How was your Christmas?

I'm hoping against hope that we can somehow keep this thread free of the usual Davey Dog nasty political shit Iggo's insane conspiracy theory babble, Boiler's silly lies, and Tom's daily Bleat About Biden/"stats" posts.

I'd like to hear how you spent your Christmas. Mine was low-key; I had dinner with friends today and Zoom-called several relatives (none of whom live in Oregon). Ordinarily, I would have traveled, but I received eye surgery ten days ago and was told that I shouldn't travel above 2000 feet altitude for the next few weeks; of course, that would include flying, as typical cabin pressure is 8000 feet. The only state i could drive to without crossing a mountain pass much higher than 2000 feet would be Washington.

BUT...my eye is much better! I couldn't see out of it at all due to a "vitreous hemorrhage." Now, my vision in that eye has improved to 20/80 and as my eye surgeon says, will continue to improve. I'm so thankful for the terrific care I received and the great Oregon state insurance that cut my costs to almost nothing. I can only wonder how difficult it might be to get care in the future, when Trump's wingdings get hold of the health care system. And no, that's not a political comment. Trump's lackeys' lunatic crusade against medicine isn't political; it's stupid.

So how was your Christmas? Anything special or different...or just the usual warmth and good feelings? Let's chat about that.

And David, Boiler, Inigo, and Tom, you are explicitly NOT welcome in this thread unless you want to truly discuss how your Christmas was and can do so without personal attacks, snide remarks, political bluster, or general nastiness. (I'm realistic, in that I don't expect all four, or even one of them, to stay away or stay civil, but I have to try.)

Glad to hear the eye is better!

We started our day early, walking the dogs then did a hard Christmas WOD (workout of the day).  The rest of the day was very relaxed, we roasted a duck and we enjoyed it with a nice salad with apples, blue cheese and pecans, local bread with olive oil and salt, some fine wine and finished with a delicious key lime pie from a local bakery.  I also enjoyed a small Glencairn of Isle of Skye 18 scotch.  We are very fortunate to have days like these.

Kevin, your doctors were right to warn against flying after your eye surgery.  Not so long ago my husband had something happen with his eye, not surgery, but the opthalmologist treated it including some drops that did help, and it seemed to have all passed.  I also don't recall us telling the doctor we had a flight planned in the next day or two.  Almost as soon as we reached altitude he started asking me to hand him the drops (thankfully had taken them along) and maybe a pain pill. He usually, and did doze off during the flight, but again several times he awoke and asked for the drops, much discomfort, and all that.  Thankfully, as soon as we started our descent into Vegas he felt his eye easing up, and by the time we landed all discomfort was gone.  It certainly was a lesson in what altitude can do if one is ailing in any part of the body.  I think he had a similar experience flying with a small cold, which got big and bad in the air and better upon landing, but we hadn't made the connection with the eye problem that time.

Anyway, my husband died in July, so this Christmas brought me to tears a few times, but he was in such pain, and had passed peacefully which takes the edge off of it.  My plan was to tough the evening out at my brother's house where there would be lots of people, relatives some of whom I don't recognize from year to year, but everybody warm and loving; lots of squealing kiddos; tons of food.  I had planned to bake my usual two pecan pies and make a squash casserole--yikes that probably doesn't sound good but it is.  Anyway, my brother had called me and requested my sausage dip (sausage, cream cheese, and Rotel) and my roasted/toasted pecans (butter, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper, pecan halves, done in my electric skillet), so that was what I made and took over there.  I should have made 1 recipe of each but I did 3 of each, as everybody else also brought so many good food things. Oh, well, just about $100 worth, especially the 3 lbs of pecans. 

Plus I took note of a cute picture of Scott and I of about 15 years ago, looking good then, in a Christmas frame on the mantle, so I took it with me so he would be 'represented.'  They all loved him and enjoyed the picture which I left there, as I now have on the hearth a ton of the two of us that I had dug up and framed for his memorial service.  On Chrismas Eve we had done "Carols, Candlelight and Communion" at church where I sang with our choir and rang handbells with our handbell group.  Lovely service.  Both nights once I got home I was zapped, so with my gin and tonic and a dab of leftovers to put me to sleep in front of a movie, I slept good except when Albert (the cat) would wake me (on schedule) at midnight (he being hungry and me needing to pee).  I'm really glad we already had Albert, he really is good company, gives me purpose.  

I had recorded some old and newer movies, Christmas and other, so I've enjoyed them though I usually fall asleep before they end.

We hadn't done a tree in several years.  We always got a live one, then one year as his medical problems were making it more difficult we started buying a poinsettia instead, which I did again this year.  I do have the knack for killing live plants in the house, and this year the poinsettia had pretty much died by Christmas Day.  I think it wasn't a good one to start with and this time was planted with a lot of green plants around it in the container which I thought was a nice change.  I blame it on those green plants, as I usually could get one to last til New Years at least.  Oh, well.

So, nothing really exciting.  At least up and out with family.

Candy

Candy, that sounds lovely, and I don't think most of us want an exciting Christmas anyway--like finding ourselves in the middle of "Die Hard" or something.

Thanks for sharing your experiences and your feelings. I'm sure it was bittersweet to celebrate Christmas for the first time without your husband. And yeah, having a pet at such a time is really comforting. 

Ocular best wishes to you. We drove to Amarillo ( enduring the inherent feedlot aromas surrounding that area; comforting if one likes steaks and burgers?) and visited with two close biological family bunches there. Spent time with five of the grandkids on that trip; and we escaped before any family arguments ensued. We ate well and all in all It was pleasant.

Upon return we spent Christmas eve with my son and his family ( 2 more grandkids) who live here locally ( and their annoying Cockerdoodle dog who has a penchant for crawling up the legs and backs of visitors upon arrival after making 47 loops along the tops of the couch and furniture). Other than my disdain for that dog's general behavior and strong desire to bait a trotline with it ( OK, not really), we had a nice little short celebratory family thing. All good.