Christmas, an inconsistent kind of day
So my Christmas celebrations actually happened Christmas Eve, but whatever.
My older sister is the one who started the entire family celebrating the day. We used to be dyed-in-the-wool old-country Baptists who scorned most major holidays for their pagan roots. But, after moving out, gaining some space and perspective, my sis found a new appreciation for family, and, thus, holidays. We have lights, and a tree, and a gift exchange program (seven of us plus significant others = secret santa to avoid overwhelming amounts of gifts). The gift exchange almost worked perfectly this year. The past two have had screwups and someone always managed to get too many/not enough gifts. This time we noticed the screwup in progress and sort-of managed to avert the "crisis".
Overall, I did well in getting and receiving. My giftees liked at least one part of my gifts, and I really liked most of mine. It was mostly bits of paper, oddly. I got a subscription to Lumosity, two gift cards, one for a neat local yarn shop, the other for amazon, and random stuff, like a violin bag and a shoulder rest I didn't need. Oh! And there was a blender later on, not as a gift, but I loves it. Smoothies are awesome.
Other highlights: my fraternal cousin's party. She had the event catered by Whole Foods, and most of it was truly delicious. I must find the recipe for their sweet potato casserole; it was divine.
Not-so-highlights: shopping/going out for three days straight. I'm an introvert, that stuff wears me out, and makes me even more susceptible to...my older sis's biting sarcasm whenever I said anything less than smart, or that annoyed her. In our family, we have two misanthropes: Older sis and oldest younger brother. They have the lowest tolerance I've ever seen for normal human "stupidity". So, on top of being stressed out from too much travel/out there-ness and PMS, I have to deal with my family snapping at me. There is a locked post from a few days ago cursing them out.
Ah well, I never claimed the holidays were the happiest of the year. At least I didn't get sick, or provoke an open fight. If there is one thing in my family that is looked down on, it's open hostility/meaness. I wish more people had come down on her for doing it.
And that's really it for Christmas. I've been working slowly on my insulation socks for my rainboots. I hope to have them done by my return to school. I just finished a pretty green and white striped hot pad. Made a mushroom tart yesterday with reconstituted dried mushrooms in half of it. It's a little tough, but darn tasty. Been going to the chiropractor since returning to OK. Less back pain and easy popping of my joints! Yay. My roommate loaned me her NOOK for the break, and I kinda like it, though not enough to buy one. I now have more than enough candy/snacks to last me until I leave (stocking stuffers and impulse buys ftw). Oddly enough, I'm rue-ing not having my makeup with me, my packing just wasn't well-planned: I didn't bring my stocking/extra gifts, or "festive" clothing. Life does go on, thankfully.