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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Dinah on December 25, 2008, at 10:23:39
I love all the Christmas rituals. And fortunately the man I married really didn't have many in his family, so I get to take the best of my family's rituals, and we've added some more.
We watch The Grinch and a Charlie Brown Christmas on Christmas Eve. That way we get the Christmas story from Linus, who is who I hear anyway every time I hear those lines. And we eat the Christmas Eve omelet, which my family used to have for Christmas breakfast. Then I read the Night Before Christmas, read just as I read it every night for six months after my son first heard it. Christmas might have been long over, but he wanted to go to bed with "And to all a Good Night." (Lar reminded me. :) ) Then my husband and I sing the songs we made from the poems in "Bob: And 6 More Christmas Stories". My son is nice enough to indulge us in the latter two, and we make it as easy as possible for him by interrupting both for the Spongebob or Simpsons versions so he can laugh at the traditions. :)
And Christmas dinner is always Roast Beast and Yorkshire Pudding. With syllabub for dessert. Syllabub is a fairly recent addition, but nothing goes better with Roast Beast and Yorkshire Pudding.
(Warning. Graphic roast beef pictures inside.)
I admit to being a Christmas tradition tyrant. Fortunately my family is tolerant. We forgot to put the traditional Christmas satsuma in the stockings this year!!! Oh well, we can eat them for a snack. My son looks to follow in my footsteps, as he's already molded the Christmas traditions as he thinks suitable. :)
And Gabbi? If you still read? When we put up the full manger setup, for the first time since Katrina this year, I told him the story of how, when he was little, I handed him the little figurines and he put them all in a circle around the crib so that all you could see was their backs. Because of course they'd all want to see the Baby. And so this year he arranged them a bit more artistically perhaps, but all still with their focus in the proper place. :)
Posted by Dinah on December 25, 2008, at 11:29:08
In reply to Christmas traditions, posted by Dinah on December 25, 2008, at 10:23:39
And lest I forget. Back to back marathon showings of "The Christmas Story" on TBS. :) I've reached my Christmas Story limit, I think. I think I'll institute a new traditon. The Christmas "I can't believe I woke up that early" nap.
Posted by Kath on December 25, 2008, at 17:00:48
In reply to Re: Christmas traditions, posted by Dinah on December 25, 2008, at 11:29:08
Hi Dinah,
I am glad for you, that you have your lovely traditions. Please enjoy them to the fullest!!!
I feel sad. I feel like I'm not supPOSED to be sad - it's Christmas!
I miss our traditions.
We always had them also. But then my daughter got MCS (multiple chemical sensitivities - like environmental illness). She can't even come to our house now. When she was living here, she could only be in her room, the bathroom & the kitchen. There were so many restrictions - no real tree; no artificial tree (from which the plastics or whatever would off-gas)...so no presents under the tree. I bought Christmas cloth; washed it to get store-smells out & made gift bags from it. I guess a part of me is in big grief at the loss of our traditions & I just somehow lost heart when all that happened.Maybe I'm just still grieving. I guess seeing my son different also is hard.
I'm by myself right now. I'm still feeling sorta sick, so didn't go to DH's brother's for dinner. Didn't really want to anyway. Son has gone out to friends. I'm feeling downish & lonely. :-(
Maybe I'll tell what we used to do; might help me.
On Christmas Eve, we'd have the lights on, on the tree; listen to Christmas music, drink tea, eat After-Eights; and each open 1 gift.
I'd fill Christmas stockings for each of us. On Christmas morning, we'd sit in the living room, have clementine oranges, drink tea, open the gifts slowly. No big deal really. I guess I miss having our daughter with us for Christmas morning.
My son can't go with us to visit daughter/fiance. He still smokes & even a bit of it on his clothes etc would make her very sick.
Oh dear. I feel like a real - hmm - not Scrooge - but Miss Gloom, or something. I guess I am allowed to be sad & gloomy here though, & I DID put a trigger notice!
I think I'm mainly feeling lonely right now. I think I'll make a pot of tea & put sugar in!! (I've been using stevia to sweeten my tea, but I think I need a sugar-fix).
Kath
Posted by Dinah on December 25, 2008, at 18:47:03
In reply to Christmas traditions; feeling sad **sad trigger** » Dinah, posted by Kath on December 25, 2008, at 17:00:48
(((Kath)))
Christmas can be a sad time of year, with reminders of what isn't. This year I'm feeling the spirit of Christmas, but for many years I didn't. It was always in my mind today how very fortunate my family is, and how fragile that good fortune can be.
Those sound like lovely Christmas traditions. What are Clementine oranges? I'm trying to think if I've had one.
Is it cold where you are? It's hot hot hot here today. The air conditioner is on, and I'm still in sleeveless, with short pants. I just got back from bringing some roast beef and very flat Yorkshire pudding (my first Yorkshire Pudding failure) to my mother and my uncle. They've got the flu and couldn't make it to our house, but she felt well enough to eat it if I brought it to her. Tea sounds like a nice tradition if it's very cold. Is there any way to start some other traditions just for the two of you? I know that once we have kids, the holidays seem like they're all about them. But it needn't be that way. Traditions can bring comfort and can make the extraordinary out of the ordinary. They may change over time, but that doesn't mean you can't find new ways to make this day special among days. Or every day, I suppose, if it comes to that. Although I suppose every day can't be special in the exact same way.
Posted by Kath on December 26, 2008, at 19:30:27
In reply to Re: Christmas traditions; feeling sad **sad trigger** » Kath, posted by Dinah on December 25, 2008, at 18:47:03
> Those sound like lovely Christmas traditions. What are Clementine oranges? I'm trying to think if I've had one.
~ ~ Hi Dinah, thx for your kind reply! Clementines are very small. Sort of like - oh - maybe you call them Mandarin oranges. I think we call them that also. They're smaller than regular ones. There used to be a kind of orange that we had around Christmastime. I can't remember what they were called. Clementines are much like those, only smaller. Those ones had stringy white thread-like things around the orange inside the peel! Can't believe I don't remember what they were called. DH can't remember either. Our family calls Clementines "clemmies". Oh - the other ones were Tangerines.
> Is it cold where you are?
~ ~ It was about -13 for a few days. That's about 10F. Today it was -3C. O is freezing.
>It's hot hot hot here today. The air conditioner is on, and I'm still in sleeveless, with short pants.
~ ~Wow - that's hard for me to imagine!
> I just got back from bringing some roast beef and very flat Yorkshire pudding (my first Yorkshire Pudding failure) to my mother and my uncle. They've got the flu and couldn't make it to our house, but she felt well enough to eat it if I brought it to her.
~ ~ That's nice of you. Did you have to travel far?
What is sylabub? I think that's what you mentioned in the other post. I've read about it in some of the historical fiction books I read...never knew what it was.> Tea sounds like a nice tradition if it's very cold. Is there any way to start some other traditions just for the two of you? I know that once we have kids, the holidays seem like they're all about them. But it needn't be that way. Traditions can bring comfort and can make the extraordinary out of the ordinary. They may change over time, but that doesn't mean you can't find new ways to make this day special among days.
~ ~ ~ Yes, I think that's probably a good idea. Actually, this year, at IKEA (do you have IKEA stores?) I bought some Swedish "Glogg" (the 'o' has 2 dots over it). It's non-alcoholic & is like a spiced fruit wine & you heat it. It was really good & DH & I enoyed that on Christmas Eve.
I think I'm still in the 'grieveing' part. And, although almost every shred of me hates it, I think it's probably healthy to grieve. I think that while in the grieving, I am not yet in a place to put many new traditions in place.> Or every day, I suppose, if it comes to that. Although I suppose every day can't be special in the exact same way.
~ ~ I suppose there are people who sort of honour every day. I suppose every day could be considered a big gift. Like my friend, who has been battling cancer for years & who welcomes getting old & views every birthday as a big gift, rather than a 'oh dear, I'm another year older' type of event.
I'm getting things ready to go to visit our daughter tomorrow. I bought her 3 cozy waffle-weave hooded tops today for $6 each! I'm looking forward to seeing her.
Another part of me feels anxious that my son will be here & we won't be here 'if he needs us'. Jeez!! Give me a break LOL.
But it's a nagging reality that part of me feels that way. I guess the actual reality in the past is that things CAN go off the rails. Things have been going very well though. He's been really responsible about his job. He's been working 7 weeks now. I guess it makes sense that I could feel nervous, because this is way longer than he's kept a job since his first job a year ago Nov (since his psychosis & his coming back from BC 2 years ago).
He really likes his job & his boss & has said more than once 'now I've got this job & I've got responsibilities & I can't just do whatever I want'. He generally gets in pretty early at night so he can get a good sleep for work the next day, etc. I guess I have to realize that I need a good bit of time to go by with this new behaviour happening before it'll become "the new reality" to me!! If I look at it that way, I feel better.I guess I should realize - "Hey - of course it makes sense that I'd feel nervous." But then I get feeling bad for having negative vibes - what if the Law of Attraction works!! LOL I don't want to be attracting negative stuff. I think I'm still a bit sick & am feeling sort of unbalanced!
Anyway Dinah, thx for your gentle kindness.
Puleeez try to enjoy that heat for me if you can! Although, it sounds like it's just TOO hot.
luv, Kath
Posted by Phillipa on December 26, 2008, at 23:27:56
In reply to Going to daughter's; a bit anxious about son » Dinah, posted by Kath on December 26, 2008, at 19:30:27
Kath have a wonderful time and think of [xxxx] for tomorrow and [xxxx] will be okay. Hope you're well also. Love Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on December 26, 2008, at 23:32:25
In reply to Re: Going to daughter's; a bit anxious about son » Kath, posted by Phillipa on December 26, 2008, at 23:27:56
Kath Lilly of the Valleys as for some reason thinking of pretty Spring flowers is calming and hints that Spring is right around the corner? Did I say that? Ugg don't like the cold. Anyway have a good time with your Daughter your Son has been doing great remember that and trust him . I know it's hard that jump reflex. Love Phillipa
Posted by Kath on December 27, 2008, at 16:25:43
In reply to Re: Going to daughter's; a bit anxious about son » Phillipa, posted by Phillipa on December 26, 2008, at 23:32:25
> Kath Lilly of the Valleys as for some reason thinking of pretty Spring flowers is calming and hints that Spring is right around the corner? Did I say that? Ugg don't like the cold. Anyway have a good time with your Daughter your Son has been doing great remember that and trust him . I know it's hard that jump reflex. Love Phillipa
HiJan - my thoughts aren't quite with flowers yet, although my friend said that after the shortest day of the year Dec 21st I think - when it gets dark realy early - she is thinking that with each day, Spring is getting closer. Lilly of the Valley is one of my very best favourite flowers. Also Sweet Peas & Columbines. Do you know Columbines? They're beautiful.
Yes, I'm trying to think positively. I'm doing a bit better about it today.
It was really foggy on the way here - a 3 hour drive. But we arrived safe & sound.
:-)) Kath thx for the encouragement Phillipa
Posted by Phillipa on December 28, 2008, at 0:33:41
In reply to Re: Going to daughter's; a bit anxious about son » Kath, posted by Phillipa on December 26, 2008, at 23:27:56
Kath thanks. Big Phew!!!!!!! Love as always Phillipa yes know columbines trying to think positive they are lovely flowers.
Posted by Gabette on January 2, 2009, at 20:28:33
In reply to Christmas traditions, posted by Dinah on December 25, 2008, at 10:23:39
I haven't checked the boards for months
Yours was the first post I saw, and it immediately brought to mind your son, and the Nativity scene,Seeing your note at the bottom gave me the warmest feeling I've had in.. months at least.
Thank you!
Posted by Dinah on January 2, 2009, at 20:45:02
In reply to Re: Christmas traditions--I'm charmed Dinah, posted by Gabette on January 2, 2009, at 20:28:33
I can't think of a nicer present than seeing your name again. :)
Posted by Dinah on January 2, 2009, at 20:47:03
In reply to Re: Christmas traditions--I'm charmed Dinah, posted by Gabette on January 2, 2009, at 20:28:33
I originally told you about that during the period of time when I was really too depressed to remember those things. It was you reminding me of it that gave me back that memory, to pass down to my son.
Thanks, Gabbi. For that and so much...
Posted by Gabette on January 4, 2009, at 21:33:23
In reply to And I have you to thank » Gabette, posted by Dinah on January 2, 2009, at 20:47:03
No words.thank you Dinah
Posted by Bobby on January 4, 2009, at 23:54:38
In reply to Re: Christmas traditions--I'm charmed Dinah, posted by Gabette on January 2, 2009, at 20:28:33
I was thinking "Decades." Good to see you're still kickin' I think you add a lot when you are here.
Posted by 10derHeart on January 5, 2009, at 1:55:53
In reply to Haven't checked the boards in 'months?' » Gabette, posted by Bobby on January 4, 2009, at 23:54:38
Posted by Kath on January 5, 2009, at 12:44:56
In reply to *sniff* » Dinah, posted by Gabette on January 4, 2009, at 21:33:23
Posted by Gabette on January 6, 2009, at 17:51:46
In reply to Hi Gabbi (nm), posted by Kath on January 5, 2009, at 12:44:56
{{{{Bobby Kath 10Derheart}}}} squish!
Thank you.
and {{{Zen}}}
Just for being Zen.
This is the end of the thread.
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