If you’re someone who has written a blog for a while (18 years next month!) there are those times when you feel like you have nothing to blog about. Those times when you sit and stare at a blinking cursor, urging your brain to come up with a topic to cover, a tip to share, a story worth telling.
Today is one of those days for me.
So I’ll just say a couple of things. First up: Christmas movies. We’ve got our regulars that we watch every year, with Love Actually and White Christmas at the top of my list. I’ve also been expanding my Christmas movie watching beyond Hallmark to Netflix. The Noel Diary was sweet and Falling for Christmas was better than I expected. Last year’s A Castle Christmas was rather charming. And (unpopular opinion coming right up) I never ever watch It’s A Wonderful Life. Oh, I know it’s a favorite of many, but I think it’s too long and too depressing and the payoff is too short. Plus, it’s a pretty disparaging portrayal of librarians.
Also on my mind, yesterday I delivered Christmas cookie boxes to colleagues and coworkers. Personally, I think all of my cookies and candies are pretty good and my presentation is great and they are received enthusiastically. But. We get things brought to us at work and at home and some just aren’t all that great, if I’m being perfectly honest. And that got me to thinking: what if the people I give my cookies to think mine aren’t all that great? And they just don’t admit it and pretend to be happy about getting them? Imposter syndrome strikes again.
Finally, I am working on letting some things go this holiday season. I had a bit of a panic on Saturday when I realized I couldn’t get medwurst (it’s a Swedish summer sausage) for our traditional open faced sandwiches on Christmas Eve. Our local Swedish market is out of it and there’s none to be had around here. I was pretty disappointed for a bit and then I realized . . . no medwust means I don’t have any reason to bake Swedish rye bread. And that’s a time consuming and stressful project that involves a crimped round loaf pan that bakes 4 loaves at once but you can’t actually see them while they are baking. So I let it go. And that felt pretty good. I also let go of making Chex party mix. These may not seem like big deals but they kind of are (to me) and I’ll be contemplating the lessons involved with this for a while.
And would you look at that? I pulled a blog post off after all.
I’m sure everyone who gets one of your cookie boxes is delighted. And I’ll bet no one misses those sandwiches on Christmas Eve. Happy Tuesday, Carole!
A few years ago, at a very late stage in life, I realized things can be traditions we enjoy even if we don’t have them every year. We certainly can’t eat as much or move as fast as we used to, so why not enjoy them sometimes. When I was growing up, we were pretty poor. We had fewer treats and it made them more special. I’m trying to embrace that now. (I also feel like It’s a Wonderful Life is overrated.)
I think it’s the year of letting go or at least skipping! And at the end of the day it’s the people we see that matters most right? And I have no double your cookie box is the highlight of the season to many folks!
I am working very hard this year on releasing *my expectations* and instead allowing the truly over abundance of the season (even before I add anything in!) be enough. Steve’s co-worker gave us a box of holiday treats she baked yesterday… they were a delightful treat AND!! I did not have to bake them! I am most positive that even the people who are thinking oh man, another batch of cookies… where are those expanding waist trousers… still love every bit of them!
I would gladly take a box of your cookies!! I’ve decided to bake New Year’s Cookies this year since we leave town tomorrow. There is a couple (older, former clients of Fletcher’s) who love my cookies. I don’t want to disappoint them, so I will bake some when we get home. And good for you giving up some things. We are giving up a tree this year (and I don’t think C&M will have one in their small Austin Apartment). I miss the decorations and the memories, but it is ok. Finally, I am not much of a movie person at all, but some of the ones you mentioned sound good to me. I need to try to sit down and watch one or two (I get antsy and bored usually). Wishing you a lovely, happy and stress-free holiday Carole – enjoy!
I like this stream-of-consciousness blog post! I’ve let so many things go this year, and while I may do some of them again next year, I’m feeling less stressed. The only Christmas movies I like are A Christmas Story and Love Actually, but my family tries every year to convince me that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
I am sure your cookies are delicious because I know you are a talented baker, but I will also say that any cookies that someone else gives me and that I don’t have to make myself are always good! I applaud you for letting go of some of the stuff you always do — embrace the opportunity to try something new!
I am all for simplifying! We put way too many expectations on ourselves. And yes, I agree about it’s a wonderful life, it I’m actually going to pay to rent The Gathering. Happy holidays.
I learned about 6 years ago to let some things go around the holidays. One thing was a big sit down dinner on Christmas Day. It stressed me out to try and get everything done at once from my small kitchen. And it stressed out guests trying to there at a specific time. I was worried my FIL would miss the big traditional dinner. But it turns out he loved the buffet I kept up most of the day. It’s easier for me and guests. Merry Christmas and hopefully a less stressful holiday.
I’m not sure why . . . but it is SO HARD to let go of the (little) things “we always do.” And then, when we finally do let them go, well. It feels so marvelous. (A lesson I always need to remember.) And – for the record – I really am not a fan of It’s a Wonderful Life. (And Tom refuses to watch it; he has some bad memories mixed up with that movie from “before my time” with him.) Many people act like it’s a sacrilege or a character flaw, but I just think it’s a highly overrated Christmas movie, and I bet there are more people than just you and me and Tom who feel the same way. There. I said it.