How to wing it!

I hate winter. Seriously. Did you hear me? I can’t stand this darkness and cold weather. It’s getting on my already very worn out nerves.

I wake up in the morning and venture out there for God knows what reason. Oh yeah, to loose a few pounds because this society says that I am FAT. Society says: Lose weight, measure your waist, don’t eat this, don’t eat that, die healthy and skinny.

And it’s cold as Hell. My nature is to stay inside, eat chocolate, potato chips and other cool foods – and drink lots of Coke and hot chocolate with tons of whipped cream on top. Why can’t I just do that? Does God really mean for us to be so healthy it’s killing every single little ounce of joy in life?

I wonder. What are your thoughts on weight loss, joy, Christmas, cold weather and such?

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Image by Khalifa Al-Matawaah ♥ via Flickr

The holidays are upon us and for me this always seems to be a very stressful time. There are so many things to be thought about and managed and bought and wrapped and baked!

Christmas can be extra rough if you were going through separation or divorce. Let’s face it, the old saying “the more the merrier” is especially true at Christmas time. It’s a time to be around family and to remember the things that we love about each other, we dig into the old boxes in the attic and decorate the tree together with the kids.

From the time we are born, we are taught that Christmas is a truly magical time and there are so many traditions to honor. I don’t know about you but for me, the month of December usually equals tons of stress instead of enjoyment.

I saw an online poll that asked people whether or not they would like Christmas to be simpler and would you believe that three out of four said that Christmas is way too stressing? So although I am generally bad at management, I am not the only one who finds the whole Christmas hype a little too much.

Anyway, I can’t honestly remember my first Christmas after my own divorce because there were probably so many emotions whirling around inside of me that I simply blocked out the memory. Still, there are a few things that you can do to make the holiday bearable if you are going through a divorce:

1. If you have children with your spouse and you are divorcing, you’re going to have to make some adjustments around Christmas time. There are dates to agree about but also some traditions may have to be altered so perhaps it’s a good idea to sit down and consider which traditions are very important to you and keep those and then try to be flexible about other traditions. I know it’s not always easy to agree about whose traditions are more important than the others but flexibility is needed all year round when you are divorced and have kids together so you might as well begin with Christmas.

2. This Christmas you will probably be grieving and crying a lot and you should allow yourself to do so because it’s all part of the healing process. If you’re going to be celebrating with family, they will probably understand your emotions. Don’t try to hold back your tears; that will just make things even worse for you and for everybody else as well. Allow people to comfort and help you.

3. Keep things simple if you can. If you are going through a divorce, you probably have less money this year for Christmas – perhaps you need to find a new job, you need a smaller place, you are suddenly the sole provider for your kid – there can be lots of issues to deal with when you’re standing in the middle of a divorce and so the financial situation is bound to be different. So when it comes to such a thing as presents for the kids, try to keep it simple and really prioritize what’s important to you around Christmas: is it that big present or is it simply being together ? This is something I struggle with myself and I constantly need to remind myself that Christmas is not about stressing out because you don’t have enough money . Gifts are not always material things; a gift can also be the gift of time, the gift of attention, the gift of hugging your kids tight.

4. The true spirit of Christmas is generosity and love and if you are going through a divorce , it might be a good idea to focus on something other than yourself just for a few days . Find someone to help , volunteer for something and you will feel better , I promise .

5. I don’t know whether you are religious are not but for me it has always been a comfort to know that in the middle of what ever it is I’m going through , God is constant . He does not change and He does not leave me ever . The thought always hits my mind when I’m walking around Christmas tree singing hymns with my family, I look at the star and I know for sure that we need never be without God. There is a great comfort in that.

These were just a few tips to what you can do to make Christmas a little simpler and if not easy then at least bearable when you’re going through this hard time . I hope you found it useful .

Are you kidding me?? The stores already have the Christmas candy on the shelves!!  I was shocked when I saw the candy canes and garden gnomes and stuff. Come on people, it’s only October! The beginning of October, even. Wow.

I really wish Christmas could become so much simpler. Take me, for example. I have no money, I have several dentist appointments coming up and I can see no way out  -  but it’s cool. I mean, it’s all about being together and having a good time, right? So this year Christmas will transform itself for me – all without any effort on my part – and be a Christmas that HAS to be about being with family as opposed to giving and getting huge presents. And I kinda like that idea.

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I’m back from a lovely Christmas vacation

It was nice and quiet and how great to spend all this time with my family.

And let’s not forget the presents, some serial killer movies (yippie) and Fatal Attraction on DVD (I have wanted that movie for so long; I love Michael Douglas movies), no less than two web cams, a cook book and an apron, lovely THICK socks for winter, a new cell phone (Nokia 6300), a nice CD and more. Thanks to everyone for nice presents and nice company.

Some pics I took when we went for a walk:

Image via Wikipedia I am one of those people who always expect Christmas to be a perfect event and it never is, of course .I always imagine the whole family sitting around the table together, playing games, sharing a laugh while we all feel good and happy. There’s even a fireplace although my family never had one!

I have been better at getting my expectations down to a more suitable level these past two Christmases and perhaps it’s part of growing up to realize that everything doesn’t magically change just because it’s December 24th.

It’s a shame that Christmas has become such a stressful time for so many people, including myself, but since it is we have to find ways to calm ourselves at this time of year. I’ve made a little list that I personally need to remember as I head off on Christmas vacation with sweaty palms:

1. People are the same and they will not change just because it’s Christmas. Neither should I expect them to.

2. Remember that Christmas is about being together and being large, very large! Christmas is not the time to start arguing.

3. Lend a hand and remember you’re not in a hotel. It will make you feel good to help out so others get a chance to relax as well!

4. Rejoice in the little things.

5. Christmas is not about perfection so it doesn’t matter if mistakes happen in the kitchen or elsewhere. It’s all about being together, not being perfect.

6. Try to have fun. It won’t hurt.

With this in mind I hope to have a really nice and somewhat calm Christmas in the company of the people I love most. I hope you have a good one!

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Beautiful Christmas songs by Amy Grant and Vince Gill:

Merry Christmas

I think it’s time to say merry Christmas to all of you! Not that we won’t blog any more before Christmas but there won’t be any more quiet moments like this.

So Kurt and I wanna wish all our readers a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Remember to keep the Christ in Christmas and whatever religion you belong to, we hope this Christmas brings you peace and joy.

Here we are this morning (actually afternoon) – looking really good, I might add – and that’s when it occured to us (well, me) that it might be a good idea to give you all a special Christmas present. Cos all our 5 visitors this year have been amazing. So here it is: A Christmas present for you.

It’s a beautiful winter day. A little bit foggy outside and only one silly little week until Christmas – YES, I am so excited and I just can’t hide it.

Here’s a photo Kurt has taken. Don’t know if I told anyone but he’s actually quite a skilled photographer..

Not that I couldn’t do better. Of course Churite.

Well, I guess I should have seen this coming…   I really didn’t need my forehead stamped. I am seriously sorry that I’ve been amiss as far as blogging is concerned. For that I offer my apologies to everyone, especially my Gitte. This is supposed to introduce me to all of you out there, so you can see what she does – and if you are keen enough to see me through her eyes then please tell me…   cuz I’ve yet to figure it out. Thanks in advance.

I noticed that Gitte put my picture from long ago and far away on a few days ago. the one where I am holding up the tree. So I figured it might work if I continued this little blast from the past.

I’ll start by putting a couple more more photos in place and we’ll see what happens.

   The first pic shows me looking insanely at my first ever girl friend Rosalee who just happened to be of Jewish decent.

The problem with was that her father was a Rabbi and he didn’t see the point of a young Christian lad having a crush on his young daughter.

What was I to know at that young age. When all was said and done the Rabbi won out and I lost the “love of my life” (up to that point).

I was heartbroken for a tad over a day, or two.

The following picture was of me and my “prize catch” that I had just landed while fishing with my dad. I was so proud of that fish, but alas it wasn’t good to eat, or so my father said. I still remain perplexed by
that one. Dad said  ”It’s a bottom feeder, and they’re not really any good to eat”. Going over the scene in my head, even to this very day, it turned out that I have eaten several of these fish in my life since that day.They might not be the “best catch” in the water, but if they are prepared properly then yield some of the best eating ever.

   But I never told dad, he was certain they were the “fish of death” or was he? I think he was just trying to get some fish for his compost pile, we were organic farmers back then (when the term “organic” didn’t hold sway the way it does today).

I think it was that he wanted the fish for his compost, as a matter of fact I am sure of it.

And so it was, in my younger days that I lost a girl friend and my first fish in the course pf less that a week.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, but this is the stuff memories are made of.

‘Til next time I wish you all the very best the holidays can bring, just remember to keep the Christ in Christmas.

Kurt

You think you’re having a good day. The Christmas presents are wrapped, there’s a candle burning on your sofa table and you’re having a nice chat with your guy. All is well. You hint to him that you’re a tad bored and then as out of nowhere, the rest of the day (perhaps even week) is ruined:

“Well..you could go exercise”, he says. Without blinking.

Then silence. This is 12 days before Christmas and you’re already worried about putting on weight and waking up on day 1 in January and catching what you think is a runaway cow in the mirror and then realizing it’s you. It’s actually you in a 10 pound heavier version.

So right now – 12 days before Christmas – you’re looking for sympathy and “I love you just as you are” like that wonderful line from Bridget Jones’ Diary where Darcy looks at her and says “I love you..just as you are“. That’s what all we women want, especially since we can’t seem to love ourselves as we are.

But out in the real world what do you get? A suggestion to go exercise and a “no honey, not cos of your weight but because of your moods”.

WHAT FRIGGIN’ MOODS??????