but I recently found a really funny video by robert earl keen called “merry christmas from the family”. do the official vid.,it adds to the tune.
he’s written other good stuff,btw
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Hahahah, Feliz Navidad! Now I just need to see A Christmas Story and some version of Dickens Christmas Carol to feel festive.
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lol…mostly catch myself before using “DUDE!!”
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Oh I say that, “Duuuuude…”
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I’m not a “holiday” girl.
20 years working in retail will do that to you!
When they start playing Christmas music the day after Halloween, I wanna scream.
Also, I avoid TV through most of December because the commercials are so irritating.
Bah humbug! 
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So I shouldn’t wish you guys a Merry Christmas/happy holidays 
?
I worked retail for years, although it was my family’s business, and we didn’t play Holiday music till after Thanksgiving (we followed dad’s rules!), but it didn’t dampen my joy regarding the season. My father LOVED Christmas, and he passed when I was a teen, so I have good memories of the holidays. But then Christmas is much more than a holiday for me.
And I’m sitting at home today because the ice rink equipment stopped working and we have no ice. How’s that for holiday spirit, little kids can’t come have fun on their break.
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Maybe it’s working in grocery stores that ruined it for me.
People get really freaked out, and intense at this time of year. Expensive gifts, food, decorations, lots of money spent, etc.
And the car dealerships want you to buy a car and go into debt for Christmas! Crazy!
The pressure to create a fabulous holiday for the family is overwhelming, I think.
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Yeah, I hear you there, it’s really a shame. Fortunately well before she passed, we broke my mom of the habit of worrying about a big dinner. So we (my side, fortunately my husband’s side also is laid back) continue to all celebrate Christmas Eve at my house, and we just order in pizza! Don’t have to worry about dishes, cooking; just our time together. We’ve lost quite a few family members, so the time we have together is precious.
And now I really need to go do something productive around the house…
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We’ve gotten less “Christmasy -
” over the years with the loss of family members etc. I was a neurotic baker and decorator years ago; that has subsided, however I LOVE traditional/classical Christmas music and have been playing it since the day after Thanksgiving. I’m also gifting turquoise jewelry to my sisters and am slowly converting them (ha!).
Hope everyone has an enjoyable Christmas, and let’s all hope for a wonderful, enjoyable and peaceful new year (nothing wrong with hoping!)
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MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE! 
We have slowed down too. No more big dinners with all the trimmings. The grandchildren are now old enough to want Christmas at home and my Dad is 92 (limited amount of chaos and confusion) so we have started doing our get together about 2-3pm with a spread of hor d’oeuvres/ finger food. That way we get time together and each family gets to start their own Christmas morning traditions. Thats 12-13 adults and 10 children from 16 down to 1. 
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I hear you all! My husband and I are recently retired, no kids, our parents have all passed away now, and the few remaining relatives are far distant. Christmas used to be so much more elaborate when others were involved, but these days it’s just the two of us. However, my English-born husband has developed a taste for North American-style Christmas food, so there are still some expectations! So I just buy a pre-stuffed turkey roll and prepare the other things in advance where I can. These days our domestic observances have shrunk to a small, hyper-decorated Christmas tree, a handful of presents (no more than will fit in a stocking), and plenty of food But, like @Bmpdvm , we love traditional/classical music (Idagio’s daily Advent Calendar playlists are a wonder!), so for me that is a huge part of the season. And we’re looking forward to a few other small customs, e.g. going for our Christmas Eve walk to look at the neighbourhood lights. Quiet Christmases can be fantastic!
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how’d you manage to read my thoughts so clearly?
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We enjoyed the big fancy dinners at Aunt Jean’s back in the day. She missed her era. She was a born again Victorian. Sure do miss those times - but not the work.
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K @StevesTrail, I literally LOL’d!
Back in the day mom would grumble about not liking Christmas dinner because of all the dishes she had to clean. Finally I was like, just use paper plates! And then eventually it became carryout Pizza when we started celebrating mostly on Christmas eve.
But I certainly miss having my dad and my mom around, and now my big brother. At least we have the memories!
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This has been fun y’all. My husband works second, I’m off work today (due to rink technical difficulties ), and feeling under the weather, so this was nice.
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sheeee-oot,just realized that I forgot to note the extra minute of daylight today
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