I got the tree and stockings up.
I put 200 more lights on the tree and many of my hand-crafted ornaments. I spend a lot of time in the family room where the TV is (in the other corner) and aside from the lamp beside where I sit to knit and stitch, I leave the rest of the lights off. I love the warm glow of the tree lights.
I don't have a lot of Christmas memories that really stand out in my mind but do enjoy the coziness of sitting by the fire and looking at the lights. Some of my favourite Christmas albums play in the background (Hoopla is a great app for this).
I used to do a lot more decorating for the holidays - festive border I'd put up around the breakfast nook, an army of snow people and Santas I'd assemble on the fireplace, garland down stair rail, music boxes, many more Peanuts ornaments, etc. etc. But now I embrace the simple things in my life: a cozy home, nice things to eat (chocolates and cookies) and drink (eggnog and glögg), warm lights, comfort food, Christmassy programs on TV, festive music, and the general sense of coziness.
I am not a big fan of cold weather, ice, or deep snow but this winter, since we won't be venturing to our southern vacation spot, I have decided to embrace the good things about the season and not spend a lot of time despising the cold. This might include: wearing lots of woolly hats, mitts, scarves, socks, sweaters, cowls, and shawls; going out for fresh air at least once a day; regarding shoveling snow as a 'good workout'; planning getaways with Skip or my friends when COVID numbers and better weather permit; keeping in touch with my various crafty groups via Zoom on a regular basis; continuing to pursue all my crafty interests, etc. Skip struggles with the cold and dark so we'll build some fun things to do together into our routine as well - going out for breakfast, driving around to view Christmas lights, visiting nurseries to look at live, green plants, etc. Once we get to the Winter Solstice in a couple of weeks, the days will start to get longer again.
Today would have been my brother's 75th birthday. George Inglis accomplished many things in his 26 years. I miss him as much now as I ever did. He was so smart but very closed emotionally. He had a lot to deal with as a youngster, having been diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes at the age of 8 and our mother dying when he was 12. As a result, he 'played his cards pretty close to his chest'. I was fortunate to spend quite a bit of time with him the last while before he died in 1973 from complications due to the diabetes. We buried old resentments and in our way let each other know how much we cared for each other. Even though he's been gone for 5 decades, I still think about him a lot, and particularly on December 9 every year.
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