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Raises cup...
Cat Christmas GIF
 
It's Christmas Day here in Oz -so I'm sending Christmas greetings to my Wondercafe friends on the other side of this planet.......

This has been an "unprecedented" year, and it will be a "unprecedented" Christmas day experience for me.

For the first time in my 74 years I'll be spending Christmas on my own.
We have had a covid outbreak here in Sydney. (Just over 100 cases - but you know how we Aussies like to jump on this pesky virus).
I had intended on attending church and then lunching at a restaurant with my brother, sister and brother-in-law. Church has been cancelled, and a week ago, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. It has been a huge shock to my extended family.

He is the same age as me, and it has been a reminder of the fragility of human life, particularly as we age......

I know I'd be welcome at other family and friend celebrations, but, as my mental health is good, I thought why not have an "unprecedented' Christmas and spend the day quietly reflecting on the past year?
I will make myself a yummy Christmas lunch, and afterwards, read a Barbara Brown Taylor book.

With all the trauma of the past year I seem to have found within myself a new calmness, dare I say, maturity?
That said, I can see my Mum was right, I'll always be a kid at heart..........

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
 
Well, the weather has disrupted my little Christmas plans. My sister is almost an hour north of me, on Georgian Bay. We were to have made a joint Xmas dinner tomorrow at her place. A possibility of 6" of snow, possibly a bit more up there, makes travelling tomorrow seem unwise. We've rescheduled for Sunday.
 
PilgrimsProgress said:
a week ago, my brother-in-law was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer
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Ouch. Not news one wants to get in this season. Thoughts and good vibes to you, him, and your family.

@BetteTheRed, I imagine the weather here in Ontario will join with the virus to put the damper on a lot of Christmas celebrations.

My extended family have settled for an email chain sending greetings and family news around.
 
Christmas eve. I have unwrapped all my gifts collected under the tree. The cat was very spoiled, four friends gave her treat bags, that will last through all of 2021. She also got a self ade toy ball and a knitted mat. I am settling with a large cup of caramel tea from my Christmas calendar listening to German radio.
 
There are white fairy lights in my dining room window, a creche set up in its usual spot, and the Christmas cards displayed on the coffee table, on the little metal tree, as usual, and that's it. Listening to Laila Biali's Xmas Jazz show. I am feeling about as festive as I get.
 
I am so sorry @PilgrimsProgress -- yes, it is something that as we age we theoretically get used to, but, it doesn't make it any easier as we live in it. Peace to you, and may your book that you settle in to read, be good.

I too just finished watching our service, which was much better than i anticipated it would be, and bittersweet. The friend who died sang a solo and was in duets, so, it was just a reminder of who we lost. Our minister honoured her life at the end of the service and it seemed right.

Still, tears are close tonight.
 
Caring cyber hugs to Pinga and Pilgrim this evening.
I recall my Nana who had her funeral on December 23 1956. Now that was a hard Christmas for eleven year old me. Made intensely painful by the rest of the family pretending nothing was different and refusing to talk about her. She had been part of my Christmas all my life until that year. Many years later my kids lost their Granny right after Christmas and we all talked about her, who much we missed her. We had picked her up from the hospital with a terminal diagnosis on Christmas Eve. She died in our living room while waiting for supper.
 
KayTheCurler said:
Caring cyber hugs to Pinga and Pilgrim this evening.
I recall my Nana who had her funeral on December 23 1956. Now that was a hard Christmas for eleven year old me. Made intensely painful by the rest of the family pretending nothing was different and refusing to talk about her. She had been part of my Christmas all my life until that year. Many years later my kids lost their Granny right after Christmas and we all talked about her, who much we missed her. We had picked her up from the hospital with a terminal diagnosis on Christmas Eve. She died in our living room while waiting for supper.
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My uncle, Mom's younger brother, died on Christmas Eve while we were at his place (we usually got together with his family after church on Christmas Eve since we had dinner with Dad's family on Christmas Day). Definitely made for a rough Christmas that year. Hit our church pretty hard, too. He hadn't been a churchgoer when he was single and living with us, but after he got married he joined and became treasurer (his day job was bookkeeping). Death and grief are definitely not compatible with Christmas.
 
Joy and memories. Grateful for what is in our lives, but mindful of the losses. Hugs to all who are feeling some version of pain over this season. I sang in our Christmas Eve service, and watched it on Facebook when I got home. We did okay. But the feeling of singing with a group that is like family to me is a real Christmas present to me. My husband seems to be suffering a bit of a depression, and nothing I do or say seems to help. So, this little bit of outside-the-house joy is just what the doctor ordered.
 
Well, I have almost completed my solo Christmas! Pleased to report that I didn't get depressed - and made myself the best roast dinner I've made for ages.

Truth be told, I had a worse Christmas when my husband died on the 12th December. This was followed by me bringing burial clothes on my birthday - the 17th - to the funeral parlor. The 19th was the funeral. Christmas day on the 25th, and his birthday on the 29th.

Today I lit a candle for him, and gave thanks for our love, which somehow is still very much a part of me. :love:
 
KayTheCurler said:
Caring cyber hugs to Pinga and Pilgrim this evening.
I recall my Nana who had her funeral on December 23 1956. Now that was a hard Christmas for eleven year old me. Made intensely painful by the rest of the family pretending nothing was different and refusing to talk about her. She had been part of my Christmas all my life until that year. Many years later my kids lost their Granny right after Christmas and we all talked about her, who much we missed her. We had picked her up from the hospital with a terminal diagnosis on Christmas Eve. She died in our living room while waiting for supper.
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Not talking about the one’s who died- I thought that happened only in my weird family. I wonder if that had something to do with that generation living through and surviving the war.
 
Merry Christmas to everyone. It can certainly be a sad time as well as a happy time

We dropped our gifts in Toronto, early because of the storm coming. short Visit in the back yard. And home

we traditionally cut a tree on the 24th, decorate it, have oysters and Champaign. This year, we zoomed with our kids having A cocktail. It was quite nice

its been a year of change in our family. And we all are grateful for the wonderful things that have happened.

hubby and I wonder if this year is the start of different Christmas for us. This quiet Christmas make us wonder why we did all the busy things in the past

up now at five and while we have snow, not at all the storm that was predicted
 
Good morning, all! Merry Christmas. The coffee cart is ready. As we celebrate happy times and occasions, and grieve the persons missing, and sad memories that cluster around this time of year, let us find support and solidarity here. For the holiday we brought out grandparents' silver tea and coffee service.

C(_)/ c(_) c\_/ c[_]
 
Merry Christmas to all as we sink into our selves to retrieve some mental essence ...

Now is that essence inside or out? Sort of like crossing an event horizon in that notorious Black Hole filled with abstract fluids ...

May depend on which direction the flesh is going .. as it it is said the word was made flesh ... ochre hue? A browned myth ...

Charlie or Charlotte's Network ... expect conversions and flips ...
 
Thank you Redbaron...Ok guys, excessive virtual potluck here. Something for everyone. Cranberry squares to share. Merry Christmas all!
I'm alone but content. I'm saving the movie "A Christmas Carol" for later.
 
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