Postby BookSaver » Sat Dec 20, 2014 1:56 pm
Update on holiday prep (Long!):
Last Sunday we had a Christmas lunch with DMIL and almost all of DH's siblings. We met at the restaurant in DMIL's apartment building and had their brunch buffet which included salad bar. The food was not as good as we do in our pot luck meals, but it was the easiest solution to cope with DMIL's current health issues. DH's oldest DSis and her husband missed it as they are already in Texas for the winter.
I am guessing this type of gathering will be the new norm with the ILs.
We will go to my DSis's for Christmas Eve supper. We're having pot luck soups and sandwiches. My older DSis and her husband will miss it as they are already somewhere south/warm with his family. Oldest DSis will not come Christmas Eve (several reasons related to health issues and transportation) but some of us will have a little celebration with her next weekend at the nursing home. I am hoping all of the nieces and nephews on my side will be able to come to the Christmas Eve party, but not sure of their work schedules.
DSis asked me to make the nachos again because everyone likes that. I'm happy to do it, since it's a crock pot recipe that travels well and then we just plug in the crock when we get there to warm it. A couple bags of chips to go with it and all the menfolk are happy. The recipe is the simple ground beef, onions, diced tomatoes with green chilis, cream of mushroom soup, and cheese. It's the old standard that has been in lots of magazines and box/can labels.
I will make my regular fudge on Tuesday.
I have a hostess gift for DSis, her favorite chai tea to take to work.
I put a description of DMIL's gift in this month's AC&N thread. I should have had DH take a picture of it but didn't think of that until just now.
DyoungerSis and I coordinated our gifts for DMom. DMom said she will not drive after dark any more so she'll be staying home every night this winter. DSis and I remembered how much she used to like the old Carol Burnett show. We each bought DVD sets which, according to the descriptions, are supposed to have different episodes. They are from the same company so there should not be any duplicates.
This feels like a very miserly gift, especially after last year when we all pitched in together and had an automatic starter installed on her car. She gets upset whenever we buy her things, though, because she says she doesn't need anything and doesn't want us to spend our money on her. I just keep replying that it would make me a truly awful, selfish person if I didn't get my mother at least a little something for Christmas.
Oldest DSis cannot have many belongings in her room (and nice things will be stolen) so I have several packages of her favorite gum, and I'm still looking for a pretty knit top for her. Can't find the right color, but I have 1 more place to look on Tuesday.
We used to do a lot more with gift exchanges with siblings, but everyone in both families said they would rather just get together and share meals. Experiences rather than things. I miss the fun of finding, wrapping, and giving more gifts, but agree that it is nice to have more time to talk to each other instead of so much of the party time being devoted to watching everyone open packages.
I have only set out minimal decorations again this year. I miss having the whole house decorated and hope I can get to that point sometime, but must be realistic about time, energy, and priorities.
We have no plans at all for Christmas Day. DH has to work all day on the 24th and we'll spend the whole evening with my family, so by the next day he will want to hide in his mancave. I will probably sew and watch a couple movies. Since I will be sewing a charity project for children, that seems like an appropriate way to spend Christmas after the rush of family gatherings.
I guess I can ease my conscience with the thought that instead of spending my own time concentrating on lots of thing-gifts at Christmas, I'm giving volunteer hours all year to the public library and charity sewing. I still feel Scrooge-ish, though, since my volunteer time given to my community doesn't have anything to do with my family.