We seem to have entered a period of clouds, rain and wind, which shouldn't be a surprise for England in December. I took the tube to and from work yesterday because the weather was just too bad to walk. Plus I am tired.
I feel like I have a zillion things to think about. Dave and I have been asked to cook the Christmas dinner for ten people at the house we're visiting for the holidays, and I am trying to think of this as an honor rather than a curse. (To be fair, when the hosts proposed it, they said we could choose another meal to cook if we'd like -- but who's going to say no to the hosts?)
Plus I still have to get gifts for my nephew and stepmother. Plus I have to order dog food. Plus the Christmas lights on the tree just blew out when I plugged them in, and I had to spend 15 minutes replacing tiny little bulbs until I found the one that was bad. Plus, plus, plus.
I guess this is just regular holiday angst. So much for our simple Christmas, right?
I am trying to remember my Zen training: breathe and be mindful. I am trying to move more slowly, and not dwell on the annoying jostling of the crowds on the tube. I am trying not to worry about my father or think about how I'm going to balance my time with everyone in Florida or how I'm going to ship my coffee table back to England. (Long story!) I am trying not to be whiny. I am trying to live in the moment.
(Photo: Olga bait, outside a church in Notting Hill.)
11 comments:
I am trying to be mindful here and not wonder what the hey those hosts were thinking when they asked their guests to prepare Christmas dinner!
Really? Who invites you over and then asks you to cook the dinner? Is this a trend? I need to jump on it.
One step at a time, dear Steve. This really is the season of madness.
I am in the same place as you are, plus, plus, plus. Mostly forms and paperwork and institutional things to remember, like paying spring semester tuition and filing endless paperwork for my aunt. i am so tired. i am doing a lot of smiling and pretending which is not the same thing as being mindful. What would your hosts do if something unavoidable came up you and dave couldn't make it?
Yours is the type of Christmas I usually have but, for some unknown reason, I am at peace this year. I think it's got something to do with age...at 60+, I just don't care. Let the pieces, events, dinners, etc. fall where they may. It's been a very tough year, I am tired, and I'm so looking forward to 2014!!!
Please.
Have a wondeful Christmas with your family and friends in Florida. I hope those "pluses"don't keep piling up.
Yeah, the season is all about fretting. Of course you will prevail, but oy vey.
My heart is with you.
I've started my annual fretting about how to visit everyone when we go to NC next week. And my brother & I are even now texting back & forth trying to decide what to get our father for Christmas. I don't suppose YOU have any ideas? :)
'Tis the season for plus, plus, plus. Just take one thing at a time. It just seems that sometimes things, be they little or big, just add up.
So, where are you going for Christmas dinner and what have you decided to cook for your hosts?
Elizabeth: I know, right?! (You will notice I toned down the wording of my post a bit since you commented on it. :) )
Ms Moon: I hope it's not a trend. Madness indeed.
Angella: I'm sorry you have so much on your plate as well! I wouldn't want to back out of Christmas. I still want to go, and Dave DOES enjoy the cooking, so for him it's not quite as much of a curse as it is for me.
Helene: I'm glad you're having a relatively calm Christmas! Hopefully 2014 will be better.
Nancy: Thanks, and I hope your holidays are great too. :)
Reya: Thanks. I think my fretting has subsided a bit, at least for now. :)
Bug: Fathers are notoriously hard to shop for. Why is that?!
Lynne: You're absolutely right. It IS a matter of one thing at a time. It's only overwhelming if you think of it all in totality. We're going up to Norfolk, and Dave is thinking of going the traditional route for dinner -- turkey, stuffing, that kind of thing.
As a father I don't want anything for Christmas. I'm not sure when that happened or what it means but I really just want a quiet place to sit down.
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