"That's a B, starting a seven letter word that describes your father."
Any suggestions on what that might be?

My drug of choice is eggnog, but not on weeknights. I've been a little up and down due to a lot of things, but as it gets closer, I'm feeling better. Work is getting slower, folks are relaxing and not being so crazy. Kids are out of school so they're not getting in trouble (sigh).

So not so much getting in the mood as being less depressed. It's been a hell of a year.

Also, I do this. It makes others smile and it helps me even when I'm down.

≡ Click to see image ≡

and if you're serious about the "B" - it's "bastard"

What works for me:

- twinkle lights in a dim room, or a lot of candles, or whatever lighting arrangement tells your hindbrain "Chill out; this is not everyday life!"
- any drink of choice, but --- this is key! --- from a really nice glass
- something really delicious to nibble
- wearing something special, whether that's a party dress or my nicest PJs or lingerie
- whatever makes me laugh really, really hard. A good belly laugh really helps me feel relaxed and festive.

If I'm still having trouble getting into a festive mood, I do a one-minute dance party: crank the tunes for 60 seconds and just SHAKE IT to get my blood pumping and shake loose some tension. Come to think of it, that sounds like a good plan for tonight!

ROSALIND RUSSELL I LOVE YOU!

I haven't found the Christmas mood for years now.

Here are favorite holiday activities for me:

1. Make cookies or fudge (I have an awesome, easy recipe) and give to people I like with holiday cards.

2. Go tool around on Xmas eve with my Bear and look at the holiday lights. We like to cart some cash for the Santas who collect for food banks at some of the bigger neighborhood holiday displays. And sometimes I bring hot chocolate spiked with some peppermint schnapps.

3. Tape and watch the Albert Finney version of Christmas Carol, and Its a Wonderful Life.

4. Sing along with some holiday music you really, really like.

Hope this helps . . . Happy Holidays!

I have alcohol and just did some witchy things for Yule (although the real party for that was this past weekend). I'm not a super holiday-y person. Except for getting Honeybaked Ham ^TM and my mother's macaroni and cheese for dinner.

But yeah, need more booze until I cheer up some. Today at work sucked.

The last couple years I haven't been in the mood at all, which resulted in not putting up my (4 ft fake pre-lit) tree or decorating. This year while listening to holiday music I put up the tree with just the ornaments (leaving off the extra lights and silver bead garland). While I'm still not "yay Christmas!" (and haven't been for many years thanks to some family changes), I'm more in the mood than I expected.

If I didn't like my family, it would be booze all the way.

I liked the book/play version best:

"That word, my little love, is spelled B-A-S-T-A-R-D and it means YOUR late father!"

I'm with arse and blue. I haven't been in the mood in several years. Anything that gets done gets done by the mister. I don't feel particularly depressed this year, but still not in the holiday spirit. Maybe next year. Doing the card exchange* this year was fun.

*I ordered the cards 11/29 and they were shipped 11/30. I received them Monday 12/19. I hate Canada Post. But I got them done and mailed out the 20th. So, they will be late but they will be there... eventually.

i listen to swing holiday music on pandora and make cookies.
not having a tree makes it hard for me but my apt is too small.

also i am so excited to watch Auntie Mame on netflix!

Aaaand I just remembered the number-one no-fail way I fiiiiiinally get into the holiday spirit: I started wrapping gifts last night and suddenly --- kaPOW! --- I felt a zillion times better about Christmas.

As my sister pointed out today, "Everything looks more real once you wrap it, anyway." And she's right: every year, a little thought and a bit of ribbon make me feel like my extremely modest, mostly homemade gifts are a bit more special than they felt before.

That pan of granola? Just a pile of granola. But packaged up in pretty containers with ribbon and alongside a packet of breakfast tea? That's a present! The jar of strawberry-infused liqueur? Decanted, all bright red and sparkling clear, into a bottle with a printed-out label from a vintage bottle of strawberry jam and tied with an organza bow? THAT'S AN AWESOME GIFT. I WANT ONE.

But really it's the act of wrapping, the peacefulness of sitting there curling ribbon with scissors and folding tidy corners, the act of preparing to give, however small the things themselves are --- that always makes me feel good about the holidays.

That is true.
I almost bought a white fiber optic tree for my roommate. My thing is always to be, "Well, I can make that," but fiber optics are expensive.
Besides a few social, obligatory things, I'm not doing gifts. It means something to me to put so much thought and consideration into things, but I know I'm getting crap in return, and it's been so busy this year, I figured, why bother?
I'm not bound by dates and rituals. I'll give gifts when I feel like it. I like the excuse to spend but I don't feel it right now and I'm not going to pressure myself.
Honestly, I don't know why I'm here, besides wanting to be with my cat. If I was with my roommate, I'd be making her a nice meal and a holiday celebration, or if I was with friends, I know what I'd rather do. I'm just kind of trapped in an avoidant limbo I have been applying booze to for lack of any better distraction.
As far as flash! Bang! Putting on a show? I'm up there with the best of them. I'm just misplaced for the moment. Half my friends think I should be out banging anything willing, which I think says far more about them than anything about me. Which disturbs me to no end. My god. I can't tell if I'm really pessimistic about sex or that people don't seem to understand that the willingness to fuck anything is not a compliment.
Och. I will go on.