MrsClaas

I agreed to host Christmas for my husbands family - the sister with the room didn't "want" to!! There was 18 adults and 5 little ones. I asked one sister in law to bring the wine, but I made the meal, mushroom soup, hot turkey and ham, and everything that goes with it - and alot of it - too much. We finished eating and I got up to clean up, they sat on their satisfied rumps!! We opened gifts - dumbest stuff I have ever gotten!! And then on to dessert, again, I cleaned up after them!! They left her at 10 pm and my DH and I cleaned til 11:30!! I was exhausted - weary!!
My daughter called early the next day and told me it was the BEST Christmas she has ever had with that side of the family!! Her husband enjoyed himself more than he could have imagined!! WOW!! What a reward. My house isn't fancy, and they felt comfortable here!! What a Thank YOu!!! I will do it again!!
Merry Christmas to all of you, I don't have the time to sit in my "studio" as I would like to, but I sure enjoy your sharing with me!! God Bless each and every one of you in 2012!! I am blessed with the best bunch of therapists in the world!!

nancia

this may be strange but i actually am doing all right this year. strange because my mother passed on december 9th. it was a quiet good death and she is where she has wanted to be, with my dad and sister. i buried my anger and disappointment with her and i feel more at peace than i have in years. all is not rosy, but neither is it pitch black. dh and i exchanged 1 gift each-- his is a to-be-made quilt (i gave him the fabric), and mine was a cashmere scarf. he has just recovered from pancreatic cancer and i feel truly grateful and blessed that he is here, with me, and doing well. i have my first grand-baby (olivia, aug. 3rd), and my middle son has a good job, with good pay, after being out of work for more than a year. my daughter is in love with a very nice man. so the blessings outweigh the pain. i wish you all a healthy happy new year and the best holiday season possible!

stitchinwitch

First, thank you all for responding. I hadn't been notified thru email that there were any responses to this thread, so I thought I would check under my name on the board - and what a surprise! So many are going thru the same emotions, and I'm sorry you are, but comforted that I should NOT be locked up in a looney bin and banging on the bars. Between health issues, and the loss of loved ones, my heart goes out to you - considerer yourself getting a cyber-hug. The other day Jane Fonda was on a talk show and she must be going thru a similar "change" she said she either put all her belongings in storage or just got rid of them - the "things" she worked so hard for all those years just don't mean a thing to her anymore (too bad we couldn't learn that when we were in our 20's) True friends are important, common shared interests with friends are important, and letting go of the responsibility that WE are responsible for everyone else's happiness and welfare. Now THAT is a hard one - for those with children and grandchildren. Just "letting go" - now that is my New Years Resolution.
Take care, my friends, and we are NOT alone.

pasovasz

Life is what you make it. Hopefully, we shared our perspective on how we enjoy our Christmas.

Reasons we don't enjoy ourselves: Hallmark did not invent Christmas. You don't have to get a Lexus to make you happy.

Materialism is NOT the reason for Christmas.

I pray for Peace and God's blessings for each and everyone of us.

Susan
NJ

Janette

Know where you're coming from. I went through a basal cell carcinoma and similar lumpectomy and radiation in 2008. Besides everything else you are dealing with, it is hard dealing with the fact that you are no longer the rock you thought you were. Having a diagnosis of cancer is weird. Most diseases you feel worse and worse, get diagnosed, get treated and feel better. With cancer you feel absolutely fine, get shocked down to your toes on a normal visit to a doctor for a mammogram, then have to go through surgery, radiation and/or chemo, just to be told you are now fine. Search carefully for your radiation oncologist. Find one that specializes in cancer. Mine has been doing this for 40+ years and keeps up with all the latest research. I went with the 6-1/2 weeks of daily radiation because he said it was still the gold standard. I asked about the one-week treatment but he was not in favor of it as there was yet not enough comparison of the results. I have since seen reports that results are not as good. I went through the radiation with no problems, other than feeling very tired for an hour or so each day after the first two weeks. I had my treatment at 7:30 am, which took less than 15 minutes, was back home in less than an hour. My husband understood that I would conk out on the recliner for an hour at lunch time so we scheduled our day around it and made meals easy (the frozen food section at the supermarket was my good friend). I would recommend that you set up some sort of exercise program for yourself. I take tai chi classes. I had my surgery on a Friday and went back to my tai chi class the following Wednesday. I couldn't lift my arm very high but I persevered. I also started working with a personal trainer 30 minutes, twice a week, once my doctor gave me permission. I also try to walk for 40 minutes a day. My oncologist said my recovery has been remarkable and he credits much of it to the tai chi. I never had arm swelling because tai chi means constant arm movement. The lymph node scar has disappeared and my lumpectomy scar is also quite light. Really, things will get better. Your cancer was caught very early and hopefully it will never reoccur. (Note: I am happy to see all the money being raised for breast cancer and do contribute, but, personally, I never wear pink any more, won't wear the pink ribbon, and certainly won't make a pink ribbon quilt for any cancer survivor. Been there, done that, and don't want to be reminded of it!)

GailG

will read all of these posts later, but this seems to be a great thread. Now that Christmas, the big day of the coming of our Lord, it's a great day. Getting here was very challenging. We try to focus on the reason for the season, but we do get caught up in the commercialization of the real meaning of the holiday. For the last ten or so years we have stopped buying gifts for everyone and have focused on planning a family gathering on Christmas Eve. We still give things to the children, but have gone more and more to the things they need, etc. Each adult brings a gift and we play a game called Cajun Christmas (I've heard it called many things -- like Chinese Christmas, stealing game, etc) Anyhow, we usually get things for the house or things that can be used by a family. For instance: one of the gifts last night was two DVDs and two popcorn bowls. I received a new rice steamer -- since mine was an antique from the seventies. Yes, still running too. We all brought food, lots of it. The football game was on for the diehards, the children played games and some of us grazed around the food area. After all had eaten and the gifts were opened, we had a great family time of conversation and reminiscing of previous years. Today is a relaxation day for church and staying home for the little one to enjoy Santa's bounty and quiet fun. It is also a day for the children to visit their other grandparents, in-laws. This is my first year without my mom, who passed away in October, but we haven't left her out of our stories, etc. We are having a very blessed Christmas as I hope everyone else on the QB is. I look forward to cranking up on my quilting again.
Actually today has been a very good day for a rainy cloudy day. Just makes one want to jump into snuggly clothes and wrap up in a quilt. Anyone for hot cocoa?

GailG

After reading the post above mine, I can see why we want a calm peaceful Christmas. I had two basal cell carcinomas removed from my face with a little plastic surgery in February. My sister had passed away from a two year battle with cancer, and my mom passed away in October. It was a difficult year.Thank God we all had our faith, good family, and good friends to keep us going -- including many friends from the QB God Bless all.

valleyquiltermo

Bah Hum Bug for sure. This is the way it has been for several years. Oh I make all the gifts or buy some of them and hopefully They make the grown kids happy, I know what lil ones there are, they are happy. In the middle of building my house finially the trailer is to sm for deco. So no deco no Christmas spirit. I do remember Jesus at this season so the rest of the hype is just that hype. But I do miss my kids being lil. May God bless each and everyone one of you today and into the New Year.

skowron5

Glad to know there are others out there and not afraid to admit it. My daughter was killed 42 years ago and I fight the holidays every year. Her birthday was Dec. 21st. I am bipolar and fight SAD also. The economy has not helped me at all. It is nice to have people admit this. My friends and family just don't seem to understand how hard it is for me.

I pray every year that it will get better, but it never does.

mhollifiel

My DH and I are widows from long wonderful previous marriages. We do Christmas very low key. . . no gifts and no decorations. We "do" our family and we go there or we did until this year. We both have respiratory "crud" and are pretty miserable. Lots of others in our area have it so we aren't going to see anyone and share our misery. Still, it's a pretty good day. DH is running fever and has gone back to bed. My fever has finally broken for good so I am finishing a bowl of soup and will go snuggle with him and scratch his back to wake him up.

We are warm and together and Christmas is still good!