2022, Family, Gatherings, holidays, home, Kids, Travel, Uncategorized, Weather

Christmas Cheer

43 Comments

Yesterday was possibly the worst Christmas Day we have ever had, as all the things that could have gone wrong with Daughter’s flights home went wrong. Our weather in ND was awful, with snow, sleet, a Winter Weather Advisory, and then an Alberta Clipper with a High Wind Warning. Her flight from Denver was cancelled. To make matters worse, her flight from SeaTac to Denver was four hours late due to technical problems, and they allowed anyone at SeaTac who missed a connecting flight to depart the plane with their luggage. The cost and uncertainty and anxiety in rescheduling was too much for all of us, so she had a friend drive her back to her apartment in Tacoma. We will try to have her fly here for Easter. It is in early April. I know we have April blizzards, but this gives us some hope.

Daughter was as brave as could be, waiting on the plane for four hours. She would have had a couple of days waiting around in the Denver airport for a flight here, but that would have been too sentimental a decision. It was a tearful decision, but I am glad she is at her home in Tacoma. I will send her cookies and lefse and her presents.

When was your first Christmas alone? What are some good Christmas jokes? I need some humor!

43 thoughts on “Christmas Cheer”

  4. My condolences, Renee. It sounds like one thing after another conspired against your daughter getting home.

    I have worked every Christmas since 2012. This is the first one that I had alone. A variety of plans fell through for me too, because of the weather. I haven’t gone anywhere since the 17th, mostly due to the weather. Good thing I like it at home and I have a lot of books, a fireplace, and a warm little dog!

    I hope your Easter plans work out.

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  5. My first (and perhaps only) Christmas alone was 1973, when I decided not to fly home from my life in Half Moon Bay, CA, and my folks did not visit me there as they had in San Francisco the year before.

    I did, however, go to visit my aunt and little cousins at Travis AF Base outside of Sacramento, so I wasn’t really alone. My uncle, an Air Force lifer, was away on his year of “abroad duty”, where he wasn’t able to come home or see them. I was the only family they had anywhere close, and have photos of me holding and playing with a 2- and a 4-year-old…

    If I had a tree that year it would have been very small, but I just don’t remember. I do recall that was the first year I sent out Christmas cards, and I still have a copy of that card – a lonely little cottage in the snow.

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  9. Rise and Shine Baboons,

    I have only been alone several times on Thanksgiving or Christmas. I cannot say I was lonely or distressed. I always can keep myself busy and happy. It can be fun to go to several movies on Christmas Day, too.

    More than anything, I am glad your daughter is safe at home.

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  11. I saw this on Facebook:

    Mary, exhausted, having just gotten Baby Jesus to sleep, is approached by a young man who thinks “What this girl needs is a drum solo!”

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  13. Cue the rim shots. 🙂

    1. What did the naughty soccer announcer get from Santa Claus?

    COOOOOOOAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!

    2. What is the best possible holiday present?

    A broken drum—you just can’t beat it!

    3. Did you hear that Walmart is giving away dead batteries for the holiday?

    They’re free of charge!

    4. Did you hear about the man who stole an Advent calendar?

    He got 25 days.

    5. Why did the scarecrow get a big Christmas bonus?

    Because he was outstanding in his field.

    6. What did the bald man say when he got a comb for Christmas?

    “I’ll never part with it!”

    7. Why does Santa Claus go down the chimney on Christmas Eve?

    Because it soots him.

    8. What do you call a bunch of chess masters bragging about their games in a hotel lobby over the holidays?

    Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.

    9. What did Santa and his wife do when they wanted to split up but couldn’t find a divorce lawyer in the North Pole?

    They got a semicolon instead. They’re great for separating independent Clauses.

    10. What did one snowman say to the other?

    “Is it just me, or do you smell carrots?”
    ********************************************
    The last three are my faves.

    I don’t recall ever being alone for Christmas. My wife and I celebrated by ourselves several times in our early marriage when she had to work, and we couldn’t get to the Cities to see family. But that’s not as bad as your daughter being stranded, Renee. Sorry that Christmas was a bust this year. I’m guessing Christmas wasn’t very merry for millions of people this year.

    But as Bing Crosby so beautifully sang, we should still “Count our blessings.”

    Chris in Owatonna

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  14. I can only imagine how disappointed both you and Chris and your daughter are. You have looked forward to, planned, cooked, and baked for this celebration for months, only to have it derail as it was unfolding. What an ordeal.

    I am grateful, though, that daughter made it back home safely. Sometimes it’s hard to find the pony that you know has to be somewhere in that barn full of horse manure.

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  16. I don’t know why, but this song by The Pogues is among the fare that keeps Christmas real for me. It’s not all fun and games, good food, and family bliss. Pain, loneliness, and strife are in the mix, as is love and compassion.

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  17. Afternoon.
    Friends had their family flying in today from Seattle. Their flights have been cancelled too. Plus the neighbors 10′ tall fence fell over on their new gutters.

    Did you know Jesus’ name was going be Gary, but then Mary stubbed her toe.

    To the man who invented zero, thanks for nothing.

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  20. so sorry renee

    the time i spent christmas was back in the vw van days

    my traveling companion mark had been glum when thanksgiving dinner was hamburger helper over a campfire in medora. i thought it was great but remembered his dispondancy when we drove to crater lake on christmas eve and found it closed
    we stopped at an alps a frame style motel with waterbeds and color tv
    the tv was one channel with no christmas theme and the hotel room was quite extravagant and didn’t cheer him up so we got a refund and drove until drop dead time and woke up christmas morning to find him a pay phone to call home with so he wouldn’t be so sad

    that’s not exactly alone but that’s my version

    i thought renee and her daughter were over reacting to weather scare but lo and behold ugly occurred

    hope your daughter was able to find a plan b

    you and husband too

    this year is my first full family year in quite a few years and it was a delight

    chicago daughters home til tomorrow and friday to hang with grandkids who are children of oldest daughter
    son and new wife (loooong engagement) we’re here my son in the basement and my mom

    cousin charles who is kind of a down and outer but a tremendous nice guy was there and gave my mom an audience for all her remembrance stories and a couple i hadn’t heard before involving his mom who was 2 years younger and a close friend of my moms who lived in town in edina and we saw fairly often

    daughter had her friend over after an ugly breakup last week and a family from kosovo came to hang out and do american christmas

    faking it is easy with others

    it’s a different art when you are the audience but online access makes it easier i’ll bet

    i’d watch some christmas stuff and harvey

    turns out christmas story once or twice followed by ever playing wonderful life with the volume turned down but many taking turns at the lines was perfect background

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  22. thanks for this great group at special times of reflection
    when we came together via dale and the morning show who knew ben could write or renee ( remember her first award winning blog entry on word press) vs and renee as regulars barbara as the truest of participants plain jane as the stallworth conscience and linda as hominy crockett and clyde chris krista bill and the vast array of friends who stop in

    steve and edith are reminders of our mortal coils and how we need to appreciate our time together

    i get such a kick out of how 60 is young all of a sudden and the discussions are commonly around our kind of stuff

    love you all

    happy holidays and thanks

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