White Wine, Anyone?

Ah, the Christmas/New Years syndrome—the time when a lot (myself included) feel as though we've inadvertently stepped through Alice’s looking glass; Christmas filled with looking back and New Years filled with looking forward. With the timing of these polar opposites a mere week from each other, is it any wonder we sometimes feel as though we're at odds with ourselves?

I’ve always loved Christmas and disliked New Years for the same reason: memories. I have very fond memories of Christmas. Of the lights and the tree and the family togetherness. Of my dad’s potato dressing, and dumping water on the middle sister, at the urging of my eldest, to get her out of bed before noon. Of the spontaneous dances that broke out in the kitchen and the spontaneous singing that broke out in the living room. That my sisters are eleven and ten years older than me might have a lot to do with why those memories are so very precious. By the same token, I have no fond memories of New Years. Not a one. The family would be long gone by then, the best-laid plans fallen through, as always; New Years Day dinner the only redeeming feature of yet another buildup turned disappointment. All the wishful thinking in the world will not change one's life. Only we can do that. And the proof? Out of the bazillions of resolutions made aloud on January 1st, how many will actually come to fruition? (Here’s a hint: most, if not all, will fall through in the first month.) If you want to be a better person, loose weight, go back to school and earn that degree you‘ve wanted, laugh more or give of yourself more, then go for it, that‘s what I say; don’t wait for a special occasion.

As for me, I’ll have a nice glass of white wine and go to bed by ten. It is, after all, just another day.

Next, It's...

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Merry Christmas

With Love,
Hawke

"A taggin' we will go, a taggin' we will go, hi ho the dairy-o a taggin' we will go."

The following is Sylver's (One More Day) fault.

...'Tis The Season

Favorite seasonal movie? In keeping with tradition and in no particular order… A Christmas Carol (b&w w/Alastair Sim), White Christmas, Scrooged, A Christmas Story. And on New Year’s Eve, It’s A Wonderful Life.

Song you most enjoy this time of year? Jingle Bells, Walking In A Winter Wonderland.

"Holiday Greeting"? Merry Christmas.

Decorate, inside? outside? Both. But not in a “Las Vegas” sort of way.

Do you make a list? If so, how many people are on it? No, I don’t make a list.

How up to the last minute do you shop? When the stores throw me out and not one moment before! Seriously, it’s the 22nd today and I’m still not finished. I think that says it all.

When do you open your gifts? Christmas morning

Holiday food you most savor? My dad’s famous potato dressing which, unfortunately, he never wrote down. Though many have tried to duplicate it over the years, all have failed miserably, myself included.

Favorite holiday book? The Night Before Christmas. (?)

New Year Resolutions? I don’t make New Year resolutions. I just hope a lot. :)


If you have read this in whole or in part, consider yourself tagged.

How To Turn a Bed-In-A-Bag Into a Fruitcake

Remember the old fruitcake joke?--the one where everyone gets it, feigns being thrilled, then tosses it into the freezer only to give it back to the giver next Christmas? Well, the same can be said about anything, really. Even a bed-in-a-bag.

“Go into my closet, take out my never-used bed-in-a-bag and put it under the tree. It’s yours, with lots of love.”

That’s what my mother just finished telling me. And with it, I’m not at all sure if I should be concerned, miffed, or grateful. Not that my mom is having financial trouble (she isn’t). And not that I dislike the bed-in-a-bag (I do like it; I should - I was, after all, the one who gave it to her last year). I just can’t help thinking that this former-present-turned-present-again is likely going to make the proverbial fruitcake rounds for many years to come.

I wonder if it will fit in the freezer…

Too Sweet Not To Include...

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(The following is an oldy but a goody.)

Little Known Christmas Fact

Not long ago and far away, Santa was getting ready for his annual
trip...but there were problems everywhere.

Four of his elves were sick and the trainee elves did not produce the
toys as fast as the regular ones, so Santa was beginning to feel the
pressure of being behind schedule.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa that her mom was coming to visit. This
stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two had jumped the fence and were out, heaven knows where. More Stress. Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the boards cracked and the toy bag fell to the ground and scattered the toys. So, frustrated, Santa went into the house for a cup of coffee and a shot of whiskey. When he went to the cupboard, he found the elves had hidden the liquor and there was nothing to drink. In his frustration, he dropped the coffee pot and it broke into hundreds of little pieces all over the he kitchen floor.

He went to get the broom and found that mice had eaten the straw it was
made from.

Just then the doorbell rang and Santa cussed on his way to the door. He
opened the door and there was a little angel with a great big Christmas
tree. The angel said: "Where would you like to put this tree, Santa?"

And that, my friends, is how the little angel came to be on top of the
Christmas tree.

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Panic Mode

One Week To Go!

(Here's another fun one. Just double click the little arrow to enjoy.)

What's In A Name?

And speaking of Christmas (weren't we?), this is kind cute, in a "Bah Humbug Pfffth!" sorta way. Try it out.

I’m just so gosh-darn Christmassy!



And for the skeptics, here’s proof! (?)



Lastly, my sister just sent this to me (thanks, Val). It's not Christmassy, but it's a hoot! Don't mind me. I'm just spreading the cheer, spreading the cheer...

Welcome to Tune Time!

On a serious note...



For the kid in all of us, there's...



Of course there‘s always...



And this one too...



Here’s a joyful one. And they are!



And finally, for the amount of time and effort it must have taken to create this, it had to be included.

Traditions (Or How To Avoid Buying Into The Commercial Christmas)

Can someone please tell me when we went from the true meaning and joy of Christmas, to commercialism and hype? When peace, love thy fellow man, “Merry Christmas” wishing, cease-firing (during wartime, no less), warm and fuzzy feelings and family and traditions were replaced with camping out in front of stores, fist fights in lineups, “Seasons Greetings” wishing (if we say anything at all) lest we offend someone, bitching each other out, paying double on e-bay, Christmas tree dismantling in airports, and walking over each other's dead bodies if necessary for a chance at that elusive, must-have-no-matter-what, whatever-the-hell-it-is piece of what’s-it at what-ever-the-hell price?

And after all that, after we've warmly and fuzzily beat some line-jumper nearly to death and/or drove ourselves into depression, the very kids we did it for (depending on their age, of course) will either play with said “must-have” once or twice and then play with the box or bow instead, or, if older, snub their noses at the (for example) $100 plus IPod as though you’ve just handed them slug guts in a box, utterly disgusted that you didn’t get them the $300 “black” number they only told you a bazillion times to get---the status symbol everyone has. Pul-ease.

And we do this...why?

The kids won’t remember everything they get (and from whom) this year, anymore than they remember everything they got (and from whom) last year.

Go ahead---ask them. I can wait.

What they will remember is the cat knocking over the Christmas tree. Or Grandpa taking out his dentures and making funny faces. Or Aunty Deb baking Nanaimo squares. Or the Christmas meal, in menu-like detail, including their first sip of wine. Or dad throwing everyone out of the kitchen to make his famous potato dressing. In other words, you can’t buy memories, but you can make them.

Gee, what a concept.

Spreading A Little Holiday Cheer

Here's a fun ditty. Just double click the tiny arrow and enjoy.

All I Want For Christmas Is...

So I'm sitting here, thinking about the movie "A Christmas Story" and getting all nostalgic, and the one present I remember wanting more than anything else was a Slinky.

I don't remember how old I was that Christmas. But I do remember seeing a Slinky commercial on TV, the happy faces of the kids playing with them, and the waaaay catchy jingle

("What walks down stairs, alone or in pairs, and makes a slinkity sound?
A spring, a spring, a marvelous thing! Everyone knows it's Slinky.
It's Slinky, it's Slinky, it's fun, it's a wonderful toy.
It's Slinky, it's Slinky, it's fun for a girl or a boy.
Everyone wants a Slinky.
You gotta to get a Sinky!")

and I was hooked.

Slinkys were cool. They were "it," they were "wonderful," and they were...not mine. Yet. But I wasn't alone because (like the jingle said) everyone wanted a Slinky, including me. Heck, you would've had to have been blind to not see the smiles on the 'commercial kids' faces and know it was the best thing ever made - the toy Holy Grail of all Holy Grails. And - and it even walked! Well, it walked down stairs in the commercial, anyway. And it made a way-cool shhha-shhha sound, too. Oh, I didn't just want one. I had to have one. In fact, I'd die without one.

To make a long story short, I got it, flew up the stairs, set it up exactly as the 'commercial kids' had, started it off, ran back down the stairs to catch it/save it/watch it...and it stopped less than half way. After that, my mom used it as a Christmas card holder. So it goes.

What was your favorite toy, toy-want, or shattered toy illusion? Just curious.

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CHRISTMAS SONG QUIZ

1. The apartment of 2 psychiatrists.
2. The lad is a diminutive percussionist.
3. Decorate the entry-ways .
4. Sir Lancelot with laryngitis.
5. A B C D E F G H I J K M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z.
6. Present me naught but dual incisors for this festive Yuletide.
7. The smog-less bewitching hour arrived.
8. Exuberation to this orb.
9. 288 Yuletide hours.
10. Do you perceive the same longitudinal pressure which stimulates my auditory sense organs.
11. The red-suited pa is due in this burg.
12. Stepping on the pad cover.
13. Uncouth dolt has his beezer in the booze and thinks he is a Dark Cloud's boyfriend.
14. Far back in a hay bin.
15. Leave and do an elevated broadcast.
16. That exiguous hamlet south of the holy city.
17. Behold! I envisioned a trio of nautical vessels.
18. Listen, the winged heavenly messengers are proclaiming tunefully.
19. A joyful song relative to hollow metallic vessels which vibrate and bring forth a ringing sound when struck.
20. As the guardians of little woolly animal's protected their charges in the shadows of the earth.
21. Frozen precipitation commence
22. Monarchial triad
23. Oh, member of the round table with missing areas
24. Boulder of the tinkling metal spheres
25. Vehicular homicide was committed on Dad's mom by a precipitous darling
26. Wanted in December: top forward incisors
27. We are Kong, Lear, and Nat Cole
28. Cup-shaped instruments fashioned of a whitish metallic element
29. Oh small Israel urban center
30. Our fervent hope is that you thoroughly enjoy your yuletide season
31. Parent was observed osculating a red-coated unshaven teamster
32. May the Deity bestow an absence of fatigue to mild male humans
33. Natal celebration devoid of color, rather albino, as a hallucinatory phenomenon for me.
34. Obese personification fabricated of compressed mounds of minute crystals.
35. Tranquiltiy upon the terrestrial sphere.
36. Have hitherward the entire assembly of those who are loyal in their belief.




And lastly. Fortunately, some people's idea of Christmas Decorating isn't the same as the rest of us.

While I Think Of It...

I'm going to drop these links here in the hope they may help someone someday.


Self-Help:


Organized and Otherwise

http://www.selfharm.net/fself.html

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My Story
(by Dayna Augilar)

http://www.orgsites.com/ca/siaa/_pgg1.php3

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Self Injury Fact Sheet
source: Deb Martinson

http://www.m-a-h.net/library/selfinjury/article-si-facts.htm


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