Saturday before Christmas Air

[Joppette]

Good morning! It's 27 degrees and snowing, but not much. Yeah. Forecast for tomorrow (family coming over for Christmas) is 39 and sunny. Yeah. One brother has an hour and fifteen minute drive and I like when we don't have to worry about his traveling into town.

I am excited about this year's gathering. We finally dropped gifting to adults. So we just get to spoil the children, and that is really what the gifts should be for. Our dinner will be simple. We are picking up a big tray of home made meats from a local butcher we are friends with. We'll have cheeses and breads to go with it. Some favorite side dishes along with it. Each woman will bring her speciality favorite to the table and we'll eat buffet and informal style.

After my Dad died, we didn't change Christmas traditions because Mom was always the one really in charge anyway. LOL. After she died, the family traditions were gone. It was tough for me to accept. Mom died in October, and my sister-in-laws decided it was time to make some big changes. I still get teary eyed when I remember that disasterous first year. But we survived it. And now we have different traditions, they are unique to our odd family unit, and that is okay.

I'm wondering if anyone has Christmas traditions that have held on through the decades? It would be interesting to hear some of them!

Judy in MI

[jaminkw]

Afternoon All! Judy, glad you opened. It was a poor me morning. We went to a gala dinner party for probably more than two dozen people. The lady who thru it is incredible because she makes it look easy. Anyway, I crashed during snacks and drinks (I drank only ginger-ale). Went out cold for a few seconds and someone called the squad against my protests. Guess it was a good thing cause I couldn't get up again without starting to pass out. Went to the ER in the ambulance and they did all kinds of tests and really don't know what the drop in BP was all about. My BP was still way down this morning but seems to be o.k. now. We're on our way to PSL now. My daughter says the funniest thing she heard was Mom saying last night, "I'm in the ER but we'll be up there on schedule tomorrow." She asked to talk to the nurse and I later found out she told her to watch me that I minimize everything lol.

Judy, I miss the old big Christmases in NJ but not enough to go there in December. The Italian counsins usually have a party. Then the family I grew up with has a Christmas Eve party that sounds a lot like your--loads of people, everyone helps. I miss that.

When Stan started his business, he was often away for Christmas working while foundries were on shutdown. Eventually my daughter, her small son and my friend Jim and I started a tradition with a gala dinner I put on with standing rib roast. Jim would wear an elf hat and spoil Dominick with presents galore. Eventually, it was Stan home again to add to the mix but unfortunately Jim passed a couple of years ago. We added some neighbors last year but this year it will be just Stan and I and Wendy and Dominick. But that's o.k.

Christmas Eve we all go to this big party in the neighborhood. The host and hostess dress as Mr and Mrs Claus and their four grown kids as elves. The evening ends with Santa reading poems one daughter writes usually roasting people for some silly events that happened during the year with a presentation of a silly related gifts. It's lots of fun and ends with a off-tune crowd sing'along. It's been a tradition here for more than 25 yrs.

O.k. that's long enough and I think I've distracted myself thru downtown Miami lol. I'm glad I copied half way in cause I got bumped to some advertising a couple of times.

Have a great day and do let us hear how you spend your Christmas or Hanuka.

Judy in KW

[ts]

Isn't next Saturday the one before Christmas? Trying to confuse me?

No family traditions at all. Even back in the day, they changed yearly. I think they were best when we alternated going to the mountains to ski (I stopped at 12 when I fractured my leg) and going to Las Vegas and seeing the shows. This stopped when my older sister and brother were old enough to stay home and watch me. The first time, my brother managed to get a broken nose. Good times!

We will attend a Christmas Eve party. M helps with the food and the crowd are old friends of his we rarely see except for this party. A few days later, there will be dinner and gifts with his family.

I'm working my way through a container of eggnog for my at home lattes (cut with milk.) Falalalala lalalala.

[Joppette]

You are right Steph! LOL.

Well, one thing that has been rock solid with us for the last 20 years is Christmas with our "other" family. All those years ago, his best friend knew we couldn't have children, so he asked if we'd like to enjoy Christmas day with their family and children. We have done that since. My family didn't celebrate with each other on Christmas day.

We saw 3 children born and grow up, and two Grandma's, still with us, that we've been fortunate to love and know for two decades. Years ago, we used to agonize over what to get each other (the Mom and Dad and us). We finally agreed that time was worth much more than money could buy, so we set a "date night" where we go to one of our favorite restaurants and splurge. We gift the children (now young adults) and the two Grandma's. It's wonderful.

Every year they hang stockings full of funny stuff from the dollar store! We so enjoy that time laughing. We all always get one lottery ticket, and we make a big deal out of the scratch off. One year the stinkers got me a fake one that said I won $20,000!!!!! I freaked. I'm very thankful that I screamed out "we are all going on a fantastic vacation together!!!!!", thinking we'd all share in the wealth. So I got them! They sheepishly admited to it's fakeness, and we all got a big laugh out of it.

Anyway.....I go on and on.....LOL

Judy in MI