigboo, I can't do any of those things in comfort,because of my dry eyes and my great sensitivity to any airflow..
Even my computer bothers me greatly. when the cooling system comes in..I am off!!
This curse has absolutely spoiled all of my favourite pastimes. and at times I sit and weep in despair..
I lost all of my pals as they just diden't understand the aggro that my problems cause me..
I don.t know how my hubby hasent left home by now. It ain't any fun!!!
Praying for a miracle, Dolly
Hi all,
It's tough to get out and do the shopping some days (and others are not so bad - just can't do it for more than an hour or two), and I often go on line and shop that way...a lot easier on me all around (especially the Raynaud's when it gets cold).
Unfortunately, I don't entertain much these days either as I'm usually to exhausted to even think about doing all of the prep work, and then staying up to all hours of the night. I just can't do it anymore.
Like Ruby, I do like to do a lot of baking, and Thanksgiving just about did me in, and I wasn't the only one cooking at dinner (I could never had done it by my self anymore).
I can't speak for anyone else, but some days, Bigb00, it's all I can do to put one foot in front of the other.
Take care -
Patze
I'm new here too. I will be having both my mother and my mother-in-law staying for Christmas. My M-i-L has lupus herself, so understands the need for "go-slow" days. Mostly I am hoping to get through the holiday shopping etc by always knowing where the bathroom/water fountains are. As for presents on my list, another humidifier for my living room, (Incidentally, is steam or cool vapour best?) and a sodastream so I can make my own soda water at home. We had one when I was growing up in the UK, but it appears you can only get it online, or as seen on TV here in the US. ???
Holidays aren't to bad, I already have my Festivus pole up, that wasn't too hard. As far a shopping goes, well it's not part of Festivus, but I do get gifts for a few near and dear friends, so I try to be the first one in the Dollar Store on Black Friday, my shopping is done!
Ok, I may be the only one who doesnt know or just the only one brave enough to ask...What is a Festivus Pole??????? ??? ???
Festivus comes from a Seinfeld episode. The tradition of Festivus begins with an aluminum pole. During Festivus, the Festivus Pole is displayed unadorned. The principles of the festivus pole are: it requires no decoration (apparently Frank Constanza finds tinsel distracting) and it's made from aluminum, very high strength-to-weight ratio.
I'm not much of a Seinfeld fan, but even I found "Festivus for the rest of us" quite amusing.
I just finished putting on a whole Thanksgiving dinner for my sons, wives and in-laws. I cooked and cleaned for three days. I totally overdid everything and now I'm exhausted and can barely think about Christmas. The funny thing is that my sons and their girls stayed approx 1 hr! All that effort for that! I'm changing my attitude for Christmas. I'm cutting way back on decorations and buying a lot of gifts online, like so many others. I'm trying to remember the "Reason for the Season" and it's not all about decorations, food, cooking and parties. I do agree that dealing with holidays is very tiring and makes me anxious about how I'm going to accomplish everything. I hope my Christmas this year is peaceful and I can do something for someone who is really in need. Less gifts for my kids and more for those who really need help!
Barb
Another one here who likes to do some holiday shopping online! As far as cleaning, cooking and decorating...I don't have to do that so I don't! :D
I am the one who does a lot of running to all of my different family members homes.....it starts Christmas Eve with dinner at my dads...about an hour and half drive and ends sometime Christmas day after I finish the rounds. I even spend the night at my brothers house to cut down on the driving.
I have always hated the thought of all of this running....but last year and this year I cut out a lot of shopping and worrying about gifts...I still get things for everyone..but I have simplified. I didn't get cards out last year and I doubt it will happen again this year....just trying to remember the reason for the season as well....and also realizing that parents and family members (and me of course) are getting older and never know what the next year will bring....so trying to make the most of it each year we have together.
Everyone used to call me a Bah Humbug...but not this year...well not too much anyway...lol!
The last few years I did not enjoy as I should the holidays. With working at school, and all the parties etc. there alone, by the time I was out for the holidays with family it wasn't until the holidays were over that I was looking for them. :(
Well, this year, I decided I am calming down, first at school, and then at families. This year seems so meaningful to me though. It's not about presents. I will do as I am always expected at school, but I am going slowly with it. I am saying no to things I can't do.
Me and my husband enjoyed Thanksgiving, with first going down to my parents, and everyone bringing dishes, with mom cooking the turkey, ham, and a few things she brings out of her cellar.My husband Gene got to talk to his father who lives in Texas and is not well.
We took a nice desert (already made), and a little Thanksgiving towel as a hostess gift I hung on mom's stove handle.
One of my sisters invited us to her house for later in the evening for dinner. We went, because all we had to do was eat and chat. :) We had a good time, and not stressed, but my have picked up a bit of colds from the kiddies. I also took my sister a set of candles to put up for Christmas as a little hostess gift.
I plan to enjoy Christmas at my mothers again, and over at my sons and daughter in laws for his birthday Dec 21- and on Christmas Day my husband's birthday, and Jan 2 my daughter-in-laws birthday. Oh, almost forgot this year my son is graduating from University in Dec and daughter in law having a party that day. Never the less, I am going to enjoy it all,but take it slow. Oh on the day of my son's birthday I am scheduled to be at the oral surgeon and have all my teeth extracted and bone shaved down. :o I will be going to his house the day before.
Last year about 3 weeks before Christmas, one of our fur babies (Buddy) was missing. We kept praying he would somehow return. A few days before Christmas we heard something, and looked outside, and he was leaning up against our house barely able to walk. I ran to get him up in my arms. We tried calling somewhere to get him in, but no one answered, so the next morning my husband took him to the vet.
He x rayed him and kept him for one night, and gave him fluids and antibiotics and pain meds. He had been shot. They or whoever shot his eyes and all through him. The vet said God must have been looking over him , because he doesn't understand why he is alive.
My husband brought him back home with plenty of meds. Today Buddy is a very happy, healthy boy except for being blind. That made our Christmas last year, and we will always think of the miracle when it's that time of year.
susanep :)
Hi Susan,
Your poor fur baby!! I'm glad that he has you and the hubby for his parents!!! Did they ever catch the jerk that shot him?
Your Thanksgiving dinners sound like they were just marvelous! :D
Patze
Hi :)
Shop on the internet and then you don't need to post and a lot of sites will even wrap for you! Entertaining? get someone else to cook! :)
happy festivus
Take care - Scottie :)
Hang in there Lizzy!!! I sure hope things settle down for you soon enough to have a great Christmas!
Patze
Patze no they never found out who shot Buddy. Thankyou for asking.
susanep :)
Linda,
Festivus was first celebrated in 1965, long before Seinfeld and was started by writer Dan O'Keefe, his son was a writer for Seinfeld and put it into a script. The Seinfeld episode had no drinking, true Fustivis celebrations always include heavy consumption of alcohol. O'Keefe once wrote a book that deals with idiosyncratic ritual and its social significance, a good foundation for creating Festivus. We Festivites take our holiday seriously and are fighting to have our Festivus poles displayed next the Nativity and Menorah displays on city property all over America and the we will storm Canada yelling, Festivus, the holiday for the rest of us!
We are trying to get the ACLU to represents us in some of out law suits across the country. My wife and I just got done stringing our Festivus light on the roof, we spelled out "Festivus the holiday for the rust of us" in red lights.
Thanks, Epson, I had no idea!
As I said, I wasn't much into Seinfeld, and didn't realize the true history of the occasion!
Now, is the appropriate greeting "Happy Festivus", "Merry Festivus", or "Bottoms Up"?
Yes Linda, now you have the Festivus spirit!!! :D
I did the family Christmas cards this weekend. Friday through Sunday. I make my own through an Internet pay site and print them using the laser printer. Don't know how I would live without my laser. My stress level has gone down triple since I got it back in 2005. It's the whole works, cards, clip art and address printed on the envelopes and return address labels. Plus I do an annual Christmas letter for my personal cards printed on Christmas stationary of course.
It was three tough days and I'm paying for it now. A lot of getting up and down dealing with the printer. But I'm glad I did it. Most of the time I'm in pain from the neuropathy anyway so why not. The neuropathy book I just read said to focus on hobbies / activities to take your mind off th pain so that is what i did. Plus my mom loves having the personalized cards with people's names on them. They are fun to do.
A sort of unwritten bargain was made. I would do the cards and bow out of helping with the Christmas tree. No lifting and moving of the heavy table etc.
Now the only thing left is to write personalized notes on the cards and get the Christmas stamps. Mom put the return address labels on for me as I don't see too well to do a decent job. She also folded the letters.
Well, I do have four cards left to do, mail man, newspaper delivery guys and garbage man. The mail man sent his Christmas card today so I could go ahead and do his and I have the address of the garbage man so I could do that one too.