Third Night

Home for the Holidays

Pretty much everyone we know is going away for the holidays. Even people we only know online. And this is the first year in awhile that we have not gone anywhere, at all. Not even for thanksgiving. I can’t see the kids this year. We can’t all go to Buffalo because the logistics of the drive with me and my “issues”, two dogs and the kid, not to mention the Man. (Who is still in the process of quitting smoking and not necessarily someone I want to spend 24 hours in a car with at this particular second. Sorry honey.)

My mother hasn’t even tried her usual come-down-and-visit-us thing, (Though, to be fair, I might have told her we were going up north to visit his family.)

We were fortunate enough to have wonderful friends to spend Thanksgiving with here, but even they are going away to celebrate Christmas with family.

Now that school is out and I am facing two long weeks essentially alone with the kid, I’m really wondering what we have in store for us.  Seriously, what are we going to DO for that many days?

I am going to be making every effort to keep my spirits up, no matter what. Because although I have reasons to be unhappy this year, I also have plenty of reasons to be thankful.

I ended up going with gift cards for the girls, and the closets are all filled with gifts for Hanukkah. I  couldn’t do as much as I’d wanted for the man, because of, well.. money. (Mainly, I’m not making any.) But, the kids will have gifts, and even the dogs will have presents. And I will make a brisket on Sunday, and potato pancakes too, at least I will try to make them, you never know with me and traditional food. (There was that one time with the salmonella, you know.)

We are having a Happy Holiday, damn it. If it kills me. There will be joy, and there will be merriment and there will be  baked goods. There will be no fighting, there will be no crying, because we have each other.  And that IS all we need.

Here’s hoping you and yours have a Happy Holiday as well.