Merry Christmas 2024. Can't we let politics and backbiting go, for just one day ??

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Saturday, December 28, 2024 04:06
VIEWED: 1077
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BRENDA

Thursday, December 26, 2024 11:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by 6ixStringJack:
Can't blame you with that back story, Brenda.

I think this might have been the first Christmas season I've had where I haven't heard one song or seen 1 minute of footage of any TV show or movie.

Christmas has never been the same since Covid. What little stuff was still going on just got smashed with a wrecking ball, and now all of the sudden the few people in the family who are still alive and/or haven't moved out of state go out to the east coast to celebrate it.

I was out by my friend's family's place for Thanksgiving like we've done 3 years in a row now, but they had something going on both days for Christmas this year. I was invited to one of them, and I appreciate that, but I didn't want to be dragged along to some place where there's a ton of people I didn't know.

Plus, that's like their own thing. I don't want to intrude on that. I think it's great that their family seems to be getting over all that covid and partisan bullshit and they actually can get together again.

Who knows? Now that they're getting together again maybe I meet some of these people at parties they'd throw. They have one hell of a house to throw parties. If I got to know them beforehand maybe I would pop in one Christmas if they asked me again.

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"My only fear of death is coming back to this bitch reincarnated." ~Tupac Shakur

Malls or any store are the worst for Christmas music. It either gets stuck in my head or as I said I want to rip the wiring out of the sound system.

SIGNYM

Thursday, December 26, 2024 11:46 PM

It seems to me, BRENDA, that everyone that you enjoyed ...or might have enjoyed... Christmas with has died.

Is there no way to carve out something enjoyable for yourself for the holidays? Create some little tradition? It's bad enough that you have such sad, depressing memories. But living in them for the foreseeable future... that sound even worse. I'm sure your mom and dad and partner wouldn't want that for you. Seems like they would want you to be happy.
:hug:

****
The lady that helped take care of your mom is a friendly face. Maybe you can get together with her around the holidays?

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger

AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

BRENDA

Friday, December 27, 2024 3:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
It seems to me, BRENDA, that everyone that you enjoyed ...or might have enjoyed... Christmas with has died.

Is there no way to carve out something enjoyable for yourself for the holidays? Create some little tradition? It's bad enough that you have such sad, depressing memories. But living in them for the foreseeable future... that sound even worse. I'm sure your mom and dad and partner wouldn't want that for you. Seems like they would want you to be happy.
:hug:

****
The lady that helped take care of your mom is a friendly face. Maybe you can get together with her around the holidays?

-----------
"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger

AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

I do try to enjoy myself around this time of the year and yeah they have gone on. Blair didn't believe in heaven but my mum did. Think my dad may have. I believe he came and got here when she died. He had waited for her for a long time.

And yes they would want me to enjoy myself in someway at this time of the year. I do try not to dwell and most years I do succeed in that.

I put up a tree. I couldn't bear dealing with the four foot one I have and I just have a little one from a local store with some little decorations on it. As I said in the 2nd Garden thread, I took myself out for a treat lunch for Christmas and a new coffee shop sort of place opened up and I will give it a try. Trying to figure out what to buy myself for Christmas too.

That lady is busy at Christmas time with her family and this year she has had some health issues. She's semi-retired now so when I run into her it is just a fluke. Maybe in the New Year we can get together for lunch and have a good long talk. We keep talking about it but haven't got there yet because things keep getting in the way on her end.

SIGNYM

Friday, December 27, 2024 3:24 AM

If there is anything I can do from a distance, just say the word

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger

AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

BRENDA

Friday, December 27, 2024 3:42 AM

I suppose I shouldn't say that all my memories around Christmas aren't really there.

When I was ten we lived in this town in the Fraser valley and there was a Dairy Queen we used to go and eat in. It was a full on, sit down place. Of course it served the usual ice cream but you could also get burgers and such. My dad liked the place because he could get chili there. Now mind my dad liked his chili so hot that it could take a layer of skin off the roof of your mouth and this place made it like that. It also came with an side of toasted bread. 2 pieces. I could always talk my dad out of one slice all to myself but sometimes I had to share with my little brother.

Anyways this one Christmas, they were running a contest. That was also the one year that my mum got me to sit on Santa's lap. Don't think I had done that before and I don't think I actually talked to the person. She wanted a picture of me and Santa, so I agreed to do it. Yes, I was stubborn. *L*. Anyway I digress. Santa was there and the prize was huge plastic Christmas stocking filled with toys and maybe some chocolates. My mum decided that it would be fun to put my name in. My dad agreed and I was asked if it was okay. I say fine and she did it. Don't remember if my brother's name was put in too. I forgot about it and then on the day of draw, we got a phone call around suppertime. It was the manager/owner of the Dairy Queen calling to say that I had won. Now, we didn't have a car and it was too far for me to go by myself but there was an RCMP officer in there having his dinner break. He heard the manager talking to my dad and he said he would come and get me and bring me home with my prize. My dad talked to the cop and agreed. He showed up a few minutes later in his cop car and off I went to collect my prize. I got a picture with Santa and the stocking which was a little taller than my dad. The local newspaper was there and I got my picture in the paper as well.

I had to share the toys with my brother and maybe I gave a couple to friends at school. The chocolates my mum would have gotten and some of the toys were probably donated to somewhere.

Think I still have both pictures in amongst the odds and sods pictures my mum had.

BRENDA

Friday, December 27, 2024 3:44 AM

Also had to try on the whole religious bit as a friend of my mum put me into Sunday school. Outside of being bored out of my tree with the bible stories and the colouring of icons. I just couldn't believe in it because even at around 6, I knew too much about how the world was formed and such. So, I quickly dropped that. My mum's friend wasn't happy but my dad stepped in and said it was my choice. I could believe in whatever I wanted.

SIGNYM

Friday, December 27, 2024 6:25 PM

Quote:
on the day of draw, we got a phone call around suppertime. It was the manager/owner of the Dairy Queen calling to say that I had won. Now, we didn't have a car and it was too far for me to go by myself but there was an RCMP officer in there having his dinner break. He heard the manager talking to my dad and he said he would come and get me and bring me home with my prize. My dad talked to the cop and agreed. He showed up a few minutes later in his cop car and off I went to collect my prize. I got a picture with Santa and the stocking which was a little taller than my dad. The local newspaper was there and I got my picture in the paper as well.

I had to share the toys with my brother and maybe I gave a couple to friends at school. The chocolates my mum would have gotten and some of the toys were probably donated to somewhere.

So, how did you feel about the whole thing? If it was six yesr old me, I prolly would have felt awkward, nervous about heading out someplace with a cop, VERY shy about having my picture taken, happy about getting so much stuff, and glad to share it with my sisters.

In fact, being the nosy person that I am, I'm curious: How did you feel about going out with family to the Dairy Queen? Being shy, I would have been nervous going by myself, but I was always happy to go with my family to local restaurants. Maybe Easter morning, or something like that. Which didn't hapoen very often bc we were always saving money, so it was a big treat.

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"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger

AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

BRENDA

Friday, December 27, 2024 11:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Quote:
on the day of draw, we got a phone call around suppertime. It was the manager/owner of the Dairy Queen calling to say that I had won. Now, we didn't have a car and it was too far for me to go by myself but there was an RCMP officer in there having his dinner break. He heard the manager talking to my dad and he said he would come and get me and bring me home with my prize. My dad talked to the cop and agreed. He showed up a few minutes later in his cop car and off I went to collect my prize. I got a picture with Santa and the stocking which was a little taller than my dad. The local newspaper was there and I got my picture in the paper as well.

I had to share the toys with my brother and maybe I gave a couple to friends at school. The chocolates my mum would have gotten and some of the toys were probably donated to somewhere.

So, how did you feel about the whole thing? If it was six yesr old me, I prolly would have felt awkward, nervous about heading out someplace with a cop, VERY shy about having my picture taken, happy about getting so much stuff, and glad to share it with my sisters.

In fact, being the nosy person that I am, I'm curious: How did you feel about going out with family to the Dairy Queen? Being shy, I would have been nervous going by myself, but I was always happy to go with my family to local restaurants. Maybe Easter morning, or something like that. Which didn't hapoen very often bc we were always saving money, so it was a big treat.

-----------
"It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal." - Henry Kissinger

AMERICANS SUPPORT AMERICA

Well as I said I was ten and I think I was a little nervous but then it became neat as it was a cop car and my dad was okay with it. I was a shy child and usually didn't like having my picture taken but seeing the stocking and being written up in the local newspaper, kinda got my curiosity going. So I just forgot about it and went with the flow.

I liked going to the Dairy Queen. I could order what I wanted. Sharing things with my brother could be a pain as sometimes he wanted more than what I thought was fair. Every so often on the toast thing my dad or my mum had to step in and divide it between us.

There weren't many places to eat in this town when I was growing up and Dairy Queen was the only franchise place there. Later before my dad died there were a couple of other places. A fish and chip place called, "Andy Capp" after the newspaper comic and then a burger place run by a mum and son. They were nice people and they made great french fries as I remember. Andy Capp's was a place for birthdays and such. So that was a treat. Dairy Queen was for maybe after grocery shopping when I and my brother had a day off from school, so another treat.

BRENDA

Saturday, December 28, 2024 4:06 AM

The local Legion hall used to put on a Christmas lunch when I was a kid. So because my dad was member we would go. It was held in the main part of the building with long tables. There was stage at the far end of the room where carolers would come and sing. Someone dressed up as Santa Claus and the ladies that passed out the lunches would dress as Missus Claus. Santa would hand out candy canes.

The Legion also did up Christmas hampers as well. My dad would put our name in each year and we always received one. There was ham or turkey in it along with canned goods, like cranberry sauce, soups and gravy. A toy for my brother and one for me. Chocolates or perfume for my mom and aftershave or shaving cream for my dad. That was always a treat.

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