the christmas bunny

my cute boy got some christmas vegetables! so cute!

I did some more visting today. this has been a really difficult day without daddy. I miss him a lot.

but, my bunny is cute and he cheers me up. what a sweetie!

I hope everyone had a good day.

love,
shampoo

ham...

we had christmas early... or half of us did due to other people's obligations. we had two people permanently missing. but there were four kids who got A LOT of presents, so that was fun. I got two presents. so that was nice. someone made me some homemade candy... that's pretty neat.

I had to get a copy of daddy's death certificate before I left. that wasn't too fun. but I got some nice hugs.

I went and paid the gas bill and came home and collapsed. I barely did anything, but it was so tiring.

merry christmas. love, shampoo

the sun and christmas

last night I read a rather beleaguring post that said we'd all been tricked into celebrating the winter solstice by the placement of christmas. some people had argued about this, of course.

but one thing I know: christmas dinner is delicious. so, if we just manage to eat it slightly off the winter solstice, surely that will solve any provlem? ;)

non-holiday holiday activities

i know not everyone has done this, but i have spent some christmases by myself. maybe something work-related was going on or i was sick or whatever else. i suppose my family could've come to see me, but they didn't. so i spent the day by myself. sometimes when spending a holiday alone and sick in a small apartment, you kind of want to do something non-traditional to take your mind off the fact that it is a big holiday. so, here's a few things i used to do...

1. eat something you really like that is not associated with the holiday... even if you have to go to your grocer's freezer to get it, find something you consider a big of a treat. one year, i had ravoili with lobster. it's much simpler than trying to fix a holiday meal and it's unlikely to bring up nostalga.

2. watch non-holiday television... whether it's anime or horror movies, there's a alot out there that isn't very holiday oriented. choose something that is not really much like what your family would choose if everyone was to attempt to agree upon a movie.

3. make your call home early in the day... don't wait until right before bed to make your call to your family. that just gives you something to think over when you're trying to sleep. do it early in the day when they're busy and excited and when you have plenty of time to get yourself back into a good mood.

4. allow yourself treats, but realize they can be non-holiday specific... when you scoop up your holiday meal at the store, pick up some treats. if you really like something holiday-oriented, then by all means get that. but don't be afraid to get something utterly un-christmas-y. obviously, i'm not talking about eating your weight in candy, but something reasonable. maybe some popcorn to enjoy while you watch your movies, some fresh fruit, or something for dessert. plan and then you don't have to worry about calories when it comes time to eat. for people who are tempted to over eat, this also helps prevent that. remember, you are ONE person. buy accordingly.

5. get yourself a present. it doesn't have to be expensive. just something frivolous that you think will be fun. i tend to like books and magazines. but, make up can also be a fun treat since 12-26 will probably find me at work.. new makeup can be a lot of fun to vary things up.

6. look at the religious side of things. if you are a christian, christmas is an important holiday. you can read your bible. if you haven't brushed up on the nativity story in a while, this can be pretty interesting. if you're not a christian, i suppose you could remember it's primarily a religious holiday, so it's really no big deal if you miss it. hehe

7. don't drink, etc. if you're really and truly sad, don't try to cover over your sorrows by drinking or overeating or anything else. be proactive and keep your mind occupied. go online and talk to people you may know on various newsgroups, etc. read funny blogs. call people you know... there will be someone who's bored of what they have going on and is happy to take a break and talk for a while. if they can't, don't take it personally. a lot of people don't have control over their own time at the holidays due to family obligations.

8. learn from this experience... once you've gone through a christmas by yourself, it's a skill you have. it's not so bad or scary any more. people may say things to try to make you feel bad about this, but they're being assholes. plenty of situations can occur that puts you in this position and anyone who'd rub this is your face probably would be crying like a baby if they were in the same situation. it's just a fact that this is a time of the year that no matter how many friends you have, you may wind up alone if they REALLY have to go hang out with their families.

9. don't feel obligated to explain what you did to people you don't know... since my christmases alone usually found me at work early on the 26th, i'd just tell everyone i had a nice christmas. i didn't tell them i was by myself unless i really was friends with that person. i didn't lie either. when they ask you if you had a nice christmas say "yes". then divert the topic back to what they did.

10. don't punish yourself... some people (in my family) have tried to suggest doing work to take my mind off of christmas. like waxing the floor kind of work. unless this is something you actually enjoy, don't do it. even if you're by yourself, you still deserve a fun and relaxing holiday.

all in all, i have to say that the christmases i spent alone weren't the best christmases, but they also weren't the worst christmases. they were o.k. the first time was really strange, but after that it got easier. i've really only done it a handful of times. but it's better than doing something just for the sake of doing it. if you try it and really cannot stand it, then i'd advise always trying to celebrate with people somehow.. such as having christmas early or late.

i won't be spending christmas alone this year, but i will be in the house alone for the first time in a really, really long time. so, that has made me think of some of the ways i used to get through the days when my work always made me pointlessly come in at 8 a.m. on 12/26 (seriously, there was no real reason for this). sometimes i'd try driving home to get in what holiday time i could, but this wasn't always possible. may i had to work late on the 24th or maybe the weather would be bad or maybe i'd be sick.. whatever the case, i think it made me a stronger person to do it (although i certainly wouldn't do it for only that reason). i really miss daddy and i will miss going through the day with him as i have for the past several years.

i hope you have a great holiday. merry christmas. love, shampoo.

merry christmas...

world peace?

now is the time we all ask what we want for christmas or for our new year's wish or whatever it is we do this time of the year. of course, we all know we ought to wish for something for the good of all mankind (humankind, earthkind). but, we usually want something. who can help it?

except, i don't this year. i can't really think of anything i REALLY want. i miss daddy and that's mostly what i can think about. otherwise, i don't know.

i'm sure i will like anything i get, but my siblings aren't likely to get me much anyway, so it's just as well to not get my hopes up in that regard. generally, i get cut out of all of the christmas pictures except the one where we'd all pose with daddy. they kind of had to leave me in there. my father could remember how many kids he had, after all. the reason for this, i guess, is they have kids and i don't. i just have me. and i suppose they figure they've looked at me long enough.

i have already gotten some presents and they were all really nice. i got some nifty new p.j.s that i am currently wearing. they came with a matching blanket, too. how neat is that?

and i got a whole bunch of neat magazines, dvds, and books. so that is super neat and exciting. i'm sure these things will really keep me company this long, cold winter. i haven't spent too much time with these so far, which causes my boyfriend concern. but i am enjoying visiting with everyone. most of the stuff i got were things that you have to fully concentrate upon to enjoy, so i'll look at these more closely when i get home.

most importantly, my bunny boy has a new water bottle!!! oh, he love it so much. he drinks and drinks and drinks. then he licks his sculpture (salt lick), then he drinks some more. he's so adorable. he's also been taking a bath for the last fifteen minutes, so i see some more enjoyment of his water bottle in his future. the bunnies, they are cute.