Thanks for asking, eh? ;)

Your annual meeting out with your sisters sounds like fun.

I am uninspired this year. One of my sisters has broken our family tradition this year so I'm not sure what I will do. If I had a reliable cat & house sitter, I'd go to Williamsburg, VA for a week!!!

I'm a little tired today. Yesterday I had 9 golfing buddies for brunch. I had Quiche, baked ham, biscuits , hot fruit salad, stolen and nut bread. Started off with cheddar crisps, brie tarts, bloody Mary's, hot cocoa, hot apple cider and coffee. At 5:00, I had 6 for dinner and then we went to a Christmas program put on by our neighborhood theater group. Today I'm resting. I sent my gifts, the house is decorated, not making cookies this year, so today I'm resting. If I ever feel rested enough, I will make some hot pepper jelly this afternoon. Tomorrow I will do a quick tidying up as I have my Wine and Dine group (14) for cocktails and then we're going to a very nice restaurant for dinner.

We now have no plans for Christmas and I am not going to send out many cards this year since my husband is in the hospital and won't be home for Christmas. Just not sure what we are doing.

Sue

We may be able to decorate finally this weekend. We went out of town for Thanksgiving week and my Dad passed away on Thanksgiving Day. Another week out of town put me way behind on our normal Pre-Christmas activities.

I'm having a hard time getting into the spirit this year.

Jannie, it sounds like you have everything under control and plans are proceeding smoothly. Sounds good!

PartyMusic, at first I read your post to mean you would go to Williamsburg if you had a house sitter and a reliable cat. LOL

Georgysmom, if I had nine for brunch and six for dinner, I'd be more than a little tired. I'd have to take to my bed! And that's without the Christmas program you attended.

And 14 for cocktails! Sounds like so much fun, but tiring too. 'Tis the season....

I was feeling so behind on Christmas preparations this year that I figured I'd be lucky to get my cards out by Valentine's Day. I'd planned to design my own again, but in the end decided to skip cards altogether and send out a color-printed sheet of photos and my usual long Christmas letter. Everything's all printed, so if I keep at it they should get out before Christmas after all.

I've been wrapping, and presents are piling up. It's the kind of "decor" I like best.

Sorry about your Dad, pkponder. I lost mine right before Thanksgiving three years ago, so I know exactly how you're feeling.

I think I'll sell the house and worm farm to buy an RV and drive out to my sister's place for xmas. :O)

georgysmom, did I read recently that you are in the Williamsburg VA area?! We love to visit there... we've played the courses at Deer Run in Ft Eustis several times, played the Woods and Links in Norfolk, and once played the Golden Horseshoe in Williamsburg. PLMK if there are any public courses in the general area that we should try! We're both low handicappers, so course difficulty is not an issue.

alisande, that's just too funny! :O)

I have one more gift to buy, then going to find that turkey and a ham for dinner. I don't decorate until a few days before Christmas so I've got time yet. I don't like the stuff up for too long, my house is too small (considered a "cottage" on a lot of forums LOL), to have a lot of stuff in it. Because half of us are still eating the Ketogenic way, dinner will be interesting. Half traditional (mashed potatoes and stuffing) and half Keto (smothered cauliflower and no stuffing). I need to find a keto way to glaze the ham. That's really all the prep I have to do.

Alisande, I have a relationship still with the wife of the man who was once DH's boss, and I get her lengthy Christmas letter w/photos about Valentines Day each year. For a while she would call it her New Years letter, now she doesn't even aim for that.

And PK, please accept my sympathies for your loss. It's no wonder you're trying to find holiday spirit.

Marilyn Sue, whatever you do, it will be enough. If I were in your circumstances and found any holiday energy at all, I think I'd try to direct it towards children if that's appropriate, the adults in my life would need to understand.

I'm in reasonably good shape for Christmas. The house is decorated although I can't say the bedrooms or office have been thoroughly cleaned. I have a box ready to mail cross country for my niece and her children, I'll take that to the PO in a little while. We may make the hour trip to Costco later today but my list is my typical household things, not Christmas. Unless DH see something he might like for his birthday - 5 days after ;)

Sue....I can so relate to what you are going through. My DH was in the hospital 3 years ago and I ate my Christmas dinner alone in the hospital cafeteria....such a lonely feeling! I do hope he recovers and can be home soon.

As I age, my Christmas gets simpler....and I rather like it like that. I have a tremor, which prevents me from writing, so I will be calling my friends and visiting on the phone with them rather than writing cards....and nothing very exciting has happened this year...except for an emergency back surgery and long recovery...but that is not fun or exciting to hear about in a Christmas letter.

My grandchildren will be getting some little gifts to unwrap, as well as their cash.....my kids and spouses will be getting their "Christmas check" as usual. What shopping I did, was on-line, and with PayPal, it is so simple~~~(now if only FedEx will cooperate and get them to me).

The house is decorated....and I am still debating on what to fix for Christmas dinner...I just love my family all being here, so food is not all that important....but a couple of grandkids told me on Thanksgiving what they wanted to have....so will do my best to please them~

I hope each and every one of you have a blessed Christmas and may 2015 be kind to you.

Most of the gifts are ordered or bought. I will decorate the house all next week. DH has done the outside lights. Having a small Christmas dinner with younger son, sister, BIL and DH, but then we are having a 2nd Christmas dinner on the 27th when DD and her family arrive. We will do most of the gift opening on the 27th. Then I will take down all the decorations after New Year's Day and store them away for another year.

I am rapidly falling behind, I was doing great untl last Wednesday. My back went out completely, couldn't walk for two days, can barely walk now. Still have to decorate the tree, gd #3 has her second birthday party tomorrow. We have tickets to Fleetwood Mac for Monday, paid too much for those to miss it! Then, Kali arrives Friday, so cookie baking, decorating her tree,etc.... My back needs to heal pronto! Oh, I forgot, no food in the house, grocery store on the list too.

I think for Christmas day after talking with the kids, we will go out to eat wherever any thing is open and then go to the hospital and stay awhile. We may give the two little ones some of their gifts, will have to see. I certainly won't be alone. I talk to all of my kids each day and most I see each day.
Merry Christmas everyone.

Sue

Marilyn Sue, wish I lived close to you. I would come and cook dinner for you and your family. No one is coming this year so we're going to friends for Christmas Day.

Alisande, I didn't take to bed today but I did watch Hallmark movies all day. They are so sappy but I needed a little bubble gum for the mind today. LOL I don't have that much to do tomorrow. Will do a quick vacuuming and the hors d'oeuvres are very simpleâ¦â¦coconut shrimp, which is baked not fried and served with a sauce I can make in the morning, some Havarti cheese topped with mixed herbs wrapped in puff pastry and baked, served with apple and pear slices, and some mini corn muffins topped with creme fraiche mixed with fresh dill and lemon juice and topped with smoked salmon and capers. the muffins were made a week ago and frozen. I have some chef mix and spiced pecans, too. Will also make some cosmos because they're so pretty at Christmas Shouldn't take me more than two hours to cook and clean.

Party music, yes I do live in Williamsburg. Kiskiack is a public course that I like. It's not that well groomed but a fun little course. Maybe $30.00 to play. Ford's Colony is semi-private. You can usually get tee times there. Don't know the going rate but there are three courses. If you stay at the Marriot Time Share in Fords Colony I think you get 6 free rounds of golf at the golf courses there. All are very nice. There's also Colonial Heritage (not my favorite but you might like it, particularly if you are a low handicapper and if you hit a straight ball.) There's also Williamsburg Nationalâ¦.two courses there. I don't know if any of these courses can be found on groupon or not. I just thought of another course about 40 minutes from Williamsburgâ¦.Viniterraâ¦very, very nice. Let me know if you ever do decide to come to Williamsburg. Maybe we could get together.

Going through the motions but not really feeling it this year.
Not sure what the problem is. Maybe the Christmas spirit will hit me yet. :)

georgysmom, thank you SO MUCH for the course recommendations!!! yep, we're both straight hitters. :) I will definitely contact you the next time we plan to come down!!!

I have to tell you that when we played the Golden Horseshoe we had the starter watching us like hawks because my playing partner was playing the back tees and he *missed* (topped) his first tee shot! (unheard of for him and it really put the pressure on me!!!). They have strict rules about which tees you should play for your handicap and they sent someone out on the course to watch us. Eventually one guy came over to talk to me to confirm that he had a low enough handicap to be playing from the tips. We both crushed our tee shots at that tee and they all went away. :) I hit the ball great that day... except for my tee shot on their short par-3 'signature hole'. LOL!!! I think I was distracted by the beauty of it. :O)

This post was edited by party_music50 on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 7:12

I like the Gold course at Golden Horseshoe, but think the Green course is a little boring. Most of the holes look the same except for the par three's.

Marilyn Sue, the important thing is to be together at Christmas. As far as eating in a restaurant, that makes good sense, but have someone take time to see what's open. I did that one year with my kids, and we did eat at the only place open, and it was Mc Donalds. Not a happy memory, but at least we were together!

You and your family are in my heart and thoughts, and I wish you all a peaceful Christmas.