Tag Archives: Holiday

In Limbo

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The days between Christmas and the new year are suspended in amber; a week of feeling in limbo — at least for me.

The frenzy leading up to Christmas that started at Halloween and progressed to Thanksgiving and finally to December 25 is a mess of cooking and baking and cleaning — and now it’s over, along with the twenty-four hour Christmas music on the radio.

It’s so so quiet outside, like a day during the pandemic.

It’s a great time to shop the after holiday sales, but I have enough wrapping paper and Christmas cards and decorations to last until the next century, so I’m not all that excited about the 75% off prices…although I DO love a bargain.

But — we’re not quite done because the end of the year is only a few days away and that occasion is supposed to be memorialized by some sort of celebration, whether you choose to go to a ball or a party or stay home by the fire with a glass of champagne and try to stay awake until midnight.

And then it’s over — but not until the idiots shoot guns in the air and set off more fireworks that scare all the animals.

I’m not sure I’d call this feeling a full fledged depression, but there’s a term that describes it pretty well… Post Holiday Blues. It sounds like it should be the title of a song, right? PHB refers to the letdown we might feel after all the excitement and anticipation leading up to the holidays.

I hope Santa brought you everything you asked for and enjoy this week in limbo, waiting for 2025.

What Do Christmas Songs by Leon Russell and Hanukkah Have In Common?

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Not a lot, except we’ve always celebrated BOTH holidays with highly decorated trees and menorahs and it’s going to be an extra festive week since the first night of Hanukkah starts at sundown on Christmas Day.

The reason why Hanukkah is so late this year is because it follows the Hebrew calendar which is based on the lunar cycle, different from the solar-based Gregorian calendar.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

These two holidays converge an average of five times a century, Since 1900, the first night of Hanukkah has fallen on December 25 five times: 1910, 1921, 1959, 2005, and now 2024.

Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas!

Now it’s a perfect time for some Leon Russell trivia…

Record producer Phil Spector spent several sessions recording a collection of songs with his Wrecking Crew for a Christmas album. One of the greatest moments during those sessions was when “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” was recorded by Darlene Love.

Leon Russell was one of three piano players and Darlene said that Leon got into the song so much “he played a like a man possessed; it was almost like a concerto. He played himself right off the bench and onto the floor and kept playing.” Leon was about twenty years old at the time.

At the same recording session, Cher did some background vocals and Sonny Bono was on percussion!

Enjoy these holiday songs from the one and only Master of Space and Time, Leon Russell…
Not your usual Christmas music, but SO VERY Leon. For you Grateful Dead fans (not me), this was recorded with Jerry Garcia at the Armadillo World Headquarters November 1972.

‘Tis The Season | Holiday Fashion Statements

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It seems like giant holiday-themed inflatables are popping up everywhere. These are nutcrackers, but I’ve driven by streets with every house on the block participating, dressed up with gargantuan Santas and Frosty. I absolutely love it.

Street art.


After the plumbers left, I found a box of my sparkly trees when I cleaned the garage. I created a simple tabletop display that looks and feels so festive!

A forest of trees.

#WordlessWednesday

The Convoluted Logic of Our Mother’s Day Tradition

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depositphotos_5078841-Happy-Mothers-Day-with-Daisy-FlowersIt started with my own mom; she presented ME with gifts on Mother’s Day — thanking me for being her daughter — and any excuse to shop is a good one, right?

I was born on Mother’s Day, so it makes sense to give me lots and lots of presents. Even though it only occurs that way every seven years, it’s still always within the same week.

I enthusiastically carry on the tradition with my son; well, because — uh –if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have a reason to celebrate Mother’s Day at all, would I?

As my son would say, “Duh.”

This year I got him an array of products from Kiehls — skin cream, shaving cream, shampoo, and penned a mini-poem:

You have always been my Angel Boy

As your mom

Every day has been filled with joy.

Other girls wanted to be doctors, lawyers, teachers — all I ever wanted to be was a mom.

While all the other mommies are having breakfast or brunch or lunch, I’ll be spending my day driving to the airport to for a Southwest Airlines delivery of my Angel Boy. Can’t wait!

Best of all, he’ll be here all week and that is my best birthday present ever.

Happy Mother’s Day to cat and dog lovers!

crazycatlady

 

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