Holiday grand plan 2010

[Lynlee]

I`finall`cleared`out`room/tackled`WIR`floor`as`well`so`am`considerig`it`vacumned.
The`room`won't`be`done`until`I`have`dealt`with`the`misealanous`?sp(its`too`late)
stashes`wherever`I`could`fit`them.
I`do`need`bedside`chests/something.

I`did`declutter`old`mower`to`a`friend.I`do`hope`she`can`get`it`going.
Cleared`the`space`of`decayed`plastic.tarp/etc.
Nice`space`on`veranda...lots`needed`out`there`one`day`too.

ty`for`encouragement`blessed...My`room`has`been`put`off`forever.

[blessedw2]

Awesome work dLynn!!!

[blessedw2]

today: went through and tossed most of holiday baking cooking supplies as they are out of date. flour had opened and I found casting of moths. out the door.
will buy new flour, sugar, baking powder and soda as that also ages. wiped it down

[Lynlee]

ty`blessed.
Bought`new`bedside/`tall`chest`of`drawers`today`delivery`Thurs.
I`need`declutter`the`trail`in`for`delivery`guys....My`sorting`in`progress`is`in`the`hall.
I`want`to`declutter`as`much`as`possible..
Bedtime`books`in`bedside`unit.`not`sure`about`the`other`side.
At`last`a`place`for`a`bedside`lamp.

blessed`-someone`said`putting`flour`in`freezer`kills`any`eggs`already`in`there...
May`help`it`last`longer.`I`now`have`a`largish`tub`with`lid`for`my`different``flours
...keep`it`in`fridge.

[Harmony]

Sigh...holidays coming down the track and I don't know what I'm going to do. DH faces another surgery in Dec with barely beginning to make progress on other arm.

How to do decorations? Outside is the problem. Inside I usually handle, but that's so much work...

How do we figure on traveling? And sleeping in a hard pull out bed one place or a lumpy futon the other? Ok usually, but not after surgery.

I hold myself to such high standards. It's so hard. I don't know how to say to myself, not this year. And be ok with it.

Anybody downsize their holiday and been ok with it?

[Indiana]

Harmony I had to downsize the last two Christmas' dh was ill and last Christmas I was so sick. I was sad making the decision but once made I was fine. I couldn't do the decorating or tree but I did put out the important things like the nativity from when I was a child and a few other things. Since I couldn't do the other things I picked the one thing that was important to me - the nativity.

[Harriet]

Harmony, you can take delight in small-scale decor, too. So often our most meaningful decorations are really small and simple. You're so creative and competent - you can make it fun.

If I were you I would immediately put the outdoor decor on skip-a-year status. Then I'd plan to decorate the entry door and the foyer area to beat the band. But after that, consider only what other traditions you just can't do without (that you can really accomplish - remembering you have to undo afterward, too), then stop and smell the poinsettias!

Doing things differently the next year will be newly fun, too.


And the Grinch put his hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow...But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?" "It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!" "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas,"
he thought,
"doesn't come from a store."
"Maybe
Christmas...
perhaps...
means a little bit more!

"Welcome Christmas! Bring your cheer!
Cheer to all Whos far and near!
Christmas Day is in our grasp!
So long as we have hands to clasp!
Christmas Day will always be!
Just as long as we have we!

[sherinjoy]

Harriet - I love the Grinch story, thanks for sharing it. We watch the movie every Christmas. My minister read that book at a special holiday service one year and everyone loved it.

Harmony - big hugs for your heart's concerns for Christmas. I have had to give up my traditional "over-the-top" Christmas the last three years because of in-laws' deaths and my DDad's death just before the holidays. It was an adjustment, but I just pulled out the decor that mattered to us and we got a very small table top tree. It was strange the first year, more comfortable the second year, and last year it was liberating - we loved the simplicity. I realized the less you pull out and put up, the less you have to put away - what a concept. Instead of spending weeks putting it all away, it was done in a day. And regarding traveling and comfort, is there a motel nearby family that you could afford to stay at? Yours and DH's health is a priority and hopefully your family will understand that. I think it is getting back to "the reason for the season" and enjoying the friends and family and holiday experiences, and letting go of the host/decorator role that was the biggest transition for us. Hope this helps with your thoughts on how to honor the holiday and do it differently.

[DeeClutter]

Anybody downsize their holiday and been ok with it?

The first year we 'downsized' we spent Christmas with DD & family in FL. That year it was very hard! DD even decorated their tree with FL fare -actually it was the 1st Christmas like that for her too -she'd been coming up here for Christmas vacation up till we went south through that period.

The last year (or is it two already?) we did a real tree with regular decorations. DS-A did call early December to see if we could come 'home' for just one more Christmas. After checking air fares at that late date -no way! Looked into this year but it's still too expensive and I'm not sure I could take the cold & snow anymore.

I, like Indiana, have a small nativity set up in our room at DD's and helped decorate the house a little more last year -that helped. We had a large nativity (made for me by the Grandmother of the Pastor -the 1 we'll visit in Indianapolis next month) set which I donated to our church. I need to have someone take a picture of it set up in the sanctuary and send it to us. I later found (this summer when we cleaned out the storage unit) our small Precious Moments Nativity and have that packed for FL. That will stay up for a long time, I'm sure.

I'll not kid you -it's still hard sometimes not celebrating the same old way, but I've had to accept the life changes that have changed it. Christmas was always at our house and all the kids came for years and years. It started getting a little difficult as DKs divorced or whatever and there had to start being time for children with the other parent -that's when I finally relented and went to Christmas Eve. That too took another usual celebration of going to church for the candlelight service. Miss all of that, but things just change. Not sure any of this encourages you -but it does get better.

I don't think I realized your dh is facing another surgery in December. Owweee! You two have surely had more than ENOUGH ALREADY!

[blessedw2]

We do Christmas with my dmom and that side of the family differently... my mom is in florida from mid November to May
we now do it early. this year we can't do it all because of everyone having health issues but we will do a summer one next year maybe and invite everyone extended like a family reunion. It still felt like Christmas when we do it in November except with a fake tree. I get a real tree at the holidays. my brother/sil (no kids) goes to my dmoms (my uncle also lives there for the winter) for christmas but my dmil does christmas only on christmas eve with the whole family (big family)and thats where my kids want to be plus my brother/sil and my dd21 do not get along and probably never will. We have found it's not the exact date that matters but the feeling. my other dsil does her Christmas two days after thanksgiving every other year for her dinlaws who come in from south carolina. Same thing, she says it really doesn't make a difference. hope that helps. It was hard the first year as we didn't do anything Christmas day the first year. but now the day doesn't matter as long as we take the time together before she leaves for Florida for good.
my dmom does not have anything from christmas when we grew up as she sparsly decorates as she said it's overwhelming but she does listen to holiday music and has a small table top tree and it's okay.

Harriet... loved it. It puts everything into perspective.