Holidays | Book Chatter

What a week. The last week before vacation is always super long, and this week was painful to get through. I COULD NOT wait for it be over. We had the normal stuff going on but with the holidays approaching, I was forced to buy a few gifts and I committed to donating some things so I found myself at the MALL after my dental appointment yesterday.

Oh my.

The mall was all decked out and crowded. I do not like crowds but I managed to get a premium parking spot (good timing) which made me want to stay there longer and for a split second, I had it in my head that I’d do my shopping, all of it. Ha! Don’t worry though, I came to my senses quickly and picked up what I went there for and took off like a bat out of hell.

Right now, on this super chilly morning, I am enjoying cheese grits and some really good coffee while listening to Bing Crosby. The Otter Pup found a ray of sunshine to bask in, and the house is nice and quiet. We don’t have anywhere to go to today as I finished all my errands yesterday so today is all about relaxing.

What am I reading?

Nadia and I decided to read Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami this week. We were both hankering for Murakami’s writing so I put it out there for others and a few decided to drink the Kool-aid with us. We’ll be on Twitter off and on this week chatting about the book (#readingsputnik).

I just finished World War Z and will be writing up my thoughts on that one soon. Not sure what I expected exactly but I thought it was a tad tame. The Abominable by Dan Simmons is soooo good that I find myself savoring it a bit too much. It’s a library check out and I’ve already renewed it once. I have to finish it soon or risk an overdue notice. Eeep.

Do you find yourself gravitating towards certain kinds of books this time of year? The Abominable is all about Mount Everest so I am literally freezing my tush off every time I pick it up.

As some of you know I am off all this week and planning our annual Thanksgiving in PJs. BUT, this week my nephews are coming to visit. My one nephew is bringing his family which includes three sweet little girls so we will be visiting with them at some point after the holiday itself. The Girl is really looking forward to seeing them.

What am I cooking?

Another Sunday without any cooking. We are hitting a Mexican market later to pick up a Chicken Picnic which is rotisserie chicken (2), fresh tortillas, rice beans and salsa. Why cook when someone else can do it for you?

What am I watching?

Last night we watched Weird Science. It’s not the weekend around here unless we work an 80’s movie into the mix. Tonight is The Walking Dead but in between, I may watch a Christmas movie in there somewhere. Maybe, Love Actually. I ADORE that movie and isn’t Andrew Lincoln in it? Yes, he is the hunky guy with the signs, right?

I’m really in the mood to see Home for the Holidays with Holly Hunter, but I don’t own it and my DVR says it’s coming on the first week in December so I must wait. It’s the perfect movie to watch around Thanksgiving. Crazy family, good acting and Robert Downey, Jr.

What are you doing today?

National-Lampoons-Christmas-Vacation — National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Let’s see, it’s already November 15th so it took me awhile to even write this post, but I noticed that as soon as November 1st hit, so did Christmas. No kidding! I know some of you have noticed it too. It seems the stores have completely forgotten about Thanksgiving and that’s a shame, because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for many, many reasons. Why rush it?

I adore Thanksgiving because of our annual Thanksgiving in PJ’s tradition. If you are new to the blog, you may not know but after years and years of hosting and forcing my family to take the all important Christmas card photo, The Teen and Girl told me that they really hated that aspect of Thanksgiving. The FORCED stuff. The nice clothing, the having to drop everything to take the damn pic, the fact that there is always some sort of drama to be had. Oh, and the Hub hated it too. In the midst of all of it I’d be cooking a freakin’ meal, sweating up a storm in my Christmas sweater. So when the kids (and hub) complained, I listened.

From that point on, we stay in PJs. We eat, we watch movies, we eat. Sometimes we do puzzles or play a game but there are no rules really and it’s made the holiday SO wonderful. Oh, and we don’t have anyone over either. It’s just us and the Otter Pup and we like it that way!

So for the stores and everyone else to rush us into Christmas so early, I gotta say that it saddens me. I love Christmas music and I do admit to breaking it out early because it eases me into a holiday that is wrought with commercialism but the stores. Geesh. I went out on November 1st and the decorations were up around town. TREES were up. People had lights up. Come on. I like Christmas for the traditional stuff (baking, the decor, the holiday drink menu, etc.) but the stores. Ugh. It pains me. Putting the stuff up early means that people buy the stuff early and then what? They just keep buying! Why? Because they can! I hate to think of all the families going into debt. We’ve been there. It’s not fun to take an entire year to pay off Christmas. Don’t do it.

Instead, buy a few gifts, make a few gifts, see a play or concert, check out the Christmas lights, drink eggnog, make cookies (and eat them!), visit with friends, read a great book (or six), stay in and watch Christmas Vacation, make soup, build a gingerbread house, cozy up by the fire and take a nap, make peppermint hot cocoa, watch A Charlie Brown Christmas.

You get the idea. It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by the obligation to buy stuff. Do family gifts. Auto Club memberships, zoo and museum memberships mean that that family will get to enjoy your gift ALL year long. With everything going on in my life right now, this return to simplicity almost seems like a requirement to me, not a choice. I am sick of electronics and gadgets and the need to keep up with all of them. Yes, it’s my job but it blows sometimes. I want simple back.

Don’t forget about Thanksgiving this year. It’s a wonderful time to spend with family and friends and it shouldn’t be skipped. I am SO looking forward to it and there is no way in heck, that you will see me in a store shopping on Thanksgiving day! No way.

Now that I got all of that off my chest, what do you have planned for Thanksgiving? Any new recipes to try? I am actually craving banana cream pie so I may make one in addition to the traditional pumpkin pie that we normally have.

Chatting with friends about books and life…