Let us get really real for a moment shall we?
When you come from a family as large as mine – you typically or at least try to have large get togethers around the holidays.
Rewind back to March when the Easter celebration went in the crapper – it was ok – it was “new” into the COVID and we really did not know what we were dealing with so we did what we did and we moved on.
Then things got better and I’m like YA – big old blow out – Labour Day weekend and then HARD STOP ON THAT – I would not be that person who had that party that created that outbreak – so we called that off.
Surely by Thanksgiving we would be able to congregate again?
NOPE!!!! but we still managed to have a very scaled down dinner – actually two dinners because one for us here at Orange Acres and then I did another “take out” version for my son and their roomies as well as my daughter and her fam.
Let’s go – Christmas – ya we’ll be able to have that full on loud too much food family dinner – mayhem.
And then….crickets…
BUT – shining star – I got more into the Christmas spirit this year than I have in I cannot even remember how long.
Lights and more lights and still think we could have put on more lights were strung about outside – we got an actual real Christmas tree – we usually do a fake one.
Gift giving was plentiful – we had a good year but still did not spend a fortune.
Dinner was a very small affair with our bubble family of a mere 6 as opposed to the typical 20 or so.
My Son for the first time since his birth was not here – he went to spend this Christmas with his love in Kansas – a risk? perhaps – a necessity naturally. We missed him but his happiness is so important to us. He is celebrating with his second family.
It made me sad this morning when I started prepping dinner for 20 plus knowing that the actual head count was small (no I cannot prep for any less than 20)
We have leftovers for days – SCORE.
Tomorrow I am cooking a take out version to deliver to my son’s roomates and they were not able to go home and apparently they love my ham – they want ham? I shall make them ham and take them gifts.
To wrap this up – I learned a very valuable lesson this Christmas – the joy – it is what you make it- for me – I get/feel joy when I am feeding others and seeing my grand daughter laugh like a loon and bantering back and forth with Hubs and watching him and my daughter sit and talk while my son in law takes the baby outside to see the horses and my brother just be that amazing goofy dude he is.
We may not all be together – but my heart is full.
Next year – I really hope we can all be together again and the steps we took this year – will insure we can.
Be well – stay safe- wash your hands and wear a mask.
Happy Christmas (I like to say that cause the Queen does and she is like an idol of mine!!!!)
Orange Acres 