The Experiment: Day 41 ~ It’s Late, But I’ve Been Having So Much Fun Tonight!

Yes! I know it’s only November 1 BUT it’s my job to pick the names for the family Christmas Gift Exchange (Some folks are amazingly early shoppers!) and I did that tonight. The pugs helped of course. I put everyone’s name down on a strip of paper, fold each one up, mix them all up real good, SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE, and then I pull the names one by one. I let them be as they are unless someone was getting the same person they got last year. Luckily that didn’t happen this year.

We talked about this for a few years but finally did it last year. There are the 3 children, their spouses, and me. That makes 7 of us. We all buy for the grandkids but for the adults we each buy one gift and receive one gift and that is enough, and saves a lot of time and money for everyone. We have a limit of $25. Nobody needs nor can we afford big expensive gifts. This works for us and we had so much fun last year. They do things differently with their dad but we open gifts separately so this works great.

There have been so many years I nearly had a nervous breakdown every time Christmas approached because I’ve had so little money and didn’t know what to do. This has caused a big sigh of relief for all of us and is a far more relaxed and sane way to spend the holiday. We exchange our gifts and then have fun watching the little ones open their gifts which is, I think, as it should be.

Something else is happening inside of me this year and it’s all part of all the positive changes that have been happening in my life. I am looking SO forward to Christmas this year I REALLY want to be Christmasy. You see I haven’t really felt like decorating the house since it burned down in February 2014. That year I moved back into the house at the very end of September. They were very hard months with very little money. I was so sad about everything I didn’t decorate, I didn’t even have a tree. But then my dear friend Jeff said “You HAVE to have a tree!” And he brought me a lovely 4′ tree that I put up on the round table in my studio. It is an artificial tree which I never wanted — I have always had real trees and love them dearly — but I was so grateful to get it and it came pre-lit with colorful lights, and Jeff bought the most charming old fashioned Christmas ornaments for it as well as a gorgeous angel for the top of the tree that lights up. I was absolutely charmed and appreciative and I love it. And you want to know something funny? Since 2014 when he came and decorated it for me, after the holidays I just carry it, fully ornamented, angel still on top, into the garage and sit it there. The day after Thanksgiving I will carry it back in, set it up, plug it in and turn the lights on. It just tickles me all to pieces and I will put it up again this year, but…

I want a real tree too. My artificial one goes here in my studio where I spend most of my time but I would love to have a real one in the front room, not a very big one, something I can put on the table in front of my windows so you will be able to see it lit up from the street. And today I bought blue lights for my front porch at the Dollar Store. I felt like a little kid looking at Christmas things there. I always used to put lights up but haven’t since the fire. And the one thing I really really want is a wreath for my front door and I know just the one, I have been looking at it for months. The retail price is listed on a few different sites anywhere from $100 – $150 but it is on sale these places for about $75. STILL too much for me. I am hoping and praying that there will be a further sale, or a coupon or something. It will last for years and years, is pre-lit, and is gorgeous. This is my dream wreath. I am putting it out here to the Universe and hoping the Christmas angels find a way for me to get it. I believe in miracles! I believe, I believe, I BELIEVE! A girl can hope, right?

And I used to have twinkly lights in every room in my house. No heart for that either since the fire but after the holidays I want to start getting them for the house again. I used to have pink twinkly lights in my studio and they were so pretty. I want to have them again. I was always a magic maker and that part of me is coming back to life! I don’t have much money to spend but I can find them inexpensively online and save up for them. We all need magic in our lives. This year the magic is coming back!

Well dearhearts it is near 11 p.m and I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. Today was my big day out. I have therapy on Wednesdays and afterwards I do grocery shopping and other errands. It’s the only day I go out most of the time. It’s been a long day. A long one but a good one. I will shortly snuggle up with the puggeries. It’s time.

Until then picture me getting ready for Christmas, doing the Gift Exchange list and here is me when it’s time to go get my tree this year…

Lookout World! Grandma is coming back to life! Wheeeeeee! I am giggling with glee…

 


The Experiment ~A 365 Day Search For Truth, Beauty &
Happiness: 
Day 1 ~ Introduction To The Project
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Yoda

Comments

  1. What a great post! I like the Christmas Gift Exchange idea. Christmas will be so much fun for you and the pugs and all your family, bright and happy. x

    • Thank you so much Jenny! I love the gift exchange, the whole family loved it, it really works out well. Now, what will I get for the pugs this year? Hmmmm? 😀

  2. Your chosen wreath is very beautiful Maitri. I like the more traditional style of wreath too.
    I hope your dream comes true.
    I have already begun Christmas shopping. When I start depends on when my boys and daughter-in-law give me suggestions. I am not a surprise gift giver except for maybe a few little things in their stocking. I prefer to get them what they know they want. They know roughly what my budget per person is.
    I love the magic of the holiday season too. I think I may decorate my apartment more this year than last too.

    • Thank you Joan, I love this wreath so much, I too hope it comes to pass, but one way or the other it will be a festive Christmas and I’m looking very forward to it every step of the way. I hope you have a lovely holiday season. Sounds like you have the perfect system for your shopping too! Christmas is sadly so commercialized but there’s no reason you can’t make merry and have a beautiful holiday without spending a lot of money too. Enjoy! 🙂

  3. I think you could make that wreath pretty inexpensively from things at Michaels or The Christmas Tree Store 🙂

    • Joy I’m sure you can make lovely wreaths from things from these kind of places but the one I want is pre-lit and can hang on the front door with beautiful lights too. That’s what I want. But it’s a wonderful suggestion! Thanks! 🙂

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