HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

2 weeks til Christmas

Support Forums
>
Chronic Pain
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/12/2014 10:54 AM (GMT 0)
How is everyone faring?? Shopping and decorating done? Anyone going out of town? Be sure to keep your meds safe if you are. Any bakers or candy makers in our midst?? Needing some new idea's on Christmas candy or cake's getting tired of the same old stuff. Any traditions you would like to share and how many Santa's to small children do we have that will be putting together toys Christmas eve? Do you wrap Santa presents or not?

In years past we've had fun hearing how others celebrate and survive the Holiday so once again I thought it would be interesting to see!!
Posted 12/12/2014 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
My stay-cation starts December 23rd at 4PM and I go back to work January 2nd.

Decorating has been done since Thanksgiving, I take everything down on December 26th, you'll never know there was anything even up the day after Christmas. Since our stuff goes up early, it comes down early.

Been more excited about the Holiday's this year than previous. Think I figured out how to manage my pain better.

Meds I keep in a safe and only my wife and I have the key.
Posted 12/12/2014 3:20 PM (GMT 0)
No tree up this year and will get my cards out on Saturday. I know you don 't mean anything with this but I really hate the reminders of time as there is so much to do...the cold nights are hurting and I was up all night last night except for the 1/2 hour of sleep I gof, so very sorry to be grumpy...
Sorry...
Posted 12/12/2014 11:51 PM (GMT 0)
Well I have had my decorations up, and I made all my cookie dough the other day, today was baking day, so far today I have baked 184 Cherry Twinkles and 292 Snowballs, am going to bake the Sandbakkelse's tonight. They are a pain because you have to press the cookie dough into the individual tins to bake them, then if you did it right when there baked they will just fall out of the tins when they are cooled. Also got all my Christmas cards finished up this morning, ( I thought I had them all done earlier but found I missed a few people.) Anyway tomorrow morning I will mail the cards and make my Pecan Brittle, then clean house on Sunday and get ready for my surgery on Monday. Haven't gotten Everything done that I wanted to get done but most of it. Talked to the surgeon about going to my sisters for Christmas Day as it will only be ten days post op and staples will still be in. He was not keen on me leaving the house, until 24 hours after the staples are taken out. Heck she only lives a mile or two away, but he said he doesn't like his patients to be around allot of people for at least two weeks after the surgery. We will see! Allot will depend on how I feel I guess.

Normally a family tradition that I have carried forth from when I was little growing up, is having steaks by candle light Christmas Eve. With all the all the lights turned off except the Christmas lights and the Candles on the table. Usually it is steak cooked out on the grill with saute'ed mushrooms and onions with a baked potato and a toss salad. When I was a kid it was always T-Bone steaks, but for the last 25 years I have changed it to boneless rib-eye steaks ( nice and big and thick!)., and a few more sautéed mushrooms and onions with it! Ha

White Beard
Posted 12/13/2014 9:33 AM (GMT 0)
no tree, no decorations. handed and sent a few happy commercialism day cards.

for those enjoying the festivities for cultural and religious reasons, may your day be blessed.

for everyone else,
merry commercialism day.
Posted 12/13/2014 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
I don't have the decorations any more, or the ability to put them up. But, that's fine. It seems like it is easier to focus on the true meaning of Christmas without all the distractions. I have a new baby granddaughter and that makes this Christmas extra special for me.
Posted 12/13/2014 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hope we all, like jpjr50, figure out how to manage our pain better to enjoy each of our days!

White Beard, your Christmas Eve tradition sounds great! I wonder if you will be grilling that steak this year? I hope after your surgery you are given an ICE MAN-forgot to mention this earlier but it wraps around your knee and delivers icy coldness to your whole knee when it's plugged in. You do have to put the ice in but it covers a bigger area than any of my ice packs and feels great! Wishing all the best for you in your surgery and for Christmas too!

We have a tradition of attending the Santa Escort on Dec 23 in a nearby community. The police and firefighters escort Santa, who rides on the back of the fire truck, all over their community with several scheduled stops to talk and take pictures with children. It's always a fun evening.

I don't really enjoy decorating but a granddaughter does, so it's all done. I also don't enjoy shopping, but so far no one has taken care of that. I do enjoy the Christmas programs at church and school. I've been to 3 this week.

Enjoy all the festivities and remember Jesus is the reason for the season.
Posted 12/14/2014 3:43 AM (GMT 0)
WhiteBeard, those cookies sound good, I will make some on Christmas eve as it is usually cold on that day for us. Only plan to make chocolate chip cookies...
Plus my daughter will be home and hopefully helpful...
Totally did not get the Christmas Cards out yet, darn it.
I do like Christmas its just I'm having so much to do...
Many well wishes...
Posted 12/14/2014 6:44 AM (GMT 0)
WB it's not too late to mail a few tins of those cookies on your way to the surgery center!! Lol
Sounds wonderful and I'm with you about Xmas eve dinner and its a nice filet for me! Then off to the beach for Christmas Eve service.
Posted 12/14/2014 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
I gave up celebrating Christmas a long time ago, even before I got sick, because the pressure and effort just wasn't fun. It's not really fair to take advantage of others' efforts, but I really do enjoy and appreciate seeing all the work that others put in, with beautiful lit-up decorations and daytime decorations too.

My wife and I managed a trip to Washington D.C., fitting it around train schedules, doctors appointments and my pain, not even thinking that it would be all festive for Christmas, but it was wonderful to see the hotel, the station and everything decorated.

We usually don't do the Christmas card thing, but we gave cards to the conductors who had found me a free roomette to lie down in on a previous trip this summer when I took a turn for the worse. You can tip car attendants who also helped, which we did, but you can't tip conductors, so Christmas cards and our continued expression of thanks were the best we could do.
Posted 12/15/2014 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
oh man we bought a small kids trampoline for my niece. Warning-if it states "two adult assembly required" just don't buy it! lol I got it done, bum arms and all and pray it actually will hold her up and jump!
Posted 12/15/2014 4:05 AM (GMT 0)
Only a few of my kids felt like decorating this year. My son and daughterinlaw lost dad and mom respectively as well as my dad. I live with them so respect their grief at not decorating. We visited my daughters in Texas last week and decorated their homes with them, fed the homeless downtown in fortworth pizza for lunch one day. That by far is the highlight of our season as well as celebrating my granddaughters second year on earth us. We've baked and I've made and decorated gingerbread houses with four out of six grandchildren, I still have my two year old grandson and twenty year old Grandaughter to do this with. One of our favorite traditions has been to bake gingerbread stars and sandie moons to hand out to neighbors our postman etc. Attached to them is the scripture verse that states God hung the moon and stars in the sky, and Isaiah 9:6. I love the idea of having a candlelight dinner with only Christmas lights on and Christmas music playing. I plan to begin that tradition this year!

Happy and blessed season to all

Cheri
Posted 12/15/2014 7:04 AM (GMT 0)
Oh I forgot to mention the other Christmas tradition that I have carried forth from my family while growing up. Everyone including the dog and or cat wakes up Christmas morning and finds a stocking for them filled during the night by Odd Saint Nick! LOL When I was in the Air Force stationed overseas we often had family come and visit a spend time with us over Christmas and no matter who they were Santa filled a stocking for them! Not just candy and stuff every stocking had to have at least one toy (wire puzzle coloring book or something) and also something musical ( a whistle or harmonic or something) Good stuff was a must! The ladies and girls got something feminine,. good perfume and nice kitchen utensils, make up, scarfs, gloves, ladies magazine, that type of stuff! The men and boys got tools ,combs, razor, magazine or what ever! All the stockings were always over flowing, mine not so much, smile at least until my daughters got older and started secretly helping Santa fill stocking without him knowing it! Then my stocking was over flowing too! LOL

Well I just finished thoroughly cleaning my house and right now it is close to two AM (I figure tomorrow and the many days afterward I will have plenty of time to catch up on my sleep!) At least when I come home it will be to a clean house with every thing done! Right now though I'm going to try and get a little sleep will get up early and pack what I need for my hospital stay. (they told me to bring my PAP machine and mask) and what ever else I may need!

Anyway will write again when I can.

White Beard

Post Edited (White Beard) : 12/15/2014 12:22:03 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/15/2014 8:59 AM (GMT 0)
This is awesome! I love reading what everyone does to celebrate. As the days get closer my grandaughter gets more excited and I love seeing her anticipation however this is probably her last season to think that Santa brings all the stuff. She's at that doubtful age between 8--9 when other kids find pleasure in assuring her they know a secret!! I recall Christmas just was never the same after that. I remember when my teen went through this stage and asked a lot of questions and I myself tipped her off without thinking she told me later. She said she just knew one year because Santa and Mom had the same wrapping paper and gift tags!?? Oops

My oldest daughter and I made candy yesterday and I did a little more shopping that I needed to do. My teen finished her shopping and asked for help wrapping but somehow disappeared the whole time.

My prayers are with you WB and let us know how you are when you can.
Posted 12/15/2014 8:02 PM (GMT 0)
Vickie, this will be the last year I am sure for my 9 yr old grandson to believe. Last year some kids at school told him there was no Santa & he came home asking questions. Thank goodness his mom handled it like she did. She just asked him, what do you want to believe, he said I want to believe there is a Santa. She told him if that is what you want to believe that is all that matters.

I plan to make cheese logs & candy this week. We will also be making iced sugar cookies, its a yearly thing we do. Nearly finished with the shopping.
Posted 12/16/2014 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
WB, If I wasn't getting it done on the 19th, I'd have you grill a great steak and puree it and mush in some cookie dough for heck of it.
All, Merry Christmas, Hanukkah, and the rest. Hope your day is peaceful and full of life !! joe
Posted 12/16/2014 5:32 AM (GMT 0)
I am just totally in awe of WB's upbeat spirit prior to surgery today.  I pray that everything went well for him and that he has a speedy recovery.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE reading about his baking and candy making, shopping, wrapping, mailing, and OCD cleaning of his house.  Wow, I could certainly benefit from a infusion of his positive energy.

Instead, I'm just DRAGGING my feet toward Christmas, hopeful I will get some "magical mood elevator" that will return me to my DRIVEN OVER-ACHIEVER ghost self of Christmas past.  I'm not getting the relief I'd hoped for by enrolling in PM.  Both my pain levels AND my moods are all over the place.  I've always been a master of disguising both the pain and the rage, but sadly I'm mad at the world.

I can't do this to  my husband.. He deserves the Christmas Holidays that he loves.  I will prevail over the pain and depression and hopelessness, as always, to go through the motions of the "most wonderful time of the year".  Our tree is decorated, as our wreaths are hung across the font 6 windows of the exterior of the house.  We have our wooden deer sillouettes in the back of our property with spotlights, then lights are strung throughout the trees.  It all LOOKS festive, but I just don't feel any of it this year.  I know that Jesus is the reason for this season, and I pray to him for the personal strength it will take to bring my family (siblings) together. Otherwise my husband an I will be alone like we were for Thanksgiving. 

I still have all of my baking and candy making to do.  We LOVE sausage balls, and make an 8 lb. sausage/6 lb. cheese ratio w/huge box of Bisquik.  Thank heavens for my husband, as he's the cheese grater, and dough maker.  Then we both roll and bake, and roll and bake, and...We also make Italian Liar cookies which are basically dough with butter, cream cheese, flour, sugar, pecans.  After baking, you toss the while warm into powdered sugar.  They're called Liar cookies because you can't lie about the fact that you've eaten them w/powdered sugar all over you.  We usually make Toffee, dipped pretzels, etc.  For the past 2 years we've skipped the pretzels and opted for tossing seasoned Chex Mix and a can of mixed nuts in melted white almond bark.  When it cools, break into chunks.  It satisfies that sweet/salty craving more easily than pretzel dipping.  We have a praline crunch that is scrumptious like pecan pie candy.  It's made with Quaker Oat Cereal, boiled Karo and sugar, then tossed w/lots of pecans before baking until crunchy.  It's TO DIE for...addictive, even=)  We bake our Splenda treats separately for the residents at my mom's nursing home.  Most are diabetic, so we make packages of Peanut Butter cookies sugar substitute for them.

Gotta get to bed.  Today's been crazy busy.  Tomorrow promises to be even more so.  I just wish I weren't haunted by sadness, loneliness and heartbreak.

~~Dixie 

Posted 12/18/2014 2:23 AM (GMT 0)
I am kind of skipping Christmas this year. Normally I celebrate on Christmas Eve with my family. I'm not going this year. After losing my parents this spring/summer the holidays is causing my depression and anxiety to go out of whack. I just can't deal with it. So I think my husband and I are just going to go to his parents on Christmas Eve. Normally we celebrate Christmas Day with his family but he has to work so I will still go over on Christmas Day and hang out so I'm not alone. I just can't be with my family this year. My therapist agrees with me that it's just to much for me right now and suggested maybe my husband and I try to go away for a night or two so we might try to go away the weekend after Christmas. That will give me something else to focus on through the holidays.
Posted 12/18/2014 6:17 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Sweetie...Again, I'm so sorry for your loss of both parents within such a brief amount of time.  I truly don't know how it is that you are still standing and coherent.  That sorrow is too much for one to bear.  Please feel my cyber hugs.  Their passing is still too raw for you to begin to heal.  Does your surviving family not provide love and support to help you through the holidays?  If I remember correctly, your siblings are similar to mine...emotionally distant for the most part.  If you feel more comfortable with in-laws, by all means, DO WHAT YOU need to for your own sanity.

My husband and I will be alone, because my family is emotionally constipated and divisive.  I'm really tired of begging.  They refuse to even come to my mom's Christmas party at her NH.  I'm attending that with her on the 22nd. We will spend Christmas here with our Dalmatians.  We plan to cook all sorts of goodies, listen to Christmas music, sit by the fire eating those goodies, and watch Christmas movies=)  We're considering traveling 5 hours away to spend New Years with my sister's family.  My BIL irritates me more than my SHINGLES, so we may cancel that torture trip=)

Baby Doll...Christmas makes me feel even more depressed, as does Thanksgiving.  My dad died in 2001, within a week of 9/11.  My mom has been in the NH since 2005.  She is a major stressor. She was never really a MOTHER...She simply gave birth to 6 children.  She then proceeded throughout our lives, to make us all wish we were never born.  So I don't have warm and fuzzy feelings there.  I've done everything humanly possible to bring my siblings and their families together at our home for holidays.  We even remodeled and blew out walls to create common space for a crowd.  Our kitchen is equipped for multiple cooks.  However, I'm the only one who cooks like my mom always did.  I don't cut corners...My husband and I "go all out".  No one wants unity.  I have to accept it, finally.

Try to pick some things to do that lift your spirits.  My email is always open.  I'll leave a candle in the window=)

Hugs~~Dixie

Posted 12/18/2014 8:03 AM (GMT 0)
I only talked to one of my brothers and my sister about me not going to Christmas Eve. My brother understands. My sister apparently doesn't and tried to quilt trip me, trying to say my parents would be heartbroken if we all weren't together. We got into an argument and I told her our parents would prefer I didn't do anything that jeopardized my mental health. Eventually I must have won cause she shut up.
Posted 12/18/2014 12:18 PM (GMT 0)
1 week to go and happy commercialism day will be over!!
Posted 12/18/2014 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
Glad this forum isn't my last resort for hope. Really appreciate no answers to my emails or replies...I give up here.
Posted 12/19/2014 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
Cherie, I don't understand why you are copping such an attitude about this forum. The above post of yours is the first time we have heard from you since last month. From reading your prior posts many people have always supported you, therefore, you can take the rude attitude elsewhere as it is very undeserving to the members of this forum.
Posted 12/19/2014 8:23 AM (GMT 0)
Susie is right and I'm either missing something or your having a bad day. What emails are you talking about about and what replies? I looked at your above post and see nothing that needed a reply to. You seemed fine up there and in the holiday spirit and then this nasty post? You have an issue with someone try coming to one of us versus posting your attitude on a holiday thread.
Posted 12/19/2014 8:43 AM (GMT 0)
Back to the thread here. Less then a week to go and I've been stuck home waiting for fed-ex, ups and the mail truck bearing boxes from home and between all of my kids and their extended families from out of state it's been many delivered. Still two set for Monday.

My grandaughters are now officially out of school for Christmas break that means babysitting until Xmas eve when my daughter gets off. If she doesn't get sick since her boss came to work Monday and Tuesday sick with a fever he forgot to mention. He has some very irritated office girls!! We could all be sick for the holiday's. I hate when ppl don't stay home sick. He's the Dean of the aeronautical school here and my daughters his assistant so it's not like he couldn't take off!!

The kids are getting excited and their anticipation is showing in their energy which I wish I could draw off of!! I'm done with all my shopping and have a few baking projects to do, my steaks are in the freezer, thanks to WB going to do something different this year.

Thinking I made it through another CP year and wondering what all changes are in store for us in the coming New Year.

Hoping everyone has a wonderful week as we slide into this our last few days of before Christmas.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply