Ok, it happens every year for me. I’m putting some thoughts together, some of which may sound familiar. It is a topic I’ve covered before, in my typically insightful way.
Continue reading “New Year’s, Again”Tag: holidays
Catalogs: Coming Fast and Furious
Some years back, when this blog was in its infancy, in 2018, and yes, I can’t believe that I’ve been writing this now for eight years, I wrote about the wonderful influx of catalogs, mostly clothing, that we get on a weekly basis. Now that the holidays are approaching, well, that influx has swelled into a flood worthy of the Mississippi delta. The season has officially begun.
Continue reading “Catalogs: Coming Fast and Furious”Post-Holiday Anxiety – What Are the Signs?
As I’ve written before, there are a cluster of lesser-known psychological conditions related to the holidays, not perhaps even diagnosed by mental health experts, that have gone undetected and untreated. I have taken it upon myself, therefore, to identify them and describe the most recognizable symptoms for my faithful legion of readers. The “umbrella” condition, under which the others fall, is what I call Post-Holiday Anxiety, or PHA. I don’t believe there are any effective treatments yet, as the professionals concentrate on long-term, chronic situations. Besides, these conditions are usually temporary. By mid-January, most victims will see their angst begin to subside, and they are on the road to recovery.
Continue reading “Post-Holiday Anxiety – What Are the Signs?”Christmas Decorations: Too Much?
We all have ideas about decorating for the holidays, both inside and out. Some folks are minimalists. They favor a few touches here and there. Others go in for the lavish displays, making their homes look like Versailles if it were Christmas-themed. No spot left un-hollied, un-ivyed, untinseled, un-mistletoed. More candles and statuary than the Sistine Chapel.
Continue reading “Christmas Decorations: Too Much?”Holiday Traditions – Did you know?
In a television ad a couple of weeks ago, there it was. “Deck the Halls”. Sleigh bells jangling along. Do we really need to start the Christmas music weeks before we’ve reached Thanksgiving? I know that the marketing wants to get the season underway, and they’ve virtually blurred the season. But still? “Deck the Halls” in mid-November? Let’s wait a bit longer on the boughs of holly.
Continue reading “Holiday Traditions – Did you know?”A Holiday of Food!
Yes, I know. I’ve already written my yearly tribute to Thanksgiving. To families getting together, to memories of celebrations past and those that have gone before us. To reflections of the joys, perhaps and sorrows too, of the past year. And of that for which we are truly grateful. But I did miss a key point, though, that I’d like to correct. This holiday, like no other, is a celebration of food. And to a lesser extent, drink. And now that I’m retired and don’t have to worry about Thanksgiving football games and holiday parades, so that I can focus on cooking and eating, the true joy and gratitude of Thanksgiving is upon me.
Continue reading “A Holiday of Food!”Thanksgiving: A Trip Down Memory Lane
Once again, Thanksgiving is upon us. To me, it’s always been a time of warmth and pleasant smiles, when we look back on the year with some fond memories, perhaps some not so pleasant. Not really a champagne cork popping time, but very rewarding, all the same. All in all, a good year. Some of this I’ve written before, and perhaps some readers won’t have seen it. If you have, maybe it’s worth repeating.
Continue reading “Thanksgiving: A Trip Down Memory Lane”Black Friday . . . . . . Month
Some time ago, I wrote about the “Black Friday” phenomenon. Yes, it started as a shopping binge the day after Thanksgiving. People would be up all night, waiting for stores to open at ungodly hours. Then, in a manner not unlike a scene from the French Revolution, they’d enter the store or the mall. It was literally a frenzy. Later, when the internet was in place, to extend the joy of buying, and home delivery was catching on and Amazon thrust itself forward to fill that void, the marketing wizards invented “Cyber Monday.” Great deals, but online so anyone didn’t like to interact with other shoppers didn’t have to. Our purchases would be delivered right to our front door, where delivery people would snap a picture and send it to us before roaming bands of “porch thieves” would snatch them and run, trying valiantly to evade security cameras. Yes, here we are again, at that truly magical time of year, guilted into shopping, planning, making lists, running out of money, etc. etc.
Continue reading “Black Friday . . . . . . Month”Ghosts of Halloween
Yes, it’s that time of year again. I’ll say this again, as I get older, there’s less and less appeal for Halloween. No, I don’t dress up any more. I haven’t for sixty-plus years. I’ve mentioned this before, but for my colorful neighbor, this is the high point of her year. She has elaborate costumes and hangs all kinds of spider webs and lighting to entertain the visiting gremlins. It’s like a really creepy Christmas display in oranges. For Her Ladyship and myself, the excitement has long gone. I can’t always conceal my lack of enthusiasm. The smile and warmth at the front door are entirely fake. Really just want to say, “Take the candy and go away.” The pandemic, which was, of course, horrific, did have a tiny silver lining. It was, for me at least, a welcome respite from all of the Halloween activities.
Continue reading “Ghosts of Halloween”Memories of “Decoration Day”
Yes, Memorial Day, as we know it today, was originally “Decoration Day”, evolving in the years following the Civil War to commemorate those that died on both sides of the conflict, and later, all military that died in battle. Thus began the tradition of putting flowers and flags on graves in the spring, and it spread from military dead to family members and friends. It was unofficial until 1971, when the Day became officially recognized as a national holiday.
Continue reading “Memories of “Decoration Day””
I'm Thinking...No! 