What are you doing today?

We unabashedly love Christmas, we get silly :D It's a time for celebration, for over-indulging on homemade cookies, special beers get released, we have a blast with non-stop Xmas movies and shows (tonight, all the Xmas Bob's Burgers :D), there's a nice no-questions-asked break from work, winter kicks in so it gets a little darker sooner but the house is beautifully lit up, inside and out. And as the year winds down, we enjoy having a few quiet moments too, a little introspection, remembering people, having a few laughs with family, about family, some of who are no longer with us. :giggle:
 
DT said:
We unabashedly love Christmas, we get silly :D It's a time for celebration, for over-indulging on homemade cookies, special beers get released, we have a blast with non-stop Xmas movies and shows (tonight, all the Xmas Bob's Burgers :D), there's a nice no-questions-asked break from work, winter kicks in so it gets a little darker sooner but the house is beautifully lit up, inside and out. And as the year winds down, we enjoy having a few quiet moments too, a little introspection, remembering people, having a few laughs with family, about family, some of who are no longer with us. :giggle:
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I think Christmas is brilliant for kids (especially if they are from a decent, or happy, family, though it can be a very rough time for some); and, I also enjoyed it as an adult, (though a lot less as a teenager).

However, the associated expectations - not least meeting family (and societal) traditions - can make it an especially difficult and demanding time for women.

To get it right requires much time, preparation, planning, and more work on the day.
 
Alli said:
Well that didn’t last long. Got a call first thing this morning telling me I needed to come back early tomorrow morning for a heart cath. Yippee. I’ll keep y’all posted.
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Gosh.

And not at a nice time of year.

Well, once more dear friends, I can only reiterate what I have already written: Fingers crossed (tightly), wood touched, (and remember to remind yourself of your recent academic achievement - a Ph.D no less - and success) and the very best of luck with it.

Do, please, keep us posted, and remember, too, to be kind to yourself.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
Gosh.

And not at a nice time of year.

Well, once more dear friends, I can only reiterate what I have already written: Fingers crossed (tightly), wood touched, (and remember to remind yourself of your recent academic achievement - a Ph.D no less - and success) and the very best of luck with it.

Do, please, keep us posted, and remember, too, to be kind to yourself.
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I am always kind to myself. ;)
 
Alli said:
I am always kind to myself. ;)
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To my mind, it is a good thing to be, (and do) as - especially when stressed or upset, - it is all too easy to fall into the trap of demanding insane standards of perfection from one self, and being the person that others rely on, while others may not see that you, too, may be in need of support and need a break.
 
Phoned an organic meat supplier (they rear, slaughter and age what they sell) - I haven't had meat for simply ages, and realised that I am craving some hearty stews - and placed an order for Friday.

Usually, they simply turn up and supply (deliver) pre-ordered turkey orders on Christmas Eve, but, they agreed (with surprising enthusiasm and interest) to take an order from me that - emphatically - did not include turkey.
 
Scepticalscribe said:
However, the associated expectations - not least meeting family (and societal) traditions - can make it an especially difficult and demanding time for women.

To get it right requires much time, preparation, planning, and more work on the day.
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This isn't really the case at our house - my wife and I are a fully cooperative team in every aspect of our life - that includes Christmas: buying gifts, cooking, putting out decorations, planning trips.

We're like a synchronized swimmer couple ... :)
 
Scepticalscribe said:
I think Christmas is brilliant for kids (especially if they are from a decent, or happy, family, though it can be a very rough time for some); and, I also enjoyed it as an adult, (though a lot less as a teenager).

However, the associated expectations - not least meeting family (and societal) traditions - can make it an especially difficult and demanding time for women.

To get it right requires much time, preparation, planning, and more work on the day.
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I’ll most likely have a pot noodle. I’ll even cook it myself.
 
DT said:
This isn't really the case at our house - my wife and I are a fully cooperative team in every aspect of our life - that includes Christmas: buying gifts, cooking, putting out decorations, planning trips.

We're like a synchronized swimmer couple ... :)
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Usually the best way. Mrs AFB and I both take care of different jobs. She does things she prefers to do as do I. She tends to do the cooking. Sometimes we do it together, but mostly she prefers to do it alone.
I tend to do the cleaning.
 
Alli said:
Well that didn’t last long. Got a call first thing this morning telling me I needed to come back early tomorrow morning for a heart cath. Yippee. I’ll keep y’all posted.
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best of luck! I think based on this info I know exactly which medications you're on.

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Kids' school closed due to COVID outbreak in both daughters' class on pooled testing. My day is totally fucked. I give up.
 
Apple fanboy said:
Usually the best way. Mrs AFB and I both take care of different jobs. She does things she prefers to do as do I. She tends to do the cooking. Sometimes we do it together, but mostly she prefers to do it alone.
I tend to do the cleaning.
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So does my wife, but when her mother is here, I am assigned kitchen duty mainly to take up space and act as a block to keep her mom out as much as possible. Her mom can make a mess of a kitchen faster than anyone I have ever met. One year after going through and dirtying most of the pots, I caught her cooking with the top of a double boiler. And the time I caught her scrambling eggs in my wife's favorite non-stick skillet with a metal whisk. :(

Speaking of scrambling eggs, I have always scrambled them in a bowl and then pour the mix into the skillet. She cracked a bunch of eggs directly into the skillet, added some milk and was scrambling them as they cooked. With the metal whisk.
 
Herdfan said:
So does my wife, but when her mother is here, I am assigned kitchen duty mainly to take up space and act as a block to keep her mom out as much as possible. Her mom can make a mess of a kitchen faster than anyone I have ever met. One year after going through and dirtying most of the pots, I caught her cooking with the top of a double boiler. And the time I caught her scrambling eggs in my wife's favorite non-stick skillet with a metal whisk. :(

Speaking of scrambling eggs, I have always scrambled them in a bowl and then pour the mix into the skillet. She cracked a bunch of eggs directly into the skillet, added some milk and was scrambling them as they cooked. With the metal whisk.
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Whisk them with a fork here in a pyrex bowl and stick them in the microwave. My usual lunchtime treat on a Saturday. Now I'm wishing it was Saturday so I could have my weekly bread allowance with those eggs. Oh well, Saturday will be here soon enough.

No outlaws left here. Leukaemia got my MOL around 15 years ago. Her Dad? Who knows! In fact the last time we had anyone in the house that wasn't a tradesperson was many years ago (and a different house!). I don't miss all the Christmas politics of who we are visiting and when. Its quite liberating to just not acknowledge it.
 
Elsehwere, earlier this evening, on MR, @Apple fanboy wrote: "I’ll raise a mug of tea to Mrs Scepticalscribe senior. Hopefully she is dancing somewhere to her favourite ABBA track."

What a lovely thing to write, and thank you; and yes, just now, (en route to switch on my own electric blanket), I stopped by her room to greet Mr Monkey, her adored, battered, bedraggled, rubbed and loved-to-bits toy - his battered, brown paw, shabby, and soft at the joints, rests gently on her glasses - who still sits on the windowsill of my mother's room, a silent and loving sentry: And I smile when I see him and recall how much comfort he gave my mother, and how much he was loved by her.

Herdfan said:
So does my wife, but when her mother is here, I am assigned kitchen duty mainly to take up space and act as a block to keep her mom out as much as possible. Her mom can make a mess of a kitchen faster than anyone I have ever met. One year after going through and dirtying most of the pots, I caught her cooking with the top of a double boiler. And the time I caught her scrambling eggs in my wife's favorite non-stick skillet with a metal whisk. :(

Speaking of scrambling eggs, I have always scrambled them in a bowl and then pour the mix into the skillet. She cracked a bunch of eggs directly into the skillet, added some milk and was scrambling them as they cooked. With the metal whisk.
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Quelle horreur.

Bowl and whisk, always, and yes, then pour the mix into the skillet (sauté pan).
 
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Just been on the phone for the best part of an hour with another friend, who was also going through his "list" of people to phone before Christmas, when he phoned me; no complaints, but it meant that the time I switch on my electric blanket was somewhat delayed.

He and I studied Russian together, years ago, and I always liked his family, whom I know pretty well.
 
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