WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR OCTOBER 2020

I agree about Christmas. Somehow whatever I do, people seem to expect more. Plus the pressure to be Christian is a constant nuisance. My mom is barely able to put supper on the table but she thinks her role is to cook a big turkey dinner. Maybe this year she will be able to step aside somewhat.

Meanwhile the IF plan is going very well. Yay! My sister is coming next week so that might throw me off track. We shall see.

Best wishes for good health to Vince and Lisa and others who may need them!

Annie in Delaware

My Tandoori chicken smelled so delicious it was driving the painter mad with hunger! He worked on late so he could finish tomorrow morning. I will ask DH if we should pay him a bonus for the extra work outside the room. An extra £50 seems appropriate, as he was not expensive. A lovely man.
The dinner was heavenly!
Plus I cooked an IP full of chicken stock earlier. Smells were wafting everywhere. I told the painter I had turned into a Jewish mama as we were having smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels for lunch.

I have broached the Christmas question with DH. He looked a little upset, but I told him he could make his own decisions about his side of the family. For me it is a relief.

I've just plunged in and ordered a new pair of black cargo pants for DH. He wears them all the time, but several have worn out recently. M&S are not making the same style anymore,so I found another outlet. Arriving on Sunday. It's for his official birthday present, but I do give him little presents in bed on the day. He likes the pockets as he hates carrying anything. I said I would send them back for him if they didn't fit him. Fingers crossed! If he likes them they do other colours.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

Machka: Congrats on finally finishing your Masters. I will always be sorry that I did not complete my Master's degree in teaching. I took 4 courses and dropped out when work/family became too much for me to handle.

Holidays: For almost 25 yrs after my husband's parents passed away, I cooked many large dinners for the family. Used the good china, crystal, and silver ware. Now, my DnL and her mom have been a blessing by hosting holidays. I don't mind contributing food but the cleaning and getting it all together has gotten to be too much. As for gift giving, we only buy for the grands and my son and DnL.

My son turned 45 yesterday. We are going to drive up to his house and visit for a while and give him his present. Will be good to see the grands!

Carol in GA

Carol Just curious because I have had the same regrets not pursuing a higher degree in engineering. How do you think it would have been an asset? In my case, it might have led to physically easier jobs that might have paid close to what I was making as a highly-skilled, hands-on, engineer with a trade school degree. Maybe my health would be better.

Fae in Or

Q

cityjaneLondon wrote: »

I'm giving up on Christmas this year. The family are having her parents over, if it's allowed. (Strictly at the moment, they would be one too many, but we ignore Bea) Normally that would mean we would see them on another day for present opening, mini Christmas lunch, etc, but this year I have lost my enthusiasm and we are not socialising indoors with anyone at all. I am thinking of asking DH if he wants to tell people not to bother about presents. Usually that upsets him, but things are so different this year. I honestly am not interested in the slightest and won't be putting up decorations. I will still get the grandchildren their presents. My DSIL completely forgot my birthday this year. I think she will be upset when she remembers, but DH didn't want me to say anything. I expect she will remember his and then be horrified she forgot mine. Her boyfriend has his birthday next week.
I really wish Christmas would just go away this year.
My DDIL said we could meet them on the beach to watch the Christmas Day swimmers. Sounds great, except that we were planning to take a bottle of Prosecco down there ! Can't do that around my son. AF fizz only.
It doesn't upset me personally to cancel Christmas, I don't like it anyway, and hate all the stress, but dealing with other people's expectations is more of a problem.
We will eat something nice, no doubt.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

I am actually looking forward to Christmas. It has always been my favorite. The weeks leading up to it are busy but so much fun. Decorations go up the day after Thanksgiving. At least one full 3day weekend I spend with my mom making holiday candy/treats that we give as gifts. It is long days but so much fun just being with each other and everyone loves the treats. Each year we add different flavor combinations to our fudges- both milk choc. and white choc. I am sewing some special gifts this year and have bought(and sent early) a few gifts- let them enjoy a few months early and saves me on shipping, having the company ship it for me free or cheaper than I would have to pay). I will be working on former MIL's gift this weekend. I like getting started early, more time to enjoy it and not be stressed the last minute. Always feel I need an extra week- always want to do more- Just need to slow down and really enjoy it.
Mom and I usually do one craft fair the first weekend of December(two others during the year) but that won't be happening this year because of the virus- it is usually in an assisted living home- they are on lockdown so no visitors at all allowed.
For most of the years DH worked, Christmas was the only holiday that he didn't have to work(store was closed but even that has changed-they are now open ) so that was the only one we got to spend with my family. Holidays used to be such a big thing for me when I was growing up- not a big deal for him as he didn't have much family.
We will go up on Christmas Eve, I will cook a nice dinner for us. Most likely it will be just the three of us and my parents unless my sister is able to come out. Same thing Christmas day. We used to have all the aunts/cousins/grandparents/friends/etc. Now we have maybe one or two cousins at most stop in. That is the best part of the day, spending time with my favorite cousin. We will leave about 4PM, drive home and go to my MIL's and listen to her say we didn't need to bring food(we always do), get upset with us if we don't eat what she decided to cook, have her say- told you not to get me anything , which is better than she used to be- I had to stop her from her normal "You stupid for buying that"- I just tell her , NO, You say THANK YOU!
Then, we go home and open gifts at our house. Makes for a long day but we can't skip MIL's house and I am not going to not be at my parents house. There were a few years when son was really little that he was too tired for gifts at our house so did it the next morning- he didn't care.
Debbie
Napa Valley, Ca.

Machka9 wrote: »

I’ve been working on this since February 2015 and I am finally finished!!
I’m not sure how I feel yet!

I actually burst into tears when I submitted the last assignment. And I feel like I should still have university things to do. It’s really hard to believe it’s done because it has been such a big part of my life for 5 years and 8 months … the longest time I’ve spent in a particular post-secondary educational pursuit.

I feel like streamers should have dropped from the ceiling and an email with bold text should have arrived from the university saying, “YOU’RE DONE!” Maybe that comes later!

Of course, I don’t actually have the degree yet.

I have to wait until the marking is done which will happen toward the end of November, and then I have to go through some sort of graduation where the degree will be officially given to me. I don’t know yet what that’s going to look like given the pandemic.

But meanwhile … I have finished my Master’s degree! At long last! For so many decades, I didn’t think it was going to happen! But here we are.


A stunned and tired Machka in Oz

CONGRATULATIONS! I know how that feels! Now have a bit of fun!

Tina in CA

cityjaneLondon wrote: »

DH's birthday is late next week.

We had such a fun time this evening. DH bought me/us some CDs for our meeting anniversary this year. Some were swing dancing and some were songs from the musicals,which we used to sing at our singing group. I don't use CDs any more so didn't bother with them.
Tonight we were in his study, like all week, as we can't use the living room, and after the TV news he said he would play some music. I was going to disappear upstairs to watch a foreign language film. He started playing the musicals and, of course, I was immediately hooked. We sang our way through one whole CD together. Marvellous! Some of it reminded us of our singing group and some reminded us of our cruises But we had a good sing song.
Must do it more often. Nothing like it for bonding.

Debbie - don't you have any restrictions on meeting up? We have a rule of 6 at the moment and in Scotland households aren't allowed to mix at all. That's why I've given up on plans. We don't visit indoors with anyone. Next year will soon be here for a new start.. Secretly it is a relief. I have always hated forced jollifications, Bank Holidays etc. I prefer spontaneous fun. I went all out last year for the family, so I knew it wasn't our turn for the real day anyway. Bah humbug!

I sooooo enjoyed our sing song. The joke is, he always said he hated musicals , but he enjoyed our singing group more than anything.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

Our restrictions are no where near that here. They are actually meeting inside at church, though we have not been back yet- A few wear masks but not many from what I can see in the live feed(I watch from home)
Most likely there will be 6 at most at my parents house. Sister will only come if things clear up a LOT- she works at the assisted living home so has to be very careful-wear mask and shield for her 12 hr shifts, tested once a week, temp check every day as soon as she gets there, can't go in on her day off(she cooks for one resident on the side). She hasn't seen my parents in months- they have her dog but is working too many hours and he is alone too much if they don't keep him.
Both of her sons are living out of state, my older sister and her 5 kids all live else where, cousins aren't in the area but used to come up anyways.
SO, it will most likely be my parents, and my husband, son and I. It will be quiet, like it was last year(sister had to work) but I will enjoy spending time up there with them.
We are all being careful.My parents don't go out much. I go out less than they do, Just have to worry about husband and son who work in grocery stores but they are washing up more. Son hasn't seen my parents in at least 8 months. maybe even longer than that.
For my family, it is just about spending time together. For MIL, it is about how much money she spends(husband is a lot like that)

Debbie
Napa Valley

sh0tzz99 wrote: »

Restrictions - Technically, we are limited to six at a gathering/table, and technically, they are supposed to be in our household. However, that is not really enforced. Let's face it, the business wants our money. Technically, even if you're on a boat in the ocean around here, we are all supposed to live together. They make exceptions for commercial businesses. We have seen "party boats" out all the time with 20+ 20-somethings drinking and partying, so they really cannot enforce that.

For dining, we can eat indoors now, but very distanced tables, and I think the establishments are supposed to take down the names and contact info if you eat inside. We are sticking to outdoors until the cool evenings come back (assuming they do).

Tina in CA where it's the first non-sweltering day in months.

I am not sure how they are doing eating indoors around here- we haven't even done out door. He does pick up food once in a while(while out with his mom. She wants to eat out. Takeout is better than nothing but she is still mad about it).

The weather is changing for sure- no sandals today- have fuzzy socks on and feet are still aching from the cold- high of 70 today(60 right now)

Barbara my week of wildness was just that it was so busy last week, being the first of the month and all, it was nice yesterday to have a much calmer workday!
Machka CONGRATULATIONS!!! If I knew how to make streamers come down from the top of my post I would surely do that for you! With all that you've had to carry, especially the past few years, you are an inspiration!
Margaret, I had issues with my dad's phone provider when he passed, the fellow asked me why I wanted to discontinue their service. When I told him that my dad passed and he didn't need it anymore, he put me on hold for a minute to confer with a supervisor. When he came back he was so very apologetic while telling me that I needed to send a copy of the death certificate as proof. I had already cancelled his credit cards so they would have had a heck of a time collecting anything more anyway!
I'm not quite caught up, but working on it!
Evelyn, on cloudy but still mild Vancouver Island