If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

not me. I keep it simple. for example: yesterday i put lights on the camellia hedges, hung  a chanukah wreath. added red lights under the sheer silk swags in the dining room and in a week we drag the tree from the basement and make space for it in the den. we decorate it quietly and calmly whenever we like. and while abi has never tried to climb it we do tie it in the corner with fishing line.


for gifts we do charitable donations except for one small gift for each other to opened. I cook latkes on the 31st, and filet of beef for christmas eve. no cards get sent. no hoards of shopping. I will bake some stollen and any invites a stollen comes along wrapped in saran and a bow. we will probably have some people for dinner at different times. once to victimize them with my latkes and then for Jim's birthday which is the 26th because I always make a bigger event of that than christmas.

in fact the winter solstice is more what I celebrate and then all you need is some alcohol, a roaring fir and a warm body to snuggle up to. Try it. avoid the stores. check out Heifer or ask your family what charities they like and send money to them instead of shopping. yes the merchants need our business but charitable organizations need help even more. I think no one over ten should be doing the presents anyway. Oh and I keep a few large squares of seil and permanent ribbons for wrapping. no trash to through away and by the time the year goes by you forget what the wrapping clothes looked like. coolleroni. oh well abi gets a gift but she is only three.