Life: Holidays

[escritoireazul]

I am tired this holiday season. And having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit, even my favorite parts (which are planning holiday gatherings, buying gifts for my people, and Yuletide). I have cut way back on the planning for our holiday gatherings (I didn't even include all my lists in the last group email), which leaves me feeling slightly stressed and off-balance, but is better for me in the long run. Things will get done, or they won't, and no matter what, we'll have a good time together. We always do.

(Saturday is the first, Group Gathering with Sister K, her husband, J, his brother J2, our friend G, and our other friend J3, plus J and J2's mom, who is visiting from Hawaii. Then Christmas Eve, we have our first family gathering, and Christmas day will be the second family gathering. Only three big gatherings is a pretty small number, and I'm hoping it will be delightful and relaxing, too.)

(I'm also hoping to spend a lot of Christmas day reading Yuletide. Yuletide. I want my Yuletide joy back, and here's hoping I can manage it. I love my assignment, love the story that is coming out of it, and can't wait to read my gift, but oh, where is my Yuletide joy?)

I think I am struggling more than I anticipated with finding joy in light of the deaths in the family. (We had one, and at the same time, Sister K's family in law had one, and then shortly after those two, a third which overlapped the families.) Plus I have been sick lately, and it just isn't a great time.

However, I am almost done shopping for Group Gathering (I just need to hit up an art supply store that was closed when I left work today), and then all I have to do is wrap gifts once I get down there Saturday. We're doing breakfast for dinner, which means biscuits and gravy and mimosas! (Biscuits and gravy is my favorite food.) Plus a bunch of other stuff, but my fave. I am done shopping for my secret giftee for the family gathering, and for Dad and the nephew. I need to buy for the niece, and then I will be done with shopping for the first family gathering. I haven't really started shopping for the second family gathering, but J and I are going to figure that out this weekend.

I also haven't really started shopping for the group of friends with whom I exchange gifts, so, as usual, those packages are going to go out late. Also, I think the rental office has a box of mail for me; I think my mailbox filled while I was gone for Mom's funeral, and I didn't realize it, but apparently they have mail I need to pick up. Unfortunately, the only time I am here while they're open is on the weekend, and I'll be out of town this weekend and next weekend, so it might be awhile before I can grab it. (This is the first year I've purchased an ebook as a gift, and I am pleasantly surprised by how easy Smashwords made it. That reminds me, I need to buy a few more copies still.)

I've almost finished my Yuletide story. I think I know where the ending is going, but I'm not quite there yet, so I guess that could change. Then I will consider a treat or two, and December Drabbles, of course.

Rough holiday season. Rough year. But there are good things.

Comments

[wyomingnot]

Well, I'd take some of your holiday burden if I could. My burden is an utter lack of holiday goings-on. Christmas is just another day here in Ulaanbaatar.

:(

[everbright]

Considering that schedule sounds incredibly exhausting to me (and because of Money not being around until the middle of next week, probably my mailed gifts will show up around New Years...) I think you're doing pretty well keeping it all under control! My Christmas is going to be Pj's and cooking and a phone call to my parents.

[bkwyrm]

I am also having a difficult holiday season. I had major hip surgery on Nov. 28th and will be on crutches until mid-November, which means I am dependent on other people to do things like drive me around....and take care of my kids (3 and 5). I went shopping for two hours today and am home now taking painkillers and putting my feet up. Phew.