It’s Christmas Eve. The day before the most anticipated day of the year for many of us. December 25th, known more commonly as Family Fight Day. The day family gathers together to exchange gifts, good wishes and karate kicks.
Everything always starts warm and fuzzy then out of the blue Uncle Bob is wielding a cheese knife, the kids are crying and Auntie Barbara is hiding behind the curtains with a bottle of Sambuca blubbering about how nobody loves her.
Getting through Christmas Day can be hard on people. Whether it’s the family fights, the travelling from home to home or spending it with the inlaws, or the being alone, Christmas Day can be exhausting.
So. I’m here to not so gently remind you that you need to relax. Even if you just pick one day. Here is my official not so gentle reminder. “HEY. STUPID! RELAX!”. It’s directed towards myself too so don’t feel you’re the only stupid one.
Christmas is my favourite time of the year but it’s also the most tiring and also the most stressful. Even WITH the Christmas Pledge. So I always make a point of taking time off after Christmas and using that time to relax. Something I’m not all that good at.
Every year I like to tell you what I plan to do with my time off so here you go.
Read.
Finally hang curtain panels in my office.
Light the fireplace in the morning and not leave the couch other than to eat.
Spend at LEAST one day where I don’t turn on the television or computer. Probably a few days actually.
Cook, cook, cook.
Depending on the weather, a sleigh ride is in the plans.
Start a petition to stop people from using the word “convo” instead of conversation.
Go for a run. Or two. Or lay on the couch.
Do some work on my book proposal.
Work on developing the redesign of The Art of Doing Stuff.
Expand petition to ban the shortening of all words.
Knit.
Nap.
Nibble.
I look forward to this week off all year and even though I will be doing some work I’ll also have plenty of time to sprawl out and not wash my hair. Which let’s face it. Is really what the holidays are all about.
But before all that happens I have to get ready for my annual Christmas Eve party. Stack some wood inside the house, get the hot buttered rum ready and lock up the cheese knives.
Have a great Christmas Day and thank you all sincerely for reading and sharing The Art of Doing Stuff.
I will see you in the New Year.
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I read a fascinating piece on Xmas that may be surprising to some. Here is just one link :
http://www.cresourcei.org/symbols/xmasorigin.html
Thanks Debbie for putting that link on here. I had read it before and forgot where it was. I am not a Christian and it has never bothered me to use the Xmas abbreviation. And I did know the history of it. If it were better known I don’t think people would mind it as much. Thanks again and Merry Xmas to you and yours. Blessed Yule and blessed be, hugs!!! Pam
Pam, thank you so much for your note. I am also not Christian, though feel there is a kindred thread of spirituality that ties together all who believe there is a entity greater than themselves (I call that entity G-d). May we all be blessed. xxxoooDebbie
As several religions celebrate very different holidays this time of year, if I know which holiday someone celebrates , I will use that holiday name. If I don’t know or am unsure, I would rather say Happy Holidays or Have a Wonderful Holiday Season, than say nothing. Good wishes are good wishes and I feel they should always be appreciated. If someone uses the wrong holiday in speaking to me, I say thank you and that I hope your holiday is wonderful, too! And to all, A Very Happy New Year.
Dear Karen
All the very best to you and yours for a very Merry and Blessed Christmas. May your New Year be filled with hope and health. Enjoy your family to the fullest.
Cheers
Maggie
Hiya Karen!!! I don’t comment much, but love you and the blog, and the chickens and the Stuff and all of it, lol. Thanks so much for being here and being you. Blessed Yule to you and yours this season. Be safe and have a wonderous break. Blessed be, hugs!!! Pam
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Karen! Thanks for all the great posts this year!
I’m the grandmother here, so I get to say, “If you want to fight, take it outside. In the back yard, not the front — my neighbors think we’re a nice, normal family.” Of course, it’s too cold to go outside just to have a political pissing match, so there is nothing but Peace and Love and Good Wishes within my home on Christmas Day.
I wish for you much Peace and Love and Good Wishes for the upcoming year. Enjoy the fire and a good book and eat all you want of whatever you like. I look forward to getting a little glimpse of whatever suits you when you come back rested and ready to roll.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
A sleigh ride! Please share photos. Pleeeease!
Merry Christmas up North! Wow, you are so much closer to Santa.
Hmmm. Don’t website design and book proposals fall under the category of work and require the use of the banned computer?
Have a merry one, Karen and fellow followers.
I have greatly enjoyed your blog since discovering it a few months ago.
I wish you good health,a Merry Christmas and a Preposterous New Year.
add to your petition the words literally, staycation and copasetic (my Mother uses that word all of the time and it drives me crazy). Totally agree regarding eliminating shortened words like convo, camo etc. Don’t get me started on too oft repeated phrases like “have a nice one” -a nice what? Another phrase is “how is your day going?”. Clerks just say this automatically and don’t listen to the reply. I’d better go have another cookie…..
Merry Christmas and happy time off!
Will miss ya girl..Hugs..Merry Xmas…just kidding..Merry Christmas to Karen, Aunt Jean, Betty, Pink Tool Belt, Fish Pedicure, Ernie and Cleo…Thanks for sharing your lives and adventures with us!
From a fellow Canuck, on the west coast, have a wonderful Christmas. Definitely no snow here. And to your petition, since when did ‘invite’ the verb become ‘invite’ the noun in place of invitation. Drives me bonkers to hear someone say “I just received an invite in the mail to the party”. It’s and invitation! people.
Merry holidays to you, too! The book deal? That is so exciting! Somehow I can’t imagine you without your computer, even for a week. Good luck with your own challenge! RELAX! Lol
merry Christmas karen…all the very best to you!
Thanks Marilyn! Hope you had a great Christmas too. ~ karen!
Not leaving the couch except to eat…sounds glorious. Merry Christmas!
happy new year!
Merry Christmas Karen! Would love to see photos of the horses and fancy sleigh as you sleigh ride, sounds like lots of fun.
Thank you for all the great tips and treats you shared with us this year. I made the hot buttered rum recipe and LOVE IT!
Get your rest. We’ll be here when you return. May love and peace fill your heart in 2015.
Let me know when you have the petition up and running – I will so sign that! Hope you had a lovely Christmas and enjoy the break.
Then there’s “yous”? As in ‘Hope *yous* all have a nice Christmas’ . There are two people I know who USE this term. The one day one of them commented on something and I found out it is spelled ‘use’. sigh….
Merry Christmas. Hope there was no blood shed. (p.s. the diorama and the leather book cover were a hit – thank you!)
Have fun
Merry Christmas- I was so a couch potato on Dec 26th, I just read your post from Christmas Eve!!! So I did the knitting and catching up on Netflix! Yahoo!! It was great!!! Now- back to work 🙁
I would like to add the “word” sanny to the list. It’s a sandwich people!
Happy New Year…party on Wayne!
My holiday “wish & relax” list (I took the last 2 weeks off from work yay!):
Catch up on sleep and lots of naps!
Walk every day (in the daylight no less)
Finish shopping & wrapping
Xmas with the cousins
Hang out with friends, maybe even tie one on!
Do some projects
Read, read, read!
Hit a couple of movies
Get haircut, mani and pedi
Clean (never ending job)
Work on computer
What ACTUALLY happened: I got SICK. 3 days before Christmas. It’s now New Years Eve and what HAVE i accomplished from my list? No. 1 – SLEEP. Like…A LOT. 🙁 Nothing else has been done, I’ve been so knocked sideways.
But Merry Christmas Karen (belatedly). Hope YOU stayed healthy, and I hope your 2015 is filled with more success, wackiness and family infighting than ever! 🙂
I did about as well as you. (I didn’t get sick was just my regular, hyperactive self) But there are still a few days left and I’m hopeful I can take full relaxation advantage of them. Happy New Year! ~ karen
My family followed the traditional Christmas ritual you mentioned; the family fight! I believe some people won’t be speaking to each other for a year! Ah well, nice to know that other families share in this time-honored tradition – thanks for sharing your wisdom! 🙂