The material presented
here is not Al-Anon Conference Approved Literature. It is a method
to exchange
information, ideas, feelings, problems and solutions on a personal
level.
While reading a post I had a thought. This year my first living alone ever and having my income level drop along with all the economics going on is going to be different than other years. I've decided I am sending holiday cards to our fellow MIPs, and getting something special for my nephew's first Christmas, as celebrated by our family. I jokingly told the rest of my family their gift was A) I am not moving in with them yet B) my biannual life insurance premium is being paid this month. I know I have a bad sense of humor.
Now a comment made about the holidays being washed out this year made me think of past holidays. I remember one or two gifts I recieved over the years but not alot. What I do remember is where I was and what I was doing every year.
So these are my almost money free best evers. Christmas Eve my exH, brother and I decided to trudge a mile down the road with a sled in a blizzard to go down a specific hill, we went down it once all three on the sled, laughing landed in a pile and were too exhausted to go back to the top again. We caught a ride home in the back of an open pickup who took pity on us.
On another my brother, his girlfriend, my Ex, Mom and stepDad all camped out in the living room watching old movies. Cheap snacks steoDad bought ont he condition my brother had to go to the grocery store in PINK footed zip up PJs ... you have to picture this 6'4" guy walking thru the store picking out licorice, popcorn, chips in these huge pink plastic footed PJs. Decent but LOL he looked like a giant confused Easter bunny. We had a sleepover, 6 people, 9 dogs ... bodies everywhere strewn across the living room floor. we had a great time.
A couple of years special oppurtunities arose, one a hitchhiker we went an hour each way to get the guy home for Christmas Eve. Another, actually a few times we have found people in ditches or ran out of gas ... I remember all these but not one of the gifts I got those years.
I know that there are more ideas out there for simple but memorable holidays, can anyone share thiers?
Well my dear, back when we celebrated, the winter after my first husband died, we lived up on this mountain.
I cut down two one sided fir trees and put them together as one tree. The kids were like 4 and 5, we strung popcorn and cranberries. Was fun, our Great Dane then, annieblue, ate the popcorn from the tree! haha.
I wrapped presents using paper bags cut to be like paper. Then on the outside put pieces of fir and pine needles, leaves pretty stuff uno? Cool herbs for nice scents, mint leaves...
Years later people tell me they don't remember the gifts but loved remembered the wrapping.
my best thanksgiving ever was the one right after I escaped my abusive bipolar A (ex! now) husband. I was living in Hawaii (he was afraid to fly which was one of the reasons I moved there) and attending a women's survivor class. The social workers working with us through the shelter system brought KFC which was terrible but on that day, it tasted like the finest food ever made on earth. We were all free and safe. There were like 12 of us of all sizes, shapes, colors, ages and income brackets. We met and ate in this nasty church room- anonymous and concrete with fluorescent lights over head buzzing but you know what- that was the most amazing holiday ever. Sitting there laughing and being alive with a bunch of people who felt the same way. I never saw any of those women again after that class was completed but now I look at all women a little differently- you never know who is going through with what back home...lots more compassion and acceptance. Also, it was first step to my new life. I am so grateful for that nasty KFC!!!!! Hugs, J.
My daughters were 5 and 7 yrs old. I was a single single Mom. I had managed to find work and get an apartment. At Christmas time I had little extra money. The choice came down to a Christmas tree with lights and ornaments or gifts for the girls. Of course I chose gifts. I decided to make our own tree. We made colored ornaments out of construction paper. Colored them with Crayola's, applied glue, glitter and yarn. We taped the many ornaments to a wall one by one in the shape of a tree..lol I saved one ornament that each of them made and hang them on my trees every year. The excessive amount of glue hardened and preserved them..ROFL. The girls are 34 and 36 now and remember it well. They always look for "their" ornament and tell their kids the story of what has been dubbed "The ghetto tree"...
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If we think that miracles are normal, we will expect them. And expecting a miracle is the surest way to get one.
I thought of something to do too. That old flour salt water mixture for fake playdo, maybe some nephew hand prints I can paint for his parents and grandparents. At least it is all edible since everything goes in his mouth first right now.
I'm really enjoying everyone's stories. I have paper bags here and there still be some interesting dried remains in the gardens here. And the tree idea is great, more because i don't have to worry about the pets getting into a real one! And I am craving all the sides from KFC, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and biscuits LOL