Christmas - Subdued but Pleasant

Last night when I was trying to think of how to describe Christmas this year, "subdued" was the word that kept coming to mind. I didn't decorate, didn't send out cards, did no baking - and didn't miss it. I'm pretty sure I'll want to do all that again next year, but this year I never did get in the spirit of things. Actually, it seems a lot of people I know didn't get into the spirit of things. At our work Christmas party, there's an annual Grinch award, given to the person who shows the most lack of Christmas spirit (can you believe there are a handful who compete for it!). This year, the "elves" were really disappointed because no one decorated. Usually we all (except the Grinch competitors) decorate our desks and ledges, but this year - nothing. They couldn't hand out any individual Grinch awards because we were all Grinches! I thought that was pretty funny, actually.

Didn't go to the big family thing on Christmas Eve and didn't miss it much. It was nice staying in with just Irish and enjoying the evening. My niece's son was stillborn last week (on the 17th) and of course she and my sister weren't in the mood for a big, loud family gathering, so they stayed home as well. Yesterday, my sister, niece, nephew, mom, Irish, and I went to the Chinese buffet for lunch and then - well, we were supposed to go see Smaug, but we got the time wrong. Irish and I came home and plan to see it this Saturday. The others did go, getting into their seats just as the movie started, but had to sit in the very front row. Yikes! I hate that! I'm sorry I missed seeing the movie with them, but not at all sorry to have missed sitting in the very front row for three hours! Afterward, I went over to my sister's where she, my nephew, my mom, and I drank hot chocolate, ate homemade cookies (yum! P. makes such good sugar cut-out cookies), sort of watched A Christmas Story, and laughed at inappropriate things - par for the course for my family! (I still don't get how they each completely failed to see the giant blow-up snowman sitting on someone's lawn right on the main street through town. It was sitting down, slumped completely over so that it looked like it was examining its genitals - kind of like a dog. How do you not notice that?!)

All in all, a good Christmas though, as I said, subdued. I think having a quiet, laid-back Christmas season once in awhile isn't bad at all. It was, for the most part, stress free. Still, I think I'm already looking forward to some hustle and bustle next year.

Merry Christmas, all! (Just a day late....)