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My “Jack O’Lantern” variety pumpkins are close to ready! Fall is my favorite decorating color scheme– the deep reds, rusted oranges, muted golds and rich greens…. I could live with those colors year- round. And yet, there is always that slight sense of impending doom this time of year. The BIG holidays are coming– Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas. The holidays that make me cringe at the prospect of all the work they entail to “properly” pull off–the ridiculous frenzy of attempting to stage a major production (often, alone). Then I have to remind myself that I quit that. I rescripted my “fantasy” holiday experience within the past few years into something manageable, something small, something that doesn’t leave me too exhausted to eat or snapping at my kids. You ever notice how men don’t go nuts at holiday-time? Just women. We think we are the keepers of the idealized Norman Rockwell holiday experience, and of course we think we’re responsible for everyone else’s happiness, and let’s not forget that urge for perfection.
This year, as for several of the past years, I’m promising myself that I will be present in the moment with the ones I love, that I will pick and choose the traditions we spend our time practicing, that I’ll plan ahead, and that I’ll ask for help. You?
This week’s Free Book Friday giveaway is Sins of the Storm, a September Silhouette Romantic Suspense release from Jenna Mills! Drop a comment to be in the running! (And don’t forget to check back on Monday for the drawing!)
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Ok three things… first the response to your posting today — I have finally started doing as your suggesting. Our family favorite thing for one of those holidays is Christmas — we live a ways away from family – and we have chosen to stay home. Our favorite thing? To stay in pjs as long as we want that day. Open presents, play games, sit in front of the fire, I still cook a nice dinner… because I love it. But its not rushed and we obviously don’t wear anything fancy for it. Its the best!
Next, your new book caused me a bit of… :wall: I was putting in an order for new books and didn’t realize the book didn’t come out yet… everything I did… it didn’t work… it kept saying I had to wait… I didn’t want to wait, I wanted it here next week.
Ah, yeah, go ahead and say it… :purr: Obviously my ol’ brain cells finally kicked in. I HAVE to wait.
Oh and then finally, I read this really cool article in the Country magazine we get about this guy learning how to shoe his animals. I laughed and laughed! And thought you’d enjoy it to. Do you get that magazine?
Cole
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Leanne :-)
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I want to try and do things more in advance for the holidays this year, try and save my sanity a little more if possible
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Our Thanksgiving is in October, so there’s no real Christmas hype at that time.
I actually don’t enjoy the Xmas season anymore–or winter for that matter–so I’m not looking forward to it. However, autumn is my second-favourite season (Spring being my first), and I do enjoy the cooler weather–perfect for hiking.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
Suzanne, please don’t enter me in the draw this week.
Thanks.
-Kim
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I do go nuts for the holidays. At least when it comes to decorating. I pull out my Dept. 56 village, put garland on the bannisters, lights outside, replace items on my shelves and walls with Christmas stuff. But that only takes a couple of days.
Where I have cut back is the cooking. I used to do a Christmas Eve meal. Now we go out to eat after mass. I also would do three big meals on Christmas day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now I let hubby handle the breakfast. We’ve made brats with saurkraut our new lunch tradition. And then I make a special dinner.
I now get to enjoy the day with the family and not spend it all in the kitchen.
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We’ve become very relaxed about our holiday meals too. Who says we have to have turkey for Thanksgiving? My family’s been know to have lasagne. And it was a lot better having what we wanted then stressing over the “traditional” turkey and all the trimmings that no one was crazy for anyway.
Beautiful pictures.