Hi,
@Margi29, thanks for asking.
On Saturday I imagine there will be last minute errands and wrapping and baking.
On Christmas Eve Day for the last two (I think) years, we have volunteered with friends. We plan, shop for, cook, and serve a meal at a charitable organization that serves families with ill children (the Ronald McDonald House). This has been the best thing about Christmas the past couple of years. Then we usually go over to said friends' house and eat nibbles and drink and play games and exchange gifts. We don't do gifts proper, but rather my friend J and I exchange "stockings." Well, the stocking fillers fill up a shopping bag if we're not careful and it's a mix of junk, real gifts, and very silly items indeed. Bonus points if you've bought it on clearance (and of course we leave the clearance tags on). One year, to much hilarity, we discovered we had bought each other the exact same pair of silly patterned pants (I cherish my penguin pants). Our OH's look on with mild amusement, but they think we're weird.
On Christmas Day we will drive to my aunt and uncle's house. They live 100 miles away, in the city where I grew up. Don't worry, there's no traffic on Christmas Day and it's an easy 90 minute drive if the roads are clear. We will have a festive dinner with my aunt and uncle, my other aunt, my two cousins, and their partners (one is married and the other one is mercifully not dating anyone this year--we've had some awkward girlfriend visits), and perhaps some friends of the family. We celebrate both Christmas and Hannukah with this branch of the family. This year the gathering will be short as my OH has to return to work on the 26th (not a holiday here) but normally we'd stay for a few days. So probably not time for latkes (potato pancakes) or extra cooking this year, a shame, as I like that part, but we will get to see everyone. This year our festive dinner is going to be a Belgian beef stew for the carnivores, and a mushroom burgundy stew for the vegetarian and my uncle who keeps some of the food laws (but not strictly kosher), and I'm cooking the vegetarian main. It's a new recipe to me so I hope it turns out okay, but there's no pressure.
Somewhere in there, we will go see my mother in the care home and do whatever we're doing. You can see my angsty Christmas thread elsewhere for the gory details, but we're not taking her out of the care home this year for the first time. She is maybe having a blood pressure/medication problem, but the upshot is she is extra confused and disoriented and generally has no idea who we are or that it's Christmas. Bah humbug.
I am probably looking forward more to New Year's when we have no plans, and maybe can just watch movies and eat nibbles and maybe a bottle of something fizzy, at home.
And you? Other than not dusting with the tree? (I still sort of laugh and cringe simultaneously when I picture that. From Sam's comment, I take it your mum is petite?)
@Slugsta, how did the wall colour turn out? Are you pleased with it? And how are you keeping these days? I imagine you're having some mixed feelings about Christmas.
@Sam Luvit, at least you've got the tree, it took us over a week to finally decorate ours, don't feel badly!
I spent a lot of today doing tedious, annoying administrative things with the care home and then rebelled and did some baking. It's a new recipe and it managed to use the stand mixer AND the food processor AND several bowls, two offset spatulas, and a partridge in a pear tree. No, just kidding, no partridge. It's a version of lebkuchen and you're supposed to let them sit for 24 hours for the flavors to blend before you eat them. I'll try. They smell good and that little piece on the edge that just happened to fall off tasted nice! So the house smells like Christmas and with the tree all decorated, looks like Christmas. I don't feel terribly Christmassy but neither do I feel too humbug-ish, so I'll take it.
Speaking of trees, I owe the Christmas Tree thread a story, and I'm determined to go and write it. Here I go!
