Suffering from bah humbug

[sal]

Majorly stressed working mom suffering from bah humbug. Would love to hear any funny stories (cooking related or not), anecdotes, anything to get me through today - or a mild sermon telling me to buck up, whatever you think might work. thanks. sally

[lanie]

Well Sal - I too am suffering from bah humbug. Getting all panicky right now and don't know where to start - I think I don't like this time of year! It is very cold here and tons of snow - so just the thought of getting ready to go out in that 'bugs' me. I think one of my dogs is feeling stressed too - this morning we found him running around with one of my estrogen patches on his rear - have no clue how that got there! Cooking - well I have baked and eaten all the Xmas goodies and don't feel like making any more stuff. Basically, I think I wish it was Monday and what I don't have won't matter - and a Merry Christmas to you too!

N.B. Don't get me wrong re the above, I couldn't agree more with you Sandy - and I know we should all be thankful for all that we do have (and I am) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif My heart goes out to all the less fortunate.

[This message has been edited by lanie (edited 12-20-2000).]

[SandyM]

Please don't think I'm preaching, because I can get into a funk just as easily as anyone else. For me, this works. At this time of year especially, all it takes for me is to turn on the news or look in the paper and read about how people are being turned away from homeless shelters because they're out of room. Imagine having no place to go to get warm in 14 degree weather.

I may not have the Calphalon pots & pans that I covet, and I may not be able to buy my family all of the gifts that I'd like to, but I do have a bed to sleep in, in a home that I love, family around me, good friends (like all of you!) and food to eat.

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

[SusanD]

Hooray, Sandy! I'm trying to keep the same state of mind. In years past I've turned myself into a major stress case trying to make everything perfect - perfect gifts, perfect food, perfect decorations, etc. However, this year, we're expecting our first child so our budget's a little smaller and I'm a little more easily tired out. And you know what? I realize that the things in the past that I've driven myself (and my poor husband) crazy about don't really matter! As long as there was thought put into the gift, my sister isn't going to care that I didn't buy her a whole outfit or my parents a DVD player. And as long as there IS food, no one's going to care if I don't have eight different kinds of cookies or if I don't serve the perfect "Martha" meal. So I'm slowly but surely (with the help of my DH) realizing that as long as I do the best I can, the most important thing is that we're with people we love, and the best contribution that I can make to the celebration is to be happy and relaxed.

Happy holidays to all! And Sal...if that doesn't cheer you up, I can also tell you about our dog who stole a stick of butter that was sitting out to soften for cookies. He's a yellow lab and therefore big enough to stand w/his front paws on the counter...I thought I had pushed the butter far back enough, but then I noticed the missing stick and saw the telltale schnibbles of waxed butter wrapper on the family room floor. To top things off, he also decided to help himself to two of the finished product as well. Fortunately his tummy held up, and the cookies met with his approval!

[sal]

Thanks for the replies - lanie, I'm with you! (And I still giggle every time I think of your dog.) I admit that I've been caught up/overwhelmed by wanting to create "perfection." Thanks for the reminders to be grateful for the many positives in my life. Susan, congratulations on the baby; we also have a yellow lab who loves to belly up to the counter and taste - she is very fond of CL's Cinnamin Apple Cake!

[SusanD]

Thank you! And I wish you (and everyone else on the CL board) a happy and healthy holiday season! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Don]

Hi Sal,

This has been an especially difficult holiday season for my family. I have been ill for the past two months with what we believe is an intestinal virus that I picked up while eating an airplane meal, and my doctor has not let me leave the house since early November. I have been going through a litany of medical tests, some painful, some not, and still there is no definite answer as to what's going on. My SO's best friend was diagnosed with Fourth Stage melanoma and probably has months left to live (she's in her mid-40s), and another friend had her husband (also mid-40s) slump over his desk at work and die instantly of a heart attack. All of this has made us realize the real meaning of the holiday season. We are taking the opportunity to express our love and gratitude to those people in our lives who enrich us so much on a daily basis, but who we seem to take for granted. It's so easy to get frustrated and obsessed with all of the "trappings" of the holidays like decorations, shopping, cleaning to create the "perfect" house, etc. It's important to remember that whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or whatever, that these things are not what the holidays are about. So, throw aside some of those tasks that drive you crazy and make a list of the people who you need to tell how much they mean to you. Suddenly the holidays will seem much more meaningful and less stressful when you realize how truly blessed you are.

Wishing you a happy holiday season, Don.

[SueK]

Don, I sure hope things get better for you in 2001.

This was a tough year for my family as well. Lost my father suddenly, as well as my aunt, and several members of my family were hospitalized. I guess this year I've been focusing on the fact that we do have our health, jobs, cars, houses, etc. Things that we tend to take for granted at other times. Sorry if I sound like a Hallmark card! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif I hope everyone on this board has a great holiday season, and is able to enjoy it without getting too stressed!
Sue

[Danielle]

Even with all the stresses and crowds that come with this time of year, I really love Christmas. This year our unit at work decided to sponsor a family through the Salvation Army. One of my coworkers contacted our "family" a few weeks ago to see what kind of items they needed. The family consisted of a woman raising four boys on a meager salary. She wanted her boys to have some new items for Christmas, along with perishable and non-perishable food items. Amazingly, among the 20 employees in my department, we were able to come up with enough money to buy the boys all the presents that were on their list (fishing poles, bikes, clothes, etc), plus we bought them the fixings for a huge ham dinner along with lots of boxes of cereal, hamburger, buns, milk, cheese, etc. It was so awesome to see everyone pull together to help out a family in need.

Unfortunately I was not in the day they passed around the list for the Christmas items, so I ended up signing up for the apple pie on the food list. I was feeling really bad...here so many people were able to donate so much, and I signed up for pie. I made the pie on Sunday, and brought it in on Monday, the day of the delivery. I did not help deliver the items, but when my coworkers who did deliver returned from their trip, they told us how grateful this woman was that we helped her make this a wonderful Christmas for her boys. Later on one of my coworkers approached me and told me the woman was so touched by my contribution. She couldn't believe that someone took the time to make a them a pie.
An afternoon of my time meant the world to this woman. It made me feel great. I wanted to go home and make 10 more pies.

I think about how those boys will be so excited to have gifts to open on Christmas morning, and how they'll get to share a wonderful meal together as a family. How fantastic is that!

I hope you all of safe, healthy, and wonderful holiday!

Danielle

[MrsReber]

SusanD, we're in the same boat. I used to always run around, shop from 8:00am until 10:00pm, but this year, I can't tolerate more than 2 hours at the mall. Then I must go home and rest! I do, however, have 8 different varieties of homemade cookies at home! Couldn't help myself!

Danielle, we used to sponsor families at my last job. I loved going out and shopping for our adopted families to make sure they had clothes. They usually collected enough money to buy big items, too, since everyone was so generous. It was always great to read how we could all make a difference. Too bad we didn't do it for every holiday on the calendar.

My husband bought me one gift- a beautiful gold necklace. It was on the expensive side so he said we'd have a "lame" Christmas this year since there wouldn't really be any other gifts for me to open. How can he say it'd be lame? I tell him on every occasion (anniversary, birthday, anniversary of the day we met) that I just need for him to remember. I already have everything I could need- it brings tears to my eyes to think of how wonderful my life really is- a great husband, a baby on the way and our four legged kids (2 dogs and a cat) who provide us with endless entertainment. It's not about the gifts (giving or recieving) it's about remembering those we love and thinking of how fragile life is- and holding those dear to us just a little closer. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[luv2cook]

Sal, I've had my fill of the christams blues, too. I started to write this big long thing, but just hit clear fields. I decided I wasn't going to bore anyone with my woes.

I have made myself feel better by baking cookies and giving them away. Puts me in the Christmas spirit. This lady that works for me is working the holidays at a liquor store and is standing on her feet for 12 hours a day and she's in her middle 60's and it's killing her so I've been feeding her every day and today I brought the whole store some homemade cookies. Made me feel good. I feel fortunate that I'm not having to do that and I've got some family to go see, even if they could care less that we're coming.

What I try to do is look at it and say things could be worse. Lame but helps me out...

[slknight]

Originally posted by MrsReber:
it's about remembering those we love and thinking of how fragile life is- and holding those dear to us just a little closer. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
[/B]

How true this is. I am trying to remind myself of this frequently and remember how lucky I am to have my husband. I was one of the "pregnant Susans" and recently lost my baby at 10 weeks. For all of those with loved ones, please remember how special they are; they truly are miracles. Wishing you all Happy Holidays.

[sal]

Me again. I have made it through the day, thanks for your insights. It is so true to remember the really important things in life. You all inspire me with your strength, kindness and resilience ... I aspire to be like you. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my request. "You" and this bb are on my list of things to be thankful for. sally

[SusanJoy]

Wow - all the dog stories made me laugh!

And so, hoping to make you laugh, too, I have to include the antics of ours.

Ed is a counter-surfing black lab - 90lbs. - and this is why! This week, while doing all of my holiday baking, I recklessly left the giant Costco box of oatmeal on the counter. We think he ate maybe three pounds of oatmeal! The next day from the garage pantry he got a can of Crisco! The following day, the butter flavor Crisco! I told my husband that to be fair we ought to give him the brown sugar - just to get the complete oatmeal cookie experience! How he holds up under all the stuff he gets into is beyond me! He's still a big happy guy - waiting for the next time I forget something on the counter.

Oh, the other funny thing he does. If we leave anything on the table after a meal - butter dish, ketchup, leftovers - he'll sit by the table and whine until we clear it all off. That's incentive to do the dishes right away!

Happy Holidays to all - I'm thankful for all the postings on this topic, from serious to light-hearted! Thanks everyone

Susan

[SueK]

SusanJoy- We should get our dogs together! My male basset once ate almost 1/2 of a 5 pound bag of brown sugar! He also ate oatmeal, BUT---it was my Aveeno Oatmeal Bath stuff! He got into our bathroom cupboard and ate 3 packets. I called the vet in a panic, but she said the only thing that would probably happen would be that it would give him "roughage" to go to the bathroom more. As if we aren't constantly taking him outside as it is! Dogs do add humor to life, don't they! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Susann]

slknight-I just wanted to say that you and your husband are in my thoughts and I hope you are feeling ok.

[sunbrie]

What is this with Labs? Are they all eternally hungry? My yellow Lab ate a whole bag of large bagels. You could see her stomach all poofed out! Today, however, I finally found something she won't eat--grapefruit. We dropped a piece and she came rushing over (as usual) and sucked it up-- then spit it out. Anyway,I hope everyone enjoys the holidays as much as they can.

[lanie]

Just have to add - after reading about 'labs' - it was one of my goldens that had the patch on this morning (btw they are not smart enough to know how to administer)- and I cannot tell you and probably don't need to be told - how many 'things' have mysteriously disappeared from my counter tops - have 2 here and things tend to go 'bump/missing' whenever I am out and I never really know who the real culprit is - love them to pieces - just don't like the clean up after the stolen articles are missing, which, of course usually happens in the middle of the night! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

I also would like to add that I am so sorry to hear of losses and illnesses at this time of year, or for that matter at any time, my thoughts are with you - it is never easy.
God Bless.

[emilycat]

slknight,

I'm so sorry about your loss. My first cousin recently experienced the same, and I know it was very painful.
Do remember all of the loved ones in your life, and know that all your BB'er are here for you, as well.

Emily

[Grace]

I must have the weirdest lab in the world. She never steals anything, ever. You could leave your dinner plate on the floor and leave the room and the worst she MIGHT do is sniff it. While I cook, she lays on the floor and when I drop stuff, she doesn't move a muscle unless I tell her yes, she can have it (I drop lots of onions - they're toxic to dogs). She's either a really, really, really good girl, or she's just mutant or something! (BTW, we're getting ANOTHER ONE in January!! I'm so unbelieveably excited. Almost like having a baby to me - not really, but you dog people know what I mean! They are only 4 weeks old now, so I can't pick her up until mid-January. I can't wait!).

[MrsReber]

slknight- I am so so very sorry to hear about your loss. I know there's really nothing I can say to ease the pain and disappointment. I just wanted to let you know that my thoughts are with you.

[Ohioan]

slknight - I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. You're in my prayers for comfort and peace, not just in this season but always. There will be peace eventually, even if it doesn't seem so now.

Love,
Phoebe

[SandyM]

My thoughts and prayers are with you, slknight. I don't have children, so have never suffered such a loss, but I lived through it with my best friend, and it was very difficult.

Wishing you peace and comfort this holiday season.

[Ohioan]

Okay, all you folks who are having sad or stressful times, I'm now going to go into Ed mode (love ya, Ed! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif) and tell a little story about how we sometimes have to train ourselves to be happy -- and how perverse we can sometimes be in holding onto our unhappiness.

When I came home from overseas after the war and some other very horrible experiences, I was a complete wreck. Finally, I decided I'd have to find a way to yank myself out of the memories and the misery. One thing I did was set myself a quota (administrative officers are obsessive-compulsive about lists and goals): twice each day, once before lunch and once after lunch, I had to find something that I could say "oh, how pretty" about. No cheating by going to a museum or playing a favorite record or reading a favorite book; it had to be something accidental: the line of a branch across a rooftop, a set of colors in someone's clothing, a tune someone was humming or whistling, and so on.

Let me tell you, it was hard at first. Sometimes I had to put off lunch for an hour or more because I hadn't found my morning "oh, how pretty" yet. Well, one day, as I was driving up the street, I spotted a brilliant red traffic light against a slate-grey sky, thought "oh, how pretty," and immediately chastised myself: "Hey, no fair, that's cheating; you already got your morning quota today."

As soon as I heard myself thinking that, I burst out laughing at myself, right there in the car (probably scaring the other drivers on the road half to death). "Oh, excuse me," I mocked myself, "there are too many pretty things in the world; pardon me for enjoying things too much, you jerk!"

Ever since then -- and that was over 20 years ago -- I haven't needed the quota. Once I'd opened the receptors to the small beautiful details of life, finding them became automatic. But the point of the story isn't just that the pretty things are out there; it's that we need to work hard, at first, to get ourselves ready to see them.

And lest the cynical Phoebe seems to have gone mushy and sanctimonious on us all, let me add that sometimes you have to keep the "oh, how pretty's" to yourself. My mother, who assiduously searches out the dark side of everything (probably so the Aynhurreh or Evil Eye won't get her) finds my Pollyanna-ish attitude exremely annoying! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Cheers,
Phoebe

[Laura]

slknight-

I am so sorry for your loss. You and your husband and family are in my prayers.

[SusanD]

slknight, I am so sorry, I wish I could give you a hug! I know how devastated I would be, so I can only imagine the heartbreak you must be feeling. You're in my prayers!

[Natasha]

-

[Gail]

Are you alright, Natasha? I happened to be on a cookie break after you posted earlier and I see you've since gone back and decided to delete...

[that_las_girl]

This time of the year, I guess is notorious for emotional roller coaster rides. I've read through some of the postings and my heart really goes out to people who are experiencing health problems, loss, or even just those holiday blues. I guess I'm learning to search for positive things in my life no matter how negative some of the things are..and when I think of those positives, I really do smile.

Baked a beeeeaaaautiful layer cake, my perfectly shaped cakes cooling on the big wire rack on the kitchen counter. Went to toss a load of laundry in the washer..and came back to my two darling twin toddlers, each with two fistfuls of cake, each of them had commandeered a layer. The look on their crumbed faces and the big wide eyes when they saw me coming into the kitchen, a mumbled 'uh oh' through a cake filled mouth..and I had to laugh..just laugh and laugh. Probably even six months ago I would have baked another cake and been totally stressed. But, hey, it was just me and the kids and my DH for Chanukah tonight..so I got creative with the icing...REAL creative, and it was still lopsided. My seven year old was actually a big help in that department, and I think she was more perturbed than I was. After we lit the menorah and I brought out dessert, my husband just lifted an eyebrow and smirked and said "Did you have some help with that cake?" And we all laughed and had cake together. I sat there at the table, looking into the candlelight, truly thankful for the blessing of my family..and felt the real spirit of the holiday season.

I hope that all of you can find moments like these, little treasures amidst the chaos that you can hang onto when things get really rough.

Holiday wishes to all..

~las

[Natasha]

[This message has been edited by Natasha (edited 12-23-2000).]