Celebrating the holidays differently. What gift can you give yourself?

I give myself the gift of praying as much as I can.

I have a wonderful weekly bible study that I attend now. I just love it. I was a computer engineer in my career, and I enjoy looking up engineering terms in the online bible. Epoch time came up yesterday, I was so excited to find epoch in the scriptures. Epoch time on the computer I worked on was January 1, 1970. Epoch time in the scriptures is the 'beginning' . I so enjoy finding the ties to computer system internals in the bible.

Thank you Teresa. I'm dreading Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but will get through them. Sure wish I had family in town, but I don't.

We usually had a live tree with ornaments students have given me over the years. Christmas Eve dinner was oyster stew, though it took a long time for our daughters and cousins to like it. Christmas day dinner was roast beef and Yorkshire Pudding, recipes from my British heritage.

@Erinmfs Well, Molly, this took some time for me to consider! I have been thinking of gifting our household a new kitten, but we didn't fare too well with a rescue we adopted Feb 2019. Our first cat, a Burmese mix, took an instant dislike to 3 Speed [she had three legs] and declared war. Not a very happy household, and we had to rehome her. So, I watch cute kitten videos now, glaring at our Tessie Belle and tell her "this could be us if you'd allow it!"

We did help out a family who recently lost everything. While getting out in public is a challenge this year, my husband and I had such fun lending a hand. It is very soul-satisfying to be able to do this. Bless their hearts, the two teenagers only wanted some clothes.

A fun thing to think about is how much more social we will be next year, as a nation. There was an "Unofficial Just Some People With Lights on Their Vehicles" parade in town Saturday night, and we will do that next year [gosh, a whole year to think up something crazy!]. I am not in to techy stuff, so your idea of getting a Siri was just right for you. Does she argue her points, and present a challenge? My stepson got me a new wind spinner for the front yard, while I made TV watching lap blankets customized for each of his family. That was fun to rootle through fabric stash and have each one different!

I invite @fiesty76 @imallears @jakedduck1 @sueinmn @rosemarya to clue us in what fun things they may be gifting or receiving?
Ginger

I don't celebrate any holidays regardless of date. This year my choice of rewarding myself for another year is to stop my trying to fix everyone who presents a problem or difficulty. I'm working on my PTSD and recently discovered the origin of my terror of falling. It was a revelation to me and has taken one more horror out of the leftover past. Thank you for being there.However I'm withdrawing from Mayo Clinic Connect. Good bye

Great question,@Erinmfs!! @gingerw, I thoroughly enjoyed your post! Especially your TessieBelle scolding and questions about Siri!! Like you, I'm not tech savvy either and still haven't figured out what to ask or do with the Alexa Echo Show gifted by my daughter!

Good for you & hubby for helping the family who lost everything! And how humbling and touching that the teenagers only requested clothes. I truly find that the very best of giving and receiving for me at any holiday is doing something thoughtful for others who may be struggling, either with the added loneliness or because of other circumstances.

A neighbor friend called on X-mas Eve to tell me her partner had just been hospitalized..thankfully not Covid but severe strep throat. All of her family live in Scotland and no remaining relatives for our hospitalized friend. When asked if she'd be doing a Zoom with her sister, she said that she'd declined even though it was her Birthday...Oh, wow! Double calamity....X-mas alone and on her birthday to boot! I quickly put together a b.d. and X-mas pkg and then thought to e-mail her some pics of me taken for fun the day before.

Luckily my hair is thick and grows fast. The usual 3 1/2 week haircuts are currently delayed now by 2 1/2 mos. First early (and only if I'm lucky!) morning glance in the mirror reveals a cross between the flying nun head gear and England's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson except mine is curly. One has to tout all advantages, multiple cow licks and all, yes???

On a whim and inspired by my even more unusually astonishing early morning appearance on the 23rd, I teased my locks it a bit more before donning red X-mas sweater and adding every piece of X-mas jewelry in the house...jingle bell earrings, broaches, necklaces, the works...Then in honor of the occasion and Because I'd not used a speck of artifical beauty since early March, I added the out of lines lipstick, rounds of clown blush, up-to-brows, eyeliner and mascara. Truly a sight to behold!

Called a friend and asked if she'd take a few pics of me all decked out; she did and e-mailed photos to my family and some friends..Wearing X-mas socks for "mittens"; with numerous face masks dangling from wrists and holding a sign: Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry X-Mas 2020, it brought some hilarious responses with a few verging on impertinence...no respect for the close-up wrinkles and well earned silvers in the hair..what can I say??? So I e-mailed those to both neighbor friends as well.

I am a big believer in self-rewards throughout the year...great motivation to get those dratted tasks done...it works for me! And having spent many holidays celebrating alone, I've become quite proficient at planning ahead for those special days with favorites for meals and sometimes the table cloth, candles and good china. Also small indulgences like fragrantly scented, candle lit soaky baths, a Bloody Mary to start the day, doing a totally nothing constructive day, turning off the phone for a nap with no guilt, and binging on whatever book or tv entertainment calls my name.

Always feel perfectly "justified" on "special days" in also gifting myself with some small extravagance...a recent b.d. self-gift was subscription to Netflix...Yes!

Another treat was steering clear of media and computer/e-mail posts/"news" for several days. Why subject self needlessly to unhappy that you can avoid or do nothing to rectify is my thinking. and no regrets.

This holiday, a "goodie" order for family from a cheese/meat/confection catalog offered a "thank you for the order" choice of either cheese or butter toffee...naturally, I went with the toffee; one can purchase cheese any ole' day, right??? Oh, That was a Good choice!!

One thing is certain regardless of what or how or if we celebrate the holidays this year and that is that everyone of us can be hopeful for a much, much better 2021 ahead. Best to all!

Great question,@Erinmfs!! @gingerw, I thoroughly enjoyed your post! Especially your TessieBelle scolding and questions about Siri!! Like you, I'm not tech savvy either and still haven't figured out what to ask or do with the Alexa Echo Show gifted by my daughter!

Good for you & hubby for helping the family who lost everything! And how humbling and touching that the teenagers only requested clothes. I truly find that the very best of giving and receiving for me at any holiday is doing something thoughtful for others who may be struggling, either with the added loneliness or because of other circumstances.

A neighbor friend called on X-mas Eve to tell me her partner had just been hospitalized..thankfully not Covid but severe strep throat. All of her family live in Scotland and no remaining relatives for our hospitalized friend. When asked if she'd be doing a Zoom with her sister, she said that she'd declined even though it was her Birthday...Oh, wow! Double calamity....X-mas alone and on her birthday to boot! I quickly put together a b.d. and X-mas pkg and then thought to e-mail her some pics of me taken for fun the day before.

Luckily my hair is thick and grows fast. The usual 3 1/2 week haircuts are currently delayed now by 2 1/2 mos. First early (and only if I'm lucky!) morning glance in the mirror reveals a cross between the flying nun head gear and England's Prime Minister, Boris Johnson except mine is curly. One has to tout all advantages, multiple cow licks and all, yes???

On a whim and inspired by my even more unusually astonishing early morning appearance on the 23rd, I teased my locks it a bit more before donning red X-mas sweater and adding every piece of X-mas jewelry in the house...jingle bell earrings, broaches, necklaces, the works...Then in honor of the occasion and Because I'd not used a speck of artifical beauty since early March, I added the out of lines lipstick, rounds of clown blush, up-to-brows, eyeliner and mascara. Truly a sight to behold!

Called a friend and asked if she'd take a few pics of me all decked out; she did and e-mailed photos to my family and some friends..Wearing X-mas socks for "mittens"; with numerous face masks dangling from wrists and holding a sign: Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry X-Mas 2020, it brought some hilarious responses with a few verging on impertinence...no respect for the close-up wrinkles and well earned silvers in the hair..what can I say??? So I e-mailed those to both neighbor friends as well.

I am a big believer in self-rewards throughout the year...great motivation to get those dratted tasks done...it works for me! And having spent many holidays celebrating alone, I've become quite proficient at planning ahead for those special days with favorites for meals and sometimes the table cloth, candles and good china. Also small indulgences like fragrantly scented, candle lit soaky baths, a Bloody Mary to start the day, doing a totally nothing constructive day, turning off the phone for a nap with no guilt, and binging on whatever book or tv entertainment calls my name.

Always feel perfectly "justified" on "special days" in also gifting myself with some small extravagance...a recent b.d. self-gift was subscription to Netflix...Yes!

Another treat was steering clear of media and computer/e-mail posts/"news" for several days. Why subject self needlessly to unhappy that you can avoid or do nothing to rectify is my thinking. and no regrets.

This holiday, a "goodie" order for family from a cheese/meat/confection catalog offered a "thank you for the order" choice of either cheese or butter toffee...naturally, I went with the toffee; one can purchase cheese any ole' day, right??? Oh, That was a Good choice!!

One thing is certain regardless of what or how or if we celebrate the holidays this year and that is that everyone of us can be hopeful for a much, much better 2021 ahead. Best to all!