I posted something this morning about the temperature here in Australia and then realised that my Xmas of a cold beer with a slice of lime in it while floating in the swimming pool is probably quite different to everyone elses.

So question is how are you spending yours?

Shelley

Hi Shelly,
In Michigan(Northern USA) I'll be inside trying to stay busy so I don't notice the snow fall on my deck.
Actually we my wife and youngest son (21) will get up and read the Christmas story out of the bible. Setup or nativity set. Thank the Lord for His Love in a family prayer and than open our present's one at a time. Because it Sunday we will go to the church service and sing lots of Christmas carols and listen to a sermon. Then back home for eating and play with our new toys and play games together. We also will phone our parents and other children.

Jillieann

This will be my first Christmas ever, in 53 years on earth, of being alone in my apartment.  My two best friends (both of them married) have recently, coincidentally, moved away to retire.  I think occassionaly of the saying if you have two great friends, you have a lot.  I still do have those friends but there's going to be a big difference talking on the phone versus cuddling up as we talk.  Words on a phone, to me, are not the same as words in person or, even, on a written page.  For Christmas, I was invited to the house of some people I barely know (my ex's brother's daughter invited me).  I made an excuse that I'd already accepted an invitation to a friend's house "but thank you for thinking of me. I appreciate it."  And I really did appreciate it.

My ex still wants me to go over there (she knows the truth) but I told her that while it's very nice of her brother's daughter to offer that, it'd be an hour by car in each direction, alone.  Add to that, gas feels expensive because I'm between jobs.  It probably sounds odd but 'm sure I'll have a good time watching TV - there'll be plenty of good programming, I'm sure.  I enjoy watching romantic comedies and Christmas movies.  There's always a lot of HEART in them.  Funny, watching old movies and being alone SHOULD make me sad.  Because I love movies (I'm a film school graduate and now a music editor), I am able to lose myself in them.  Their pain and joys become mine.  The movies, at this time of year, have such warm happiness in their "happily ever afters."  Even though I'm alone, that happiness is contagious enough for me to feel like I, too, have a wonderful life.

Teri Anne

My Christmas will be spent at home with family visiting, and staying over night.  Like many families it's sort of turned into a tradition.  Our family is very small and consists of my wife, our mother, and my daughter.  Small but nice.

While it's always nice to have a white Christmas, we have enough snow on the ground now to last till the end of winter, thank you very much, so needless to say we are hoping that it stays away this year.  While the temperatures have warmed up from the recent -29 it's still going to be crisp and cold out there.  No snow in the forecast so nothing to shovel

Teri, I don't know what your situation is like but I hope that your Christmas will be better than you expect it to be, being alone at this time of year is never fun and while words on the phone can never replace company, I think it's the next best thing.

Take care Teri and have yourself a Merry Christmas, you do have a wonderful life.

Steph

Spending the weekend with my niece. Have no other relatives close by, and she's more like a daughter anyway. And, really don't know all that many other people locally.

Play the weekend by ear.

DInGA

Thanks, Steph, for the Merry Christmas wishes.  Good news, as you foresaw, was on its way...not for Christmas, but the next day.  My brother and his wife are coming to visit me for a week, starting on Dec. 26.  They haven't seen how I remodeled my condo into craftsman/Frank Lloyd Wright style. They also want to go to Disneyland, always a treat for me, given my childlike sense of fun.  Looking forwards to that fun will, I'm sure, brighten my Christmas.  Thank you again, Steph.  Maybe you triggered the gods into sending me some good fortune.  How are you in Vegas?

Teri Anne

Christmas Eve will be with my inlaws for a large family gathering.  I need to leave early so I can get to choir rehearsal in time for Mass.  Afterwards, play Santa.  (The Santa gifts are wrapped in either green or red tissue paper for the kids.)

Then, after my son wakes up at oh-dark-thirty  , we open gifts.  We try to stagger the gifts out through Epiphany, which is when we take the tree down.  Having one last gift to open after everything has been put away does a lot to get rid of the Christmas Is Over blues!

Chaunte

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, from us here in Oklahoma.

Peggiann and I just got in from a quick 2 1/2 hour drive down to Amarillo to wish A Merry Christmas and play santa delivering them gifts from us to the middle one of the boys and his wife. Then back home after a nice 2 hour visit. It's now 4:00a.m.

WE had Christmas early with the youngest boy and his family the first week end in December.

Tomorrow Peggiann will fix some of the dishes ahead for day time snacking. I'll be using the pretty day for more working on Mom's roof.

Then Christmas Day she'll take my mom to church in the morning and stop and pick up me and then we'll meet a sngle mom and her 9 year old son in town at a Christmas buffet at a local resteraunt. Then Mom, Peggiann and I will drive down to Mom's only living brother and his wife about 30 miles away and the stop in at the nursing home and visit my Aunt.

Talk on the phone to the 3 boys and their families and also with my nephew and niece, which are in Ecuador.

We'll drop Mom' back home around 4:30p.m. and have some of the snacks Peggiann prepares the day before, and watch some Christmas movies on the tube.

Then home just 3 miles away and snuggles watching more Christmas movies. OH yes we'll also watch the Christmas Day Parade.

We hope everyone of you Here at Susan's has a Great Christmas Holiday.

Leah and Peggiann

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone.

And Happy Birthday Dear Jesus 

Cassie