Pondering The Holidays & Ivy’s Toy
Though it’s not yet Thanksgiving, some residents here and many bloggers online are getting things spiffed up for Christmas.
I guess they want a bit of cheer this time of year. Can’t blame them, though it’s still too soon for me to begin decorating.
I like to put up the tree and decorate for Christmas right after Thanksgiving. Though with my current range of mobility, I might start a little early so I can take my time and enjoy it.
I’m looking forward to seeing what Christmas looks like in my new and bigger home. I went from 725 square feet last year to about 1150 square feet here in this complex.
This was the apartment that became available and I snapped it up. I would have been happy with a one bedroom though.
Plans For Thanksgiving:
For Thanksgiving, I’ve picked out several new vegetarian recipes I want to try cooking. But I’ll just have to see how mobile I am by that time. I’m not setting anything in stone these days.
Some of us prefer to celebrate the holidays at home. That doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate and decorate as though you have people coming over.
Cook your favorites or if you prefer, pick up a Thanksgiving meal somewhere. Use fabric napkins. Set a stylish table. You deserve to have that just for you.
I’m a firm believer in being good to yourself. For instance, giving yourself gifts.
You must take care of you instead of waiting for someone else to take the lead. They might not come through for you, so plan on doing things your own way and you won’t be disappointed.
I think it’s been drummed into women in my age group that they must do for others and put themselves second. Well, that isn’t how I live my life anymore and never will again.
Ivy’s Chosen Toy For The Day:
Ivy dug through her two Rubbermaid tubs filled with toys and chose a toy to play with.
This morning her toy of the day is a tiny white mouse. Ivy likes to toss it up in the air.
See the small pieces of brown leaves? I’m not kidding, I think there are lizards everywhere because leaves have taken over in here. Fallen leaves are literally in every room.
You know, I don’t really think Ivy would have been much help the other night with the lizard drama. I think she just wanted to play with it. Of course I did away with it first so she didn’t have much time to decide on her actions.
Maybe domesticated cats that live indoors just don’t have the predatory instincts they would have in the wild.
So if a mouse got in here, what would Ivy do, I wonder? Now if it was something flying in the air, she’d be all over it.
I’m a firm believer in treating yourself like a queen, if that’s what makes you happy!
I won’t be doing any Christmas decorating until December. Thanksgiving first, each in its own season. I’ve spent more than one holiday by myself and always fix good things to eat. And I love having leftovers.
It is Christmas everywhere! It’s like it happened overnight from October 31st to November 1st. Halloween to HoHoHo in a blink. I still have pumpkins in my house. Of course, it’s been 75 degrees here lately, can’t think about Christmas in shorts. Although, I did decorate my hallway for an upcoming hop last night and I can’t say I hate it. The lights are so pretty…but they’ll be no trees until after Thanksgiving. Probably. 😉
I’m not in the mood for Christmas at all, but I never am this early. Not until after Thanksgiving. I’m still enjoying my fall decor and pumpkins. And I like to celebrate one holiday at a time.
Trader Joe’s has packaged side dishes near their meat section – scalloped potatoes, veggie items (can’t remember exactly what), if you’re interested. We’ll be going to my aunt’s house for Thanksgiving. Just my aunt and uncle, me and Brian, and my mom. I really miss our big family holiday dinners that we used to have. Family members are scattered all over now, elders (plus my oldest son) have passed away, and my sister is estranged from our family.
I’m so sorry for your loss of your oldest son Melanie! I believe he’s still in your presence and watching over u and your husband and his siblings.
Heh, well Sunday I baked and cleaned the small organic turkey I found…and froze it into some portions for use…for us and our youngest and possibly our son’s family too if they are unable to find a turkey in time. Our small apt fridge/freezer does not hold enough so there was no other way…plus the ONLY way now I can make much of a dinner these days is to do it in small increments. And too, I made some awesome turkey bone broth that has already made us one yummy soup for supper…and plenty left for gravy etc on Thanksgiving.
The days are whizzing by and before I know it, Thanksgiving will be here. I don’t “celebrate” it per se with family or friends. I mostly prefer keeping myself my own company. I love my siblings and when we get together we have a blast together, but they have their own grown kids and grandkids and even great-grandkids that they do their own thing with, and I am fine with peace, quiet and tranquility in my own home, and not having to eat a few bites of dishes I generally prefer not to eat, just to not insult the cooks. We usually have a get-together lunch or supper at a restaurant around Christmas time, and that’s enough family time for me. I didn’t marry and have no children, so I have peace, quiet and harmony with me, myself and I in my home, and I spend the holidays baking for neighbors and a few friends, cooking my favorite dishes for myself, and watching all of my favorite holiday movies for the thousandth time (I’m 71 and I’ve been watching two different versions of “Scrooge/A Christmas Carol” for decades, for instance, and never get tired of them). After some very nasty weather about 10 days/2 weeks ago, we’ve had a week’s streak of temperatures in the 60s and even close to 70, with sunshine and the winds have calmed down so the 5 million tons of leaves I’ve raked and sucked up with my lawn mower with grass catcher attachment have stayed off the front lawn. The city came through at 3 a.m. this morning and “plowed” the subdivision’s accumulation of curb-side leaf piles once again – but there are still MORE leaves that haven’t come down off the neighborhood trees yet, sigh. I am eager to try and put together a decent looking “nature/woodland” themed Christmas tree this year, complete with hydrangeas that should be dried out in the garden by Thanksgiving Day that I can clip and stick into the tree here and there. I have been watching what seems to be endless videos of different ways to decorate one’s Christmas trees at Youtube, I never get tired of it.
I love to see how creative people can get with their Xmas trees too. Here, as always, it will be me, myself, and I too.
I plan to do more decorating than I have in recent years. Life is all about me now so I do my best to live that way. For more years than I care to count I did things to please others as I was seeking acceptance and fearing judgement. I no longer live that way and work hard every day to avoid living that way.
Thank you so much for this statement, Brenda! I try not to let others disappoint me.
“You must take care of you instead of waiting for someone else to take the lead. They might not come through for you, so plan on doing things your own way and you won’t be disappointed.”
I hope you’re enjoying your day.
I was afraid of the whole judgment thing for too long. Not going to give that power to anyone again.
Whole Foods has a vegan holiday meal for two that you might want to check out. It’s delicious or at least I thought so!
Oh, thanks! I’m going to check it out.
Ivy gave me a chuckle today as I’m sure she tickles your funny bone too. For some odd reason I never am comfortable with myself when any holiday comes around. Took me many years to kinda figure it out. My mom was a perfectionist who did it all herself so my cooking skills are limited. When there are pot lucks I am kinda intimidated because of that. I am more comfortable at home than anywhere else. I will ask my daughter to buy me a small, inexpensive item I like when we are shopping together for my grandsons to give me for a gift. She says she feels I don’t think I am worthy of gifts. I feel I really don’t need anything and when I do I get it for myself. Hope you are having a nice day and feeling good.
I think a lot of people feel this way, but force themselves to show up anyway.
Yes, and it has been nice getting that weight off my shoulders expressing my thoughts on “paper”.
I have noticed more party houses, restaurants and stores are offering catered meals all made to your own specifications. Like a bbq place is offered a good variety menu for pickup on Thanksgiving and not your usual faire. I don’t know if more families decide not to spend all day cooking and want to make memories doing other activities but it seems people I know will spend the money to treat them selves to food made for them than ever before. So a good way to also make it less stressful even though I have good memories of being inside the night before and all the next day preparing thanksgiving for my family.
I look forward to decorating my mantle this Christmas season as I am sure you will too having it.
I do look forward to decorating the mantel. If I can find a vegetarian-type take-home Thanksgiving meal, I’ll probably get it this year.
When I saw that little piece of a leaf, I am wondering could your “visitors” have been some type of worm and not a lizard? I say that because even a newborn hatchling lizard is 1″ long, not even counting the tail, and they are also very fast if you try to catch them! Please let us know if your new vegetarian recipes turn out well! It sounds cliche, but for me I believe every day should be Thanksgiving; giving thanks for friends and family, our health and of course all the blessings in our lives. It can be a celebration for one, two, or twenty two!
The baby was about that size. I have yet to figure out what these two critters are and where they came from. Maybe they rode in on a leaf.
To me, there’s nothing more amusing and heartwarming than seeing a cat “dig” through her box of toys and make a selection! 😻
I agree. I always wonder what Ivy is thinking as she paws in the box and moves things around before she chooses a toy.
I started taking out my Christmas decos and will be putting up my biggest tree this wk. I’m watching for a bargain to get a few slim trees instead of my older ones that are shedding too.
I just told my daughter a few days ago that I’ve been taking care of her and her brother and grands the best I could all their lives. Now it’s time for me to get things what I want and what makes me happy bc I deserve happiness in my life too! So I feel the same way Brenda! If I don’t get myself gifts once in awhile, then who will! I still love to give gifts though bc that brings me a lot of joy to see someone else happy!
I hope everyone is having a great week so far!
Good for you!
I won’t be decorating for Christmas, to be honest I don’t care for this time of year. I am not religious at all, so it means nothing to me. It’s not a happy time
seeing all the animals and birds that have been killed for our supposed pleasure. I was brought up to treasure every one of them. My Mother used to say everyone on this earth whether man or beast wants the same thing, to be happy and free from pain. I am glad I heeded those words.
I’m not religious, but I do like to decorate at Christmas time. Maybe it’s a blogging thing. I will not be eating anything but vegetables, so living thing will have been killed for me for pleasure. I agree with you.