I love your attitude. We are doing the same thing in our little combined households.

Same for us. 6 people instead of 35. It’s simpler, easier. I’m happy. Family members still decorating like crazy though.

I agree. I call it low key. It will still be meaningful, and way more peaceful. Sitting around after Christmas breakfast listening to music with my feet up looking at my tree and not having to hurry to go anywhere or get ready for company. It sounds nice to me.

Christmas will be celebrated the same as always with my children and grandchildren.

It is going to be a different year for us all. Those who carry on as usual will likely have the consequences, directly or indirectly, so it won't be normal for anyone. Anyone who thinks it will be is fooling themselves. Nekotish, I think your approach is well reasoned and kind.

Our plans are in flux. Ironically, I may have my oldest and his GF with us from PA but not the son who lives half a mile away, at least not indoors. The son in PA is in 2 weeks of isolation and will be driving down, then staying in an air B&B until they test after several days and get results. They have a 2 month breaks so they can do that -- she can't go to be with her family without flying, so we get the pleasure of an extended visit. The younger son is teaching and some of the people at his school are not making good choices while cases are increasing. They don't give any info, but he knows one student has been removed either for isolation or due to a positive test due to the length of his forecast absence and the lack of information. He was also exposed directly by going to pick up borrowed equipment at another school from a director who tested positive just after. A student who had been in the office before my son also tested positive. One of the people my son shares an office and classroom with is planning an extended family Thanksgiving with 2 families who don't wear masks, He only has a 2 week break at Christmas, so if he has to isolate, we may not see him at all. Teaching is super stressful this year, but the greatest stress seems to be coming from the other adults who refuse to help keep each other safe.

Maddielee, we have been together for the past 8 months. My son at first fell for the propaganda, but he is seeing the light and is coming out of hiding and not letting fear and lies control his life.

Yinz are being hoodwinked and are failing right into the politician's plans to control every aspect of your life . They have no plan to return you to normal, never did. Wasn't the last of many goalpost was when the vaccine came out and administered the pandemic would end? Now the goalpost is no virus. Zero! Viruses just don't disappear. The only virus that has been ever eradicated is smallpox and that took decades. There was never any goalpost, no end. Our secretary of heath is saying the same thing as the link below, the the pandemic will not end. Thankfully i have seen people waking up to the fact that they have been made fools of and are regaining their lives back and fighting back.

For you gloom and doomers that are sooooo convinced that you are saving yourselves and the world by hiding in your homes and won't even click on the link, I copied some of the quotes from the article titled "Why a vaccine won't end the covid pandemic"

"Dr. Amy Hartman, an assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Vaccine Research, said the early results from vaccine trials have her feeling more optimistic than she’s been throughout the pandemic.

But, she cautioned, “it’s important to keep in mind that vaccines aren’t necessarily a finite ‘solution’ but they are an important step toward controlling the pandemic.”

"A widely distributed vaccine, she said, will go a long way in bringing back a sense of normalcy – or at least some sense of what used to be normal.

The vaccine will not fix the here and now, said Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s health emergencies program. “How do we get covid equal to zero? Adding vaccines is going to give us a huge chance,” Ryan said. “But if we add vaccines and forget the other things, covid does not go to zero. We need to add vaccination to the existing physical measures, being careful, and hygiene – if we add that … to the vaccine, I think we will go a long way toward getting rid of this virus.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci. “Public health measures … can be dramatically reduced as more and more of the population gets vaccinated and there’s more of a veil of protection,” he said. “But you don’t want to abandon public health measures completely until — and this is important — until the level of virus in the community is so low that the risk of someone getting infected is minuscule.”

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftriblive.com%2Flocal%2Fregional%2Fwhy-a-vaccine-wont-end-the-covid-pandemic%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2-W99JlU2azI5PjR8ao_kYGjEYCe1mN1EcAd_2Z_d5DmiIQ7dLTl_39Jc&h=AT3LsF5wjroehj53b536DNCJO5c24D0ZAV8qNeQAZcWthJQ5lrDzXxI3IEN5JuNo6L8B4Y6dTVJVcvoAPsps2bf6xkgf_FI3bxbNDjPOptdh-dNL_T3l-3tUiu68XkCwJtI&;tn=%2CmH-R&c[0]=AT1krBlZe_GbnuyCyenOSyHgg0rFCBSy7sVTWZetpMFyPPLO1N-xSHGalAdBJhMkm9i7yWB0JP8T_YPI_S_Ad9afUxFLISfiGI_xTKhh58n397fVdqiyQM-53_Dlj6OlKJ5INbh4ByQPoaUPDoutG1UHsA

We always have a quiet Christmas, and I highly recommend it. In the past, MIL would come by for Christmas Eve dinner, then on Christmas Day DH and I stay in our pajamas and watch movies. It is truly wonderful and peaceful. He is super busy at year end so taking this day to relax and refresh is super important.

My mother died in 2008, so I haven't traveled at Christmas in awhile. I would travel by myself usually over the holidays. My siblings have their own kids and grandkids that keep them busy. Although my brothers are all facing health challenges, so it is super important their bubbles be small.

We never had children, we live far from any remaining family. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, and has always been a communal meal with close friends and strays. But we've aged. Some people aren't with us anymore, others have retired and migrated to warmer climates. For the past 4 years or so, we've been alone for Thanksgiving so it's our status quo.

Christmas is a different story. When we were first married 42 years ago we moved to MA, DH's home state. His parents were about an hour or so from us and he continued to go home for Christmas which involved being there Christmas Eve, midnight Catholic mass, opening our personal gifts to each other in front of his parents and staying overnight. I bristled at that after a few years and always volunteered to work on Christmas Eve in exchange for the Friday after Thanksgiving off.

My MIL was appalled that my employer made me work on Dec. 24th. Ha ha. So we only went for Christmas dinner and back home. I still remember how wonderful it was when they sold their home and decided to go south in their RV for most of the year. DH & I love having Christmas by ourselves.

I'm looking forward to having a Christmas where I don't have to go some place. We did a socially distanced visit this summer where we traveled and met with relatives outside on patios and in parks. I'm thinking about renting a house by the ocean over break and staying there for a few days. It's only an hour drive for us and it would just be my family.

Different for us, too, because keeping our elders healthy is the most important thing we could possibly do this holiday season. We will, of course, be in close and frequent contact with our extended family, but there are so many ways to do that without having to create needless risk by gathering in person. I think we are all either looking forward to, or cheerfully accepting of, the circumstances this year. Different doesn't mean "bad".

Im spending Thanksgiving at home. Im a bit sad about having to spend the day alone but will get by just fine. I am more concerned about Christmas this year. My usual routine for the last 5 years has been to spend Christmas Eve with my middle daughter's family. We go to church then to their home for a wonderful dinner. I sleep over then have brunch the next day while the 5 kids open presents. So much fun and being with young ones at Christmas sheds a new light on things. Probably wont be able to do it this year but we'll see. I head home around noon then later spend the evening with my oldest daughter and her family having dinner and exchanging gifts. Usually the day after Christmas all three daughters and their families meet at oldest daughters home and spend time together.

We do not have children and have a smallish family. I have siblings, the mr. doesn’t. We’ve always celebrated thanksgiving and Christmas with family. This year for Thanksgiving it will be just the two of us. My sister and bil are going to their second home. i have ordered turkey and dressing and will make the sides and dessert. I’m looking forward to good food and some down time with my favorite person. We will drop off some food for my MIL. I do worry about her being alone, but she has not been good about being safe. :(. Hopefully, if everyone in our group of 5 will take precautions, I’m hopeful we may be together for Christmas.

I’m just deliriously happy to have my 3 kids in my house for thanksgiving. DD, age 19, is making dinner — individual chicken pot pies in ramekins. I ordered dessert from a local farm market.

The day after Thanksgiving, we will spring my dad from asst living for about an hour to sit in our back yard so he can see DS, who he hasn’t seen since Feb. We’ll be outside, in masks. And coats...maybe blankets...

Christmas will be similar, assuming DS can get home again as planned. I’m planning on a pajama day for Christmas. Usually we have about 10 for dinner here on Christmas Day, followed by a visit to or from BFF and her DH. None of that this year. I hope someone gives me a good book for Christmas!

Not going to be a big Thanksgiving for me this year. Son who lives with me and I were going to eat dinner at my daughter's but the covid numbers are scary. We will stay home for dinner, strip steaks for us. On Wednesday I am making a pie for us and one for daughter's family. I like to make and roll out the crusts a few days ahead, so I got that finished today and have them in the fridge.

I don't know about Christmas yet except my son who lives 200 miles away in Rochester won't be traveling here with his family.

Sueb20, you are so forutunate that you can spring your Dad. My Dad is in long term care and my sister is his essential visitor, as she is the closest and he can have ony one. He is not allowed to leave the residence. That's the worst part of all this.

Just me but I would worry how you are getting your Dad to your backyard. Cars are enclosed areas and you may need both a driver and someone to assist getting into and out of the car. Just does not sound safe for him.

Hopefully we are on the cusp of more immediate result testing that can be done at home, so we can expand the circle for the elderly . . .

Elderly people do appreciate calls and letters too . . . My mother grew up with two aunts who left to move "out west" very far from the rest of the family, and they always looked forward to the big boxes of presents they sent to all the nieces and nephews in the large family. They knitted everyone mittens! They shared photos and letters so felt somewhat close even though separated by distance that wasn't easy to cross before mass airplane and interstate highway travel . . .

My dad’s place has had very strict protocols. I am allowed to drive him to appointments (which are rare, but he has had a couple). He rides in the back seat and we are both masked. He doesn’t need extra assistance getting out of the car. He lives 2 miles away so we are in the car for less than 10 minutes.

Neko, it’s terrible, isn’t it? We moved my dad in March 2 hours from his home to be closer to us, and then we didn’t see him again until July. Only recently have they allowed the residents to leave for anything other than essential dr visits. Even so, he’s only been to our house once (outside). We are allowed to visit him, but it has to be scheduled in advance, two visitors max, no more than an hour, etc. Fortunately he has settled in and has some buddies there and they’ve started more and more activities — though all are 6’ apart, masked, etc., which has to be challenging with the elderly!