Guest TalksToAngels Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Just wondering what people may be doing for the holidays. Plans got changed for me, spending the day with my Daughter, have to come up with a quick dinner menu, perhaps a prime rib. I really can't cook but it sounds easy enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swilson Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Blessed with mom, kids and grandkids nearby and will spend some time with all of them. It will be great to get out of this damn gloomy, empty house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trying Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 This is the first year I am not hosting Christmas Eve for DH's family. We will be joining them at his cousins house instead. Christmas Day will be just the boys and I with my mom and NG will join us for dinner. I make a beef tenderloin roast, easy and delicious! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guaruj Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 On Christmas Day I'm visiting my parents, who live nearby, with my brother, who also lives nearby. Some other time during the week, I'll visit with my in-laws. Catherine's two sisters both live out of town. One of them is bringing her family. Plans got changed for me, spending the day with my Daughter, have to come up with a quick dinner menu, perhaps a prime rib. Get thee to a butcher with haste. Good cuts of meat like those don't stay in supply for long at Christmastime. I really can't cook but it sounds easy enough. I have had very good experience with Cooks Illustrated, which is a cooking magazine that reads like a technical journal. This would be a good time to use their web site for a free trial, you can probably find a good prime rib recipe there. If you do buy a prime rib or other expensive roast, I urge you to get an instant read thermometer to probe the internal temperature. They cost around $15 and can save you from over cooking your beef. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TalksToAngels Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Well I've certainly been known to over cook my beef. Lol ; ) Thank you. I don't have literally any butcher shops around, but the supermarket cuts look damn good, and I know the mngr. Anyway I'm sure I can throw something together, or have my Daughter's BF bring some side dishes. I have a Ronson set it and forget it oven thingy that works wonders ! Hope everyone has a nice Christmas Day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catnip Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 It was just 9 years for me last week, December 17th. I still am crying on and off... However, 7:30pm Mass Christmas Eve. Christmas Day, my brother and cousin will be over and my 3 sons. At 1:00pm- chips, dip, cheese, crackers, shrimp, ham roll-ups, rum balls, cookies, chocolate. Dinner at 6:00- spiral cut honey baked ham, mashed potatoes, corn, squash, green salad with cranberries, cranberry bread, then cherry cheesecake for dessert. I'm here at work but have tomorrow "off" to do the final cleaning and baking tomorrow before Mass. I can do this. Plus, I don't know what to wear! All my Christmas sweaters are just that-sweaters. It's supposed to be 70 degrees tomorrow, and high 50s on Christmas day! I'm all for global warming, since last winter my pipes froze twice. Happy holidays to all ~Catnip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmg19 Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Stopping by and exchanging gifts with both sets of grandparents on Christmas Eve after early church service. Christmas dinner at my house for all the grandparents which is quite easy since I do the meat and desserts and they bring lots of sides. Still haven't decided which chicken recipe to use. Saturday out of town friends are stopping by and we will catch up, laugh, and hopefully have plenty of left-overs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freelancing Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Just to let everyone know life gets oh, so much better when grief is completed. A return to normal with clear thinking. I'm now fully embracing Christmas (as I did before DH died) rushing around making preparations for my kids to come home. My younger kids are now adults -the holidays are practically the only time they see eachother or we're all under the same roof. There's always someone missing for Sunday dinner due work schedules. They say everyone behaves like a child whenever they are around their mother. In my case. its true and I absolutely love it! Except, of course, when there's whining someone is cheating at cards or a board game. My cry babies! Not only do they delight in eating the same foods from their childhood, it provides the warmth, comfort and security of some things never change feeling. I'm thrilled and filled with joy as they unwrap presents to the point of recalling each ones childhood Christmas. As I retell their stories, they each chime in with their recollections. Since we only have limited times to gather as a family, the holidays including birthdays have become the times of year we (including GD) share about their Dad/DH, its done with such exuberant joy and laughter. Warms my heart! Which reminds me, I need to put DH's candles on the dining room table (same ones every year), and his Homer Simpson slippers by his chair. The glimmer in their eyes when they see these things is priceless! By midnight, it will be quiet in the house and I'll be nodding off on the couch. Then, it will back to freely happily running around, working a job I absolutely love, hanging out with friends, etc and bugging the kids to visit one another so when my time comes they'll still have eachother to love and embrace as they did in their childhood pictures. Gotta start marinating the brisket! Merry Christmas! ;D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Working today and tomorrow, off Christmas Day, then back to work Sat. I'd frankly rather work the holiday and be off on Boxing Day-- I offered, but the manager wanted to stick to the rotation (we do every other year). Honestly... I just want it all to be over. :-\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheelerswife Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I don't think that Christmas will ever be "normal" again. I don't think I will ever complete grieving. Holidays celebrations evolve over time whether we ourselves fly the coop and start out on our own, move away, lose a spouse or parent or child or all of the above. I know that some people seem to be able to adjust more easily than others. This is my 7th holiday season without Barry and my second without John. I spent my first Christmas completely alone after my first husband died. That was a whole lot easier than how I had spent Thanksgiving with some family who completely ignored the reality that my husband had died 2 months earlier and it was his birthday. Last Christmas, my first without John, was spent with my parents. That was miserable, too. This year, I will spend Christmas in Virginia with my older sister and her 3 adult children who are coming in from California, Georgia and Florida. There will be a total of 10 of us, including my sister's IL's. I think I will be okay. I will be here a total of 6 days. We will only have 10 people on the last 2 days, and I will stay in a hotel for the last 2 nights. Fortunately, there are some introverts here now and people are good about respecting others' space. I've already discussed with my sister and niece my concerns about getting overwhelmed by too many people. That was well received. Sigh. Good sigh. I will spend the long New Year's weekend with widow friends in Connecticut. We will end the weekend with a bago. Then I will hit the road and head west. All-in-all, I think I will be okay. It helps that I'm not going to be in places where holidays were celebrated with my husbands. Hugs to everyone. Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DansSoulmate Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 This is my second Christmas without Dan and am spending Christmas eve with my daughter's in-laws then Christmas with my new grandson and both daughters and son in laws. Last year I was still in shock so this year I feel the absence much more but am going to power through this. I hope everyone has a peaceful holiday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeanGenie Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 This is the third Christmas without DH. This year, I've had a much more difficult time feeling excited or happy about the holidays (which I used to love). Not sure why the this year is harder other than the fact that the first year was a blur (as we know, just going through the motions) and last year, Mom was in the hospital so we were dealing with that and Christmas was postponed til March. So this year, for everyone else, it's back to "normal" but for me, I just can't wait for Saturday when this is all behind us. Anyhow, plans for the holiday... Christmas Eve will be going to Mass followed by in-laws. My niece hosts every year and we have a potluck buffet followed by a yankee swap. Not necessarily close to my ILs...some of these folks we only see once a year, but we're maintaining the relationship. The yankee swap at least is a social event so that is entertainment and I have three young niece/nephews so they will entertain us as well. Thankfully with young kids, the party breaks up relatively early so I won't be out til midnight. Christmas Day is typically rushing to Mom's (Dad passed many years ago) where the entire family gathers (about 13 of us). Gift exchange among us all (yes, a bit crazy but no one will agree to simplify) and buffet for dinner. Unfortunately, my sister ended up in the hospital with emergency surgery this past Sunday and won't be released til the weekend at the earliest, so good news....family celebration is being postponed! Which is a good thing since I haven't wrapped gifts and I have a long list of food to prepare! So now Christmas Day will be just me and my adult son exchanging gifts in the morning, having a leisurely breakfast together, and then he suggested maybe going to see the new Star Wars movie. So what was going to be a stressful, rushing around day, will now be relaxing and low-key. I just hope the Christmas celebration doesn't get rescheduled to Jan 3rd and mess with my plans to attend the CT Bago at Kate's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauiMermaid Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 It helps that I'm not going to be in places where holidays were celebrated with my husbands. Hugs to everyone. Maureen Thanks for starting this thread. I woke up this Xmas Eve in tears and came here and it's the first thing I saw. This is year three for me and this quote says it all. Year one, in a daze, I was home with family. Year two, I stayed out West and celebrated quietly (partly alone, partly with new bf). Here I am at year three and decided to come home and see my family (and his, because after 22 years together they are very much my family too). It's been terribly painful. I think I need to re-think new traditions. Big (((hugs))) to all. Thanks again for starting this thread. xoxo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donswife Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 second christmas with out Don and yes, some how this is harder like you said last year was a blur but here we go ... christmas eve at my nephews with family , just part of our family will be 20 of us big crowd but being from a loud irish family it's always a good time and toasts to ones who are not there I will stay over at moms christmas eve with my brother (her health is bad so needs 24 hours care ) we will make christmas dinner for the three of us with people popping in and out I am blessed in the fact that my family and friends don't ignore that Don is gone and this is hard for me and them blessed that they don't let me dwell on it and they provide stories and laughter about him plus we no longer buy presents just enjoy each others company so huge relief on that end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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