I've always loved Christmas. Decorating the house and buying presents always lifts my spirits.

But the whole Covid thing has put a damper on everything. Enough already. :(

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1671184444.jpg
View from patio.

We love it. Daughter 40 3 kids 12, 9, and 5 who live in Colorado on a mountain where it’s 15 right now looking forward to going to the beach Sunday. Our son and his wife are already here. My wife has had 2 Christmas trees up since Thanksgiving weekend. She collects the ceramic lighted village houses and has probably 20 scatared around the house in various configurations. Orient Express train out and under one of the trees first time in 5 years our daughter and kids have been with us on Christmas. I think we have over 10,000 lights on Palm clumps around the house. Already thinking of ways to improve them next year. We need a bucket truck.

We actually get the blues when we take it alll down. The guy across the street is Clark Griswald so we aren’t over the top in our neighborhood. Going to the botanical gardens Sunday night where I think there are over 2 million lights. We aren’t that big on presents other than for the grandkids. We all still like driving around looking at some over the top light displays . All 4 of our parent have passed in the last 2 years and we inherited some amazing antique old school decorations from them so they are in the mix now.

My wife has become a social bug since we’ve moved down here and enjoys going to all her buddies Christmas parties at different country clubs. I think there are over 40 here in Naples alone. That doesn’t really trip my trigger but if she likes it good for her. Anyway Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone.

I have a 6 and an 8 year old.
Buying presents for them this year is the best Xmas season I have ever had.
Even better than when I was getting presents.

Sorry some of you are going through difficult times..

Like anything else you get out of it with what you put into it . This time of year is all about reinforcing a bond with family and friends . Don't take it for granted as life is short .

I have no problem with the holiday and doing some cool decorative stuff...but this year I feel like I've been at war and just don't have the energy.

Worn out.

In fact, I'm thinking we should just do Chinese take-out for Christmas dinner this year.

To clarify - it will just be Mom and I - no one else. I did the whole nine yards for Thanksgiving so I feel like I deserve a holiday off, kinda....

That is a very big part of the problem. My mother and sister passed at Xmas last year and Valentine's this year. My brother is dead to me because he broke my mom's heart and did not come back for their funeral. No other family here. Gf decides to go to Korea for 3 months and won't be back until after the new year...

I'm sorry that Christmas and December has been ruined for you. That sucks. I love getting stuff, but the best part of Christmas is giving stuff. I enjoy buying stuff for my mom, wife, kids, and especially grandkids.

Oh man sorry for your losses. Maybe spend some time at a VA hospital visiting the vets or helping out at a free food kitchen? It's not family but it's connecting to others and might could make you feel better.

as the poem states: "Love doesn’t die, People do. So, when all that’s left of me Is love, Give me away."

When I die Give what’s left of me away
To children And old men that wait to die.
And if you need to cry, Cry for your brother Walking the street beside you.
And when you need me, Put your arms Around anyone And give them What you need to give to me.
I want to leave you something, Something better Than words Or sounds.
Look for me In the people I’ve known Or loved,
And if you cannot give me away,
At least let me live on in your eyes
And not on your mind.
You can love me most
By letting Hands touch hands,
By letting Bodies touch bodies,
And by letting go Of children That need to be free.
Love doesn’t die, People do. So, when all that’s left of me Is love, Give me away.
I’ll see you at home In the earth.

I’ve gone from going to grandpa’s to being grandpa. It’s been a long transition that hasn’t been stressful. I still love the Christmas season. My kids and my grandkids are wonderful.

Merry Christmas 🎄

Christmas has always been my happy time. Getting gifts was cool and I liked it but I always get more joy out of giving gifts. I always try to come up with something unusual, usually something useful that I crafted. I love it when I see things that I made for my kids that they still use. It has always been about family. This year it will only be my wife and son that will be here as my daughter is spending Christmas with her in-laws in Indiana. But, some time on Christmas day my two brothers usually call and I always look forward to that. My wife gets caught up with her brothers as well. I splurge on sweets like I was a little kid. The only time of year that I bake sugar cookies and ice them. The lights, the decorations....it all just makes me feel great.

Yeah, my Dad passed away last February so this is the first Christmas without him, just not feeling the spirit at the moment.

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My wife calls me Scrooge. She goes all out with decorating the house inside. This year we have two train tracks running around our tree, all with Christmas cars which we've collected over the years. It has been fun collecting them this past couple years. I've come to appreciate the chance to do it since my bypass surgery. Today I washed the front window in the living room since she'd commented on how bad it looked after the rain we recently had. Doing the little things for her has been one way I can show her how much I love her. I can't wait for the twins to see the trains run. That will happen tomorrow.

I haven't had a Christmas tree since about 1990. Actually a friend bought a small tabletop one about 10 years ago that I left in the kitchen. The BIG reason for no tree was the 20lb cat my sister had and left with me. She found him in a trash can as a kitten. He was probably a day old and I raised him. His first feeding was with an eye dropper. Who would have thought that little thing would be 20lbs of muscle!

That is aweaome, what size are the trains?
I'm sure the little ones will get a thrill out of those for sure.

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Since the daughter moved out Cindy & I tend to ignore the holidays. Christmas was really about the young ones. Really, it should be more about whose birthday it is and less about gifts...

Just got home from the "Company Christmas Party". It was at a nice restaurant in Old Pasadena. Great food (I had the braised lamb shank) and Wife had the Salmon.

You know, I'm very blessed. But there were times things weren't so great. I remember those times and have tried to make things better for others. I used to help in gathering together some dry goods (Pasta meals, rice, cereals, etc) cleaning and laundry supplies along with some jigsaw puzzles and games for the kids.

We'd put everything in a laundry hamper and give it to the families and the gratitude that they would feel was something I will never forget. Always stays with me as some of my favorite memories of Christmas.

It's time to start again. Times are always tough. Find someone who needs a bit of a "Leg Up". My family did at one time. It will bring back that Christmas Spirit and fill your heart.

Christmas is a two sided deal, it brings out memories of loved ones gone and for some there is a realization this could be there last Xmas.
The joy of better times tempered by the old age sleigh ride over ice.
Each year, I cook my Goose, make gravy and potatoes with a side of red cabbage and pig out to feel better.

The wife and I LOVE Christmas. We celebrate the birth of Jesus. We also love the traditions and memories of years gone by. Decorations all over the house: big tree with lights and ornaments, outdoor decorations on the mailbox & light post & porch, mantle and tables decorated, cards from prior years hung up on door frames, special items that come from our first years together and when our daughter was little. The list goes on and on. Christmas music from 20-50 years ago. I custom create a Christmas card each year to send to family and friends. It takes a week or two to get it all done and we enjoy it.

That said, some years the feelings don't kick in right away so we go by faith. This year was a slow start. The weather turned cold at the end of the week and today is my first day of 17 days vacation and I'm getting in the Christmas spirit.

I concur with the OP. Dread the holiday season and suffering in a deep depression right now

One reason for me wishing to flip the calendar....is that December is the darkest, cloudiest month of the year here. Lake Michigan, being warmer than the air, makes snow and clouds until it cools off.

Jan and Feb, typically have much more sunny days.