Do the holidays seem to be creeping up fast this year?

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Feels to me it was just summer. Yesterday was Halloween (by the way it is a shadow of how Halloween once was, right?). Now we are all planning to visit Princess for Thanksgiving the weekend before actual Thanksgiving. No, no, no! Too soon! Then......,Christmas! I am scrambling to think of presents and my little granddaughter already has some at our house!

Christmas displays are everywhere. Christmas has become the holiday of presents. Its meaning is lost...those who are atheists or non Christans use it as a time to eat and buy.
This is not a criticism of non Christians. I love Jesus as a spiritual being of pure love snd goodness, but dont think he is God, so I am guilty too.
To summarize...i feel like the holiday truck is bearing down the road, going too fast, getting to its destination way too soon.
I feel like the holiday season used to feel so much more special. It seems to come and go way too fast.

What about you? Is it just me with a spinning head?
 

Lila256

Member
I completely agree. Holidays feel especially weird this year with the kid gone and we do not feel at all prepared. I am an atheist pretty much, and it's always been about family to me. When I was away from my own family, it always felt very empty. I am grateful to be living closer to them, now. Especially now! But yes, I totally agree time needs to slow down! :)
 

Littleboylost

Long road but the path ahead holds hope.
I never know if I am considered an atheist or a spiritualist. Who knows. I was raised catholic and my mother loved Christmas. She strived to provide us all with gifts that would bring us joy. Not an easy task with 10 children.

My family is not close and both of my parents passed away in the last year and a half. Our son is now out of the house and working things out on his own.

I put out a few Halloween decorations and tried my best to enjoy the evening. Very few trick or treaters any more, I agree SWOT not like it used to be.

Husbands Birhday is Dec 5th. I am so not feeling Christmas this year.

We have decided in Liu of gifts we are taking a vacation. Our summer week at the Cottage was interrupted by son being arrested for theft. Let's hope this one is more upbeat and nothing horrific happens when we are away.

We are going to sunny Cancun

Got a great deal on line for an all inclusive.

:bah-humbug::beach:
I may have to watch Christmas with the Kranks while we are away lol.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I am heartily sick of the stores putting out Christmas stuff in September. In some of the stores here they were putting out the holiday stuff out before the back to school stuff was put up or even on clearance yet. It was ridiculous!

I try to think of Christmas early if I can. Our budget is usually stretched so tight that I have to make a lot of the gifts we give. This means I need a lot of time so I have to start early. I also have to spread out the cost for supplies over as much time as possible so that I can afford things. Sprouts has amazing sales on dried fruits and nuts and things. I can stock up on those and then bake them into cookies and scones and things. It makes better treats more affordable.

I have gotten some great deals on clearance items that I can use for gifts. Anyone gave ideas for things that use water bottles? I got some nice metal water bottles for $2 or less. I also got a plastic one for my mom that has a basket for fruit to infuse it into the water. I want to see if I can use it to make cold brew coffee overnight. I think she might like that with some fancy coffee.

This entire year seems to have flown. At least the weather is a little cooler. We seem to have gone from 80+ degree days to far cooler days almost overnight. That is OK for you. Of course it makes my cat upset. He still remembers getting lost that one winter, so when the cooler weather comes he gets anxious and worried. He has nightmares and frets a lot.

Today we went to Walmart to check out the half price candy. I got 3 bags of mixed candy bars. I also got the coolest T Rex skeleton at half price!!!!!! That will be Wiz' birthday or Xmas present. When I was pregnant with Jess, Wiz insisted that I was going to have a T Rex. He was absolutely positive about this. Then he got a human sister and it broke his little heart. He cried and cried and then wanted me to put her back and bring out a T Rex. I had a tough time explaining that I was NOT doing that. Now I am going to give him the T Rex and tell him it is Jess 2.0 . I might even crochet a Santa hat and a scarf for him. It is just the COOLEST thing!!!!!
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
those who are atheists or non Christans use it as a time to eat and buy

Frankly, a lot of Christians do too. It's a pity, really, that the holidays have no meaning really to a lot of people. They could make it about family, about charity and loving your fellow man. You don't have to be religious to be loving and moral and giving. But you're right. It's all about the stuff.

We have decided in Liu of gifts we are taking a vacation. Our summer week at the Cottage was interrupted by son being arrested for theft. Let's hope this one is more upbeat and nothing horrific happens when we are away.

We are going to sunny Cancun

Excellent! in 2015, when our son was out and said he wasn't coming back for the holidays, Jabber and I went to Vegas! (He did come back and ended up spending the holiday alone...which was kind of hilarious.) I wanted the most un-Christmassy place I could go, as I'd never had the holiday without our son and really...he'd ruined the last several anyway! We had a wonderful time! I'd like to make holiday travel a thing, really.

It makes me kind of crazy how commercial it is and how soon it starts. I'm sorry, but Christmas décor should not be in the store with Halloween decorations! Jabber said that the grocery store has both their Halloween AND Thanksgiving stuff on clearance - on November 1! It's like they skip Thanksgiving entirely...it's an afterthought. Not that we do anything for that. When my son was home we still did the big dinner for Turkey day...It's just Jabber and I now, why bother?

Maybe it's because I don't have any grandkids (thank God!) and my kid is gone...and is my kid...but I just haven't care about the holidays in ages. I used to! I used to decorate the house and buy all kinds of gifts and make breads and cookies and fudge, etc. I used to care that it was Christmastime. I still like some things. I like the Toys for Tots drive he help with. I like the Christmas Cantata we do in the church choir, and the Hanging of the Greens ceremony we do at church. But that's really about it. I just don't feel it anymore. We didn't even put up a Christmas tree last year. I don't know if we will this year.

I'd really like to go to bed on November 22 and wake up on January 2.
 

Littleboylost

Long road but the path ahead holds hope.
It makes me kind of crazy how commercial it is and how soon it starts. I'm sorry, but Christmas décor should not be in the store with Halloween decorations! Jabber said that the grocery store has both their Halloween AND Thanksgiving stuff on clearance - on November 1! It's like they skip Thanksgiving entirely..

I have lost my pallet for the Holidays and find it very daunting to see all of the Holiday fare stuffed in all at once as well.

Pumpkins and Christmas Trees, all a bit too much. My nieces have placed a moratorium on gift purchases for their children and they feel they are so inundated with toys that they have no appreciation for them. They provide a list of things that gift buyers can contribute to and it keeps the toy level down and the appreciation up.

Last year I bought them chickens on a Care program for a needy country. The kids thought that was pretty cool. This year they have selected a goat from the catalogue. I think that is a great idea.

We didn't even put up a Christmas tree last year. I don't know if we will this year.
I did not put up a tree last year my kid was off the rails and I just wasn't into it. I may put a very small one up this year. Not back from Cancun until the 22 of Dec. a gift of memories and Scuba Diving this year.

and wake up on January 2

Hibernation sounds good too! I am beginning to hate the cold. I used to ski and skate. With my herniated discs and arthritis I don't do much of either any more.
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
I think the dogs have kind of become our Difficult Child's this year. Its just so draining having to constantly adjust our schedules based on them

I agree. It's why I don't think, once we have no more pets, I won't want to get another. I always said next time just one...but I don't know if I even want that. If we had a house with a fenced yard and a doggie door and the ability to just leave them...maybe. Or perhaps just a cat? But selfish as it may sound, I'm tired of having the care of a creature that is so dependent. I just want it to be US and the ability to go when we want. We can't even just say, "pick me up after work and we'll do dinner out." We have to go home first and take care of them. To say "Let's go away for the holidays" takes entirely too much planning with pets.

Heck, I was just asked if I wanted to go to lunch with a former co-worker who is in town for the day and I can't even manage that because I have to go home for the dogs! :(

Sorry SWOT, I didn't mean to hijack your thread.

Last year I bought them chickens on a Care program for a needy country.

Was it Heifer International? That is a WONDERFUL charity! In case anyone doesn't know what that is, you buy animals that are given to people in underprivileged countries and they use them for food and income. Milk from cows and goats, eggs from chickens, etc.
Heifer International | Charity Ending Hunger And Poverty
 
Last edited:

Littleboylost

Long road but the path ahead holds hope.
I agree. It's why I don't think, once we have no more pets, I won't want to get another. I always said next time just one...but I don't know if I even want that. If we had a house with a fenced yard and a doggie door and the ability to just leave them...maybe. Or perhaps just a cat? But selfish as it may sound, I'm tired of having the care of a creature that is so dependent. I just want it to be US and the ability to go when we want. We can't even just say, "pick me up after work and we'll do dinner out." We have to go home first and take care of them. To say "Let's go away for the holidays" takes entirely too much planning with pets.

Heck, I was just asked if I wanted to go to lunch with a former co-worker who is in town for the day and I can't even manage that because I have to go home for the dogs! :(

Sorry SWOT, I didn't mean to hijack your thread.



Was it Heifer International? That is a WONDERFUL charity! In case anyone doesn't know what that is, you buy animals that are given to people in underprivileged countries and they use them for food and income. Milk from cows and goats, eggs from chickens, etc.
Heifer International | Charity Ending Hunger And Poverty
Yes that is it! Thanks for posting. The littles think it is pretty cool they even named the chickens. They go on the website all the time. Kinda cute for 3 and 6 year olds and a terrific gift as well.

I did but some jewelry from a local lady. She buys it when she is on missions in Africa and sells it. Then she buys things like sewing machines and takes them back to Africa to develop sustainable income fro the women she meets on her missions. Very cool.
 

Jabberwockey

Well-Known Member
I agree. It's why I don't think, once we have no more pets, I won't want to get another. I always said next time just one...but I don't know if I even want that. If we had a house with a fenced yard and a doggie door and the ability to just leave them...maybe. Or perhaps just a cat? But selfish as it may sound, I'm tired of having the care of a creature that is so dependent. I just want it to be US and the ability to go when we want.

I agree. And it doesn't mean that later on, we could get a pet but there would be a lot of consideration that would go into it first.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
Lol! Its fine. I dont decorate much and have a small tree on a table so that the dogs dont think the tree is to pee on lol!

My husband wanted to start pur RV trips south in October. I said we could spend the holidays with the kids then take off. He agreed. We are all picking a name this year for Christmas to make it cost effective.
The holidays are family for me with no religious meaning and I know Thanksgiving was not the goodwill between Indians and white men the myth says it is so for me its just the get together. It was more fun when the kids were little, but there is my granddaughter now at least.

I am done with snow and cold so away we will go after Christmas starting next year. The next phase of my life will rock! I am excited. We all should be. These are our years of freedom. I hope we all embrace them. We are not responsible for anyone but us anymore. Yayyyy!
 

newstart

Well-Known Member
Christmas is always an odd time for me. My deceased son did most of the decorating. He had to have the manger put up perfect, I can never get it like he did. It takes me a week to put it up through the tears but we manage to get it up anyway. My husband loves the decorations so I put up my trees, and decorations. My difficult 35 year old daughter hates Christmas. She :censored2:es about it each year and it makes her angry if we go somewhere that is playing Christmas music. For Thanksgiving we visit my mother and then we usally take a family cruise in late Dec or early Jan. My daughter has made a few cruises living hell so we quit taking her. She told us that she promises to not be mean so we took her on the last cruise and we all had a good time and she was better. I know she has much more control over her behavior.
 

RN0441

100% better than I was but not at 100% yet
We are spending Thanksgiving week at our condo in Florida this year. Planned to be with youngest son but he won't be there now so it's just the two of us and my sister and brother in law will be there part of the week also. We're looking forward to it.

We will also spend Christmas Eve and Day in Florida. Will put up a decorations at home for a party we host in early December but no tree because we buy real.

We'll see younger son the week before Christmas and celebrate with older boys ahead of time also.

I'm not dreading the holidays this year since youngest son is in a good place and I don't have to worry.

That is the best gift I could ever receive!
 

Littleboylost

Long road but the path ahead holds hope.
We are lookin at a hotel in Toronto for Christmas Eve with tickets for a tour to the Aquarium. Christmas brunch a family skate and then Christmas Dinnr with "A visit from Santa". A play no work. Sound good to me. We home Difficult Child doesn't screw it up!
 

RN0441

100% better than I was but not at 100% yet
We spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in Florida last year - our Difficult Child and girlfriend met us at condo for both.

I thought we'd miss being home and the tree etc. but we were in heaven! We didn't miss home one bit. It's not where you are, it's who you are with that really matters!
 
Top