Thanksgiving's Over, What's Next? Are You Feeling The Holiday Spirit?

I'm actually quite in the holiday spirit, despite STILL waiting for the arrears check that Social Security Disability approved me of back in August. I like to have any shopping I want to do finished before Thanksgiving because of the crowds. I avoid stress at all costs. But, that didn't happen this year. I'm thinking up some great, home-made gifts for everyone and have been working on them so that makes me happy. We had such a nice Thanksgiving celebration. Maybe that's what put me in the holiday spirit. No money, but I bought 2 turkeys before Thanksgiving for 40 cents a pound (at Walmart) so at least we'll have a turkey for Christmas dinner. We've never had much money and always made the most of what we had. My sons were raised that way so they never complain if they don't get what they really want. They're happy just to get together. (At least, that's the face they put on for me. I'm pretty sure it's real.) I do have my Christmas decorations so I don't have to buy any. I'm planning on pulling them out tomorrow and start decorating. I'll have my son help me with the outside lights, although I think it's a bit too early to be turning them on. Maybe I'll turn them on about 2 weeks before Christmas, but I'd like them to be up and ready before then. It usually gets so cold that it's no fun putting lights up outside, not when your fingers are going numb! I just cut all the meat off the turkey bones today. I'll be giving my sons half of what is left, and there's plenty left! I'll be making soup, salad, "TV dinners" (I freeze those) and lots and lots of turkey sandwiches! I've been hurting pretty badly since Thanksgiving because of being so busy with all the cooking but it hasn't dampened my spirit any. I just keep plugging along. If I don't receive that money in time to buy gifts, I'll be making the most of what I do have. After all, there's always hope for next year, right? Besides, all the decorating helps to take my mind off the fact that I have no money. Once they are up the way I want, I can look at them every night and feel good. I've made "Mr. and Mrs. Claus" (stuffed clothing I bought at Goodwill) and I'll be putting them out in our pavilion this year, along with an old artificial tree, complete with lights, and wrapping empty boxes to put under the tree. I plan to put Santa's 'list' in his hands and have Mrs. Claus knitting something. I hope I can give our community here at least one smile this season. So, what about you, Opal? How are you feeling? I know you've had more than your share of hard times, too, but I hope they haven't wiped out your holiday spirit. If they have and there is any way I might help to give a bit back to you, please let me know, okay? I'll do my best!

Hi Opal! I always dread Christmas shopping because we have a lot of family to buy for and finding the right gift for most of them isn't easy, especially on a budget. When I was working we could run up the credit cards and pay them off right after Christmas but these days we're more careful with our spending. The grandkids are always easy...my husband is the most difficult. He never tells me what he wants but, then again, I usually tell him that I don't need anything either. I'm not really in the mood to be spending money but I am looking forward to getting together with all the family on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It's always something I enjoy.

I'm making peace with my real face and my game face. I think it's meshing okay. I can't believe I made it to Thanksgiving with my back about to fall apart. Every waking movement causes a rippling effect of either a moderate throbbing, to agonizing ripples being zipped through my lower back and down my legs. And strangely, that pain makes me focus. And right now the holidays provide me with something to focus on. This year doesn't feel good, it doesn't feel happy. But I'm trying to make something for myself like a kind of "settled" contentment. Not quite there, but I'm willing to call it contentment and leave it at that. It's just too painful physically and emotionally to keep the game face on 24/7.

Hi Opal, It's great to hear form you! As fir celebrating am not into the celebrating mood for xmas and don't even feel like celbrating it..I think it has become to commercialised and is just for children, it is lovely to see their little faces light up but for me xmas is just another day-another time to indulge and drink-evwn put on weight! lol Hugs LoLo

Hi, Opal26. I am still in a little mood to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. I am tired from all of the preparations, but I still have the spirit. I will always keep the thankful spirit.

Yep. Thanksgiving is over and now we move forward to Christmas. I usually take the kids out and we go check out the Christmas lights around town. Alittle hot chocolate and a drive around listening to Christmas carols on the radio is a nice evening for all. My best face is going to be it for this year.

Well to me Christmas is nice but I find it is coming round to fast and it depresses me a bit to be honest I loved it when the Children where little but well it is nice with all the Lights and happy Children, but to be honest I am looking less forward to it this year then what I did last year

am already moving on into Christmas matter of fact have all decorations up but the tree. and that has to wait for daighter is haveing a Avon party on the 5 th then I can put up the tree!

Well I'm still enjoying the Thanksgiving "spirit" and plan to for a few more days. I really don't get into the Christmas spirit until I have my decorations up, which I don't plan to do for awhile yet maybe another week or so. But I'm so NOT ready for Christmas yet...I don't even like to listen to Christmas carols just yet...I know..I'm a bah-humbug, but like they push Christmas earlier and earlier...they started playing Carols in a lot of stores only a little after Halloween..sheesh

hi opal I am trying but not succeeding much as I do not know until tuesday if my son has to move just a few miles away or a lot further as its mostly up to housing america a gov. sponsored thing for men out of work and out of housing, and we are both hoping it will be Midway city as thats just a few miles from Gold Crest,if he has to go to Long Beach thats much further away. we will see and I will do more praying also praying that he finally gets a job. until all this is settled I am not much in a Christmas mood but will get some christmas cards and send them out that might cheer me up a bit. I just wish the President would try to really get more jobs out there for all the many out of work people.this is terrible the r ichest nation in the wo rld and we are in terrible shape. bah humbug.

I guess I just feel like there is too much in-your-face christmas too soon. Spirit may increase for people if they held off all the christmas stuff until around the start of December.

Hey Leslie, Did you cook a Turkey dinner? We went to one of my brother's house. Since we are in the middle of foreclosure, we have no Christmas plans except to pack what we want to keep and get rid of the rest. We were going to have Turkey TV dinners till my brother called. How are you doing? We keep saying we'll email but haven't yet. I really want to know how life is treating you. I'm really going to try and email you tomorrow. It's 1:15AM and time for me to go to bed. I will email you. Love Ya Leenie

Hi Opal, We don't celebrate Thanksgiving Day here in the UK, so the it will be Christmas when we all start our celebrations, I woll be going to my sisters for Christmas day, mind you I haen't started on any presents buying yet or put out any decorations, I am behind time this year, hope you have a lovely christmas, get another turkey out. Tamara

Hi opal, Money is short but a smile is worth more than a million dollars others may not agree. Will be putting on my best smile and hiding my homesick pangs away as well as I can. It´s been seven years since I last went home and although it might not seem important to anyone else it is to me. Still I will make the best of it. Happy Christmas to all no matter what in 2009.!!! Love from Sue.xxx

Well, it is hard to believe that it is the Christmas season already and really wondering where the time has gone. I know so many times we get busy and things go on both good and Bad and it makes people wish for certain times to never happen again as well. Personally I am as ready as I will ever be, and about have all of my shopping done now. I only have like 3 or 4 gift cards to buy and then we will be done. But the only thing I can say is I do have a lot of not so fond memories of Christmas time but I enjoy it with my husband around for sure.

I am fortunate to be in a better place in many ways than I have in years past. I am sort of getting into the holiday spirit. I will celebrate, have Christmas music on right now.

Oh we'll put on a good show for the kids. The more my back hurts staying up late wrapping things, the less and less I am into it though. :-)

I guess it would be a game face. Christmas adds so much more to my already busy schedule every year I get extremely stressed out just thinking about all of the extra things I need to do to make Christmas special for the kids. Not to mention all the money we end up spending, which usually makes January and February kind of stressful too. I enjoy Chistmas Eve and Christmas day, but all the days leading up to them I feel over whelmed, this year my son is going to be having eye surgery and he has to have tests done before hand at far away locations that will end up taking entire days to take care of. So that is going to make this next month even more stressful.

My husband and I are able to spend the money we want to on each other and others this year so we are very happy about that. We don't have much responsibility yet but are saving for a car and for a house, so right now there's no stress over what we can or can't afford. I've found that more and more people just aren't exchanging gifts for Christmas anymore or if they are it's just gifts for the kids in the family.

Hello Opal. I am glad when the holidays are over. We always have a Christmas tree and that is about it for us. We don't really celebrate holidays. We make a thanksgiving and Christmas dinner but we don't really have presents or anything like that. Oh well happy holidays!