Cool, many kitty pictures.

Whoa. Just imagine if Father Christmas brought Sobakawa opposable thumbs for Christmas.

I would SO boycott *every* xmas, if it wasn't for the monkeychild. I swear, way back when I was your age, the holidays were just another day off work (which is a good thing). I still might join you in your zero participation after I send the monkey and her father off to the in-laws'...

Just sleep through Christmas. I wish I could. Its been such a shitty horrible no good year that I also didn't at all feel like participating. However with small children in the house, its almost impossible to sit it out. Oh how they rely on Santa unfortunately!

Flocking... those were the days. Nothin' a southern redneck girl likes better than a little flocking. And I had forgotten about the buzz you get... at age five.... by over-flocking. Ahhh memories....

I thought of you yesterday when I was at Best Buy. Well, not you exactly, but "Jingle." The womanchild in front of me in line had on earring balls made of tinsel. It was quite fascinating and sickening all at the same time. If only I could forego Christmas as well. Alas...

I can relate to sitting it out. Christmas is always hard for me to get "into". If it weren't for my husband pushing me along, I'd really be BAH-HUMBUG practically every year. He finally gave up begging to get a tree a few years ago. Ya gotta just go with what's in your heart this year, no presents, no lights? No problem. If next year you are all Christmas gaga, that is fine too!

Laurie, I'd be with you if I could. There are definitely times to "sit out" the holidays and this is your year. Go for it.

I sat out Christmas last year. I could go downtown and watch the panic escalate, and not feel anything but amusement. It was great. It looks to me like you're in fine Christmas spirit- my favorite Christmas spirit has a cork, too! I hope you feel better soon.

Hey, if you don't wanna, you don't have to! Plain and simple! Last year was beyond awful for me, as my mom had just died the month before, her birthday is 2 days before Christmas, and basically, everything sucked. We're not going all out this year, but we have made some small purchases, and I mailed out cards - THAT was a HUGE deal because I NEVER get cards out and it felt like a monumental task...

Bottom line my friend is that you get to do what feels right for you! Hugs and Happy UNHolidays to you =)

There is nothing whatsoever wrong with sitting out Christmas for a year.
Just have a backup plan for day-of in case you suddenly feel like you want something to do.

As for what the cats do all day- I'm routinely resentful of my cat as she lays there sleeping when I run out to work. Fuzzy little slackers.

Can't help you with your Christmas blahs--there are no rules here--you want to be pensive and not do Christmas--more power to you! I CAN, however, help with the poop problem: two words. SCIENCE DIET dry food.

It's true, they tend to get fat on the stuff, but I swear they poop less and it is less stinky and more formed. Okay--now I am officially a crazy cat mom. Four here also--don't let them make you feel guilty about changing their food either--less smelly poop--you will all be happier. An occasional bite of bacon for Roy is perfectly fine of course.

Where's Roy--need to see Roy!

Darlin' you just do what the time dictates. I think it's grand that you're not forcing yourself to do something you don't want to. It's your time now, knit, drink red wine and watch some chickflicks or whatever.

Christmas is just another workday for me, sadly. I used to be into Christmas in a big way but lately, as my year too has turned to crap, I don't really care. I own a tree and decorations but they are still in storage as Xmas has gotten a great big MEH from me. If it wasn't for the younguns expecting presents, I might go hermit on my family this year. I plan on spending the bulk of Xmas day surrounded by three cats and a big bottle of wine. Or rum. Haven't decided yet.

As a Jewess, I find Christmas fascinating. I am personally in awe of all that goes into it each year.

I also know for certain that if I had to live up to Christmas expectations for every year I have been alive, I'd be done with it by now.

I mean done. Not taking a year off for divorce but DONE!

They sleep so they can plot the night away. Nothing for frieghting than waking uo eye to eye with a cat. I guess eye to single eye with with a cat rear.

Purlie Girl, EMBRACE the non-christmas. Do what you like and pitch the rest. It's so freakin liberating you wouldn't believe it. I didn't put up any decorations for the last couple years for various reasons (this year it's because I'm traveling the day after and don't want a tree turning into the towering inferno while I'm gone but whatever.) Christmas should be what people want it to be, not what everyone else and the ad-council says it should be. I only bought presents for a few people and only then because I bumped into the perfect gift.

But I digress... if you love baking (I said "if". I remebmer your oven stories.) then bake cookies. If you don't, screw 'em. If you want twinkle lights, great. If not, the world will keep turning. If you want NOTHING or just don't feel like it, that's good too. Realize this may be the only year of your life when you can have a little Merry Christmas just for you without any obligations to other people. Plus you get all the eggnog to yourself, hopefully more nog than egg but it's up to you.

So I will say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year but only because I hope good things for you. Not because you need to go out right now and buy a million glass ornaments.

love,
g.

holy crap. just had to laugh at the Purl rush hour I stumbled into. 10 people posted in the time it took me to type. and we all said basically the same thing. that alone should tell you something Purlie, mostly that you have us all brainwashed. *hugs*

It's perfectly o.k. to sit out any holiday...no one says you have to celebrate if you don't want to. A word of advice, though...have food (& spirits) in the house *before* the weekend. I discovered on one of my absolutely alone Christmases that not even Denny's is open that day.

AMEN! to the cats getting jobs! I've decided that the day my cat sucessfully opens a door (not cupboard doors, he must sucessfully stand on hind legs and turn know, he tries) then he is capable of pulling in an income! I dont care if its going on talk shows and doing tricks or being a "Pet treat sample handout person" Costco type job (only at Petsmart maybe.. wouldn't that be funny..."would you like to sample these fine Beef Dog Bones? Tell your human you want her to buy these"), he's payin' rent!

you should feel free to bah humbug, so long as you can still appreciate the wonder of my new cat.

go! behold the wonder that is cat!

(and please come to snb this week, please please please)

Once Sobakawa finishes her manifesto you'll be able to sell it and her followers will donate tons of money and then you all will be living in style.

Christmas is for people in denial of reality. A few years ago I gave up believing that one day it would be great again. (like when I was 5 and didn't know about family ugliness) I am so far behind the acceptable place to be behind for christmas, that I am just giving up. All I am going to do is send a christmas card. In fact I am sticking one in the mail for you. Enjoy your extra day off. And don't feel guilty about passing on Christmas, like a rash it comes back next year!

Hey, it's just a long weekend. More time to knit, drink wine, clean up cat poop. Um, really not that different from what I'll be doing over the holiday weekend, come to think of it. :)

But here's the bonus - you will not be stressed out! You will not have succumbed to rampant consumerism! Yay, you!!

Hi, skipping the reading of above comments so if I repeat, sorry, just have to run to the PO (through squishy snow...) before they close because, yeah, I didn't do xmas last year either, for pretty much the same reason. I did cards, but I'm always writing someone something so it was no big stretch...most of them started being written in November and finished by March. No one batted an eyelash, they thought it was okay as long as I was okay. As my Buddist friend reminded me during the holidays last year, billions of people don't celebrate xmas, you won't be alone :).

Don't talk about hot flashes yet, (even the flu-shot related kind...).

Soba looks so beautiful in those photos! You'd never know what she's up to.

When I was on a medical leave one time, I got to see what really went on at my house during the day. Good grief! I thought since sleep is all they did when I was around that maybe they actually did stuff when I wasn't there, but nooooo....

This has been the most crap-tacular X-mas ever. WTF? No Holly-Jolly. The thrill is gone. It's not just you, Purl, not by a long shot.

Join the club, I ain't doing christmas this year too!

I feel you - I'm not interested in Christmas this year either. All I want is a leetle bit of heavily spiked eggnog (nog!) and I'll be fine until January.

Anxiously awaiting the release of Soba's manifesto...

Dahlings - didn't y'all know that Chr*stmas talk is no longer PC here in the good ole US of A? There's no more Chr*stmas in America, just the Holidays. Holiday parties, Holiday trees, Holiday cards. Just ask Dubya. We're in style! We'll wait for New Years Eve and welcome 2006 with open arms and open bottles. F*uck 2005. It sucked. Here's to 2008.

I think a Christmas off for a year (or more) is a good idea, after all a divorce IS a death. Death of a marriage, death of the future that you had thought you had, death of a dream. It's hard.

You have your kitties. My baby, Sheba, had a stroke early last week and I had to put her to sleep. After 20 years, I just feel lost without her. And pretty much like mowing down anyone who says "Merry Christmas" to me.

Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster you didn't join the Scientologists!!!
It's that Californee thing ya know...and it puts fear in my boots!
We are having a smaller christmas this year than usual because my mom is gone. I actually hope to keep it this way.
Someone suggested Science diet for the cats...great if you can get them to eat it...

I'm sitting it out this year, too. Every year it seems like something horrible happens around Christmas time. I can't stop it, but I refuse to celebrate the fact! So here's to a peaceful end to this year, and may next year be better for all of us!

Purl:
So not only is it perfectly OK to skip Christmas...

But I am so so jealous. Jealous of not having to buy the gifts that I'm too poor to be buying, jealous of not having to be bombarded with your friends' ultimate Christmas mix CDs, of not having to drag yourself to a dull family get together...

Plain old jealous.

Have fun for me. And drink some of the wine for me. Lord knows I'll need it.

I "sat out" Thanksgiving and it was fabulous. I think what you're is a great idea.

Hey, Christmas ain't always what it's cracked up to be! Parts of it I like, most of it is awful - I actually really like the sound of the way you're going to spend Christmas!
This year, we're getting together with some friends in a local park - picnic, casual 'whatever' food, and we're going to read, play card games, knit (okay, that last one is just gonna be me), chat.
But I would love to be able to come visit with TimTams, Catnip (for Soba to use to control her followers), and several bottles of our gorgeous Australian Pinot Noir.

Nothing wrong with sitting out Christmas. Around here, we only do the bare minimum that's expected by family. I wish I could say I hadn't heard any Christmas music!

It sounds like you've found a perfect way to spend the holiday, ignoring it. I'd say, everyone who hates Christmas and would prefer to stitch n bitch in front of the tv, party at Laurie's! but I doubt you could fit all of us in your house.

The nice thing about Christmas is that it comes back every year. Participate one year, sit out another, whatever feels right.

I too have had a sucky year (at least since August) and have no Christmas or Holiday spirit. Last year we didn't even do little lights on the mantle and we aren't this year either. They're too much work to put away.

Christmas (or "the holiday") has become such a rampant commercial business occasion it really doesn't mean any more than shopping, spending money people can't afford and giving things, in large part, because we feel we "have" to. You're just further along the plan to be debt free so you can take a great vacation, remember!

As someone mentioned before, make sure you have plenty of food and libation in the house because not much (if anything) will be open. And enjoy the time to yourself.

Hugs.

I'm basically batting zero on the Xmas front, too, though I will be drafter to shop for the cousins. (Apparently this is too much for my semi-retired parents, to go to 2 different stores and buy gift certificates. I know. How do I ever do it?)

However, I have 3 statistics to add: Calories consumed: a billion. At least.
Heart rate as I just climbed 2 flights of dtairs: pushing 200. Pounds gained this holiday season (projected): 15.

In your honor, I'll be sitting out New Year's Eve this year. Maybe every year from now on. That's the holiday I find to have too much pressure to have a good time/do something exciting/etc. Blegh.

Jeez, Laurie, lookit all these posts, mere minutes after you posted! When you write, I feel like you’re talking directly to me, but I guess there are some others involved too, eh? How many others are out there, refreshing the page, waiting for the latest from your inspired pen? Quite the following you have.

About the cats, I’m with you. What gets me with mine is when I draaagg myself out of bed in the morning and they give me the looks that say, very clearly, “Why are you getting up? You are disturbing us!” I have been known to remind them that *they* aren’t bringing in any money for the cat food (or anything else). The last time I was home sick for a few days, they followed me from bed to couch and back, a little annoyed that I kept *moving* on them…the nerve, you know?

[Mine eat Science Diet dry exclusively, by the way. They like the hairball control formula best, though they don’t have hairballs hardly ever (even before starting this variety of food).]

Last week I spent $400 to find out my cat has a UTI so I get to sit Xmas out because I told everyone it cost $500 instead.

I'm knitting a sweater for my mother because she is the Volcano God and can only be pursuaded not to destroy the village by appeasing her with wrapped gifts on family-togetherness-holidays.

Everyone else is getting $20 Target gift cards, and if it weren't for the nephew I'd stay home and screw the village.

Okay, now that I've recovered from the cats thinking they should "poop their own weight," I'm going to tell you that I totally respect your decision to sit out Christmas this year. If anyone ever needed a break, it's you, sister. Everyone who loves you will understand.

You can consider it a service -- keeping the average amount of holiday stuff down to a reasonable level. You + jingly lady in the elevator / 2 = something like reasonable.

Have a nice relaxing couple of days.

Sit it out! I'll be sittin' down with ya! I just finished decorating (put some green yarn I bought on the dining room table, so low energy but FESTIVE!)

The relatives that were coming for the Xmas weekend just informed me it was TOO COLD to visit Chicago...

Right ON Mr. Weatherman - now all I have to do is take my shoes off and sit a spell...

I just cleaned the litterbox, so I'm right here with ya. I may crack a nice zinfandel later to celebrate.

We are having a Lite Christmas. All the taste of a real Christmas with only half the presents! We're only doing stocking stuffers which made shopping So Easy! I would have loved to skip it altogether, but you know, the kids... they insist. (Grown kids - the youngest is 16. I don't want anyone to think I am depriving a 5 year old of Christmas!)

I think my Nutmeg is Soba's long lost sister. They look alike and have the same dominant personality. Scary.

Thank you so very much for making my day. I've been crying for days and you made laugh.

Purlie!!
Enjoy your right not to participate. It's an OPTION, not a REQUIREMENT!!!! I've been doing it for YEARS!!Zero decor,cards,jewelry,apparel and very minimal gifts for family only.(we drew names) I've had WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much retail job stuff in my pre 40's and let me tell ya it's soooo much less stressful when you just ignore it!!!I almost persuaded my mother to cancel it this year....she always teases me with the possibility. over it over it over it soooooooooover it. And hell yeah to the cats gettin jobs. At least scoop their own litter boxes for cripes sake. I've had a list of feline chores posted here for a while.. HUH!...better luck to you!! Oh and try some cheddar chex mix with that wine of choice darlin. Get the BIG BAG! It's good for what ailes ya....

Sit out Christmas and be proud, girl. You are the sane one!

I decided not to send Christmas cards this year, and when I realized that the world would not end, in fact that the world would not notice, it felt so damn good!

I am sure the kitties are more than a little disappointed in you for not bringing in a scratching post/climbing toy for them. At my house, it has been a battle with Sally (the miniature daschhund) to keep her from drinking the tree water. Her water bowl has gone mostly neglected for nearly two weeks but I am feeling up that dang tree at least once daily.

Hey! I'm skipping Christmas too! I mean, I'm a newly wed and we bought small gifts for each other and I knit for my mom (recently divorced) but NO cards, NO tree, NO fancy wrapping/shopping/party-throwing. My family has always behaved in the following ways:
a) it's for the kids-so if you don't have kids-don't bother.
b) it's a personal religious holiday, so have a personal religious celebration... or don't...but don't commercialize it!
It makes for a fun, relaxing time (if only my in-laws could get on board).

We've had low-key Christmases for several years now, and I like it that way! I have kids, so we can't skip it entirely, but now that my parents are gone (and I have finally convinced the ex's huuuuuuge family that we are NOT going to be participating in their horrible event, with the kids shrieking inside and the middle generation getting plastered outside, while the grandparents whine at everyone), the kids and I and a friend of mine just open presents and then hang out and play with the toys all day. Restful...

I remember Christmas Tree shopping with my father when I was little (in shorts and flip-flops, since we were living in LA at the time) and trying to figure out why the tree with flocking was $40 than the tree without. Are Christmas trees still hella-expensive in California?

(Of course, if you're boycotting Christmas, I suppose you wouldn't know. Which I totally support, by the way. Christmas? What's that?)

I am sitting out Christmas this year too. :-) I will be at home, alone, drinking wine and knitting and talking to my ferrets. Maybe I will cook myself an extra nice dinner, but that's it.

My ex/roommate got all sentimental last night about how he'd like to take me with him to his family's house so I didn't have to be alone. I didn't bother pointing out that *not* having to spend the holidays with his family is one of the reasons I'm glad we broke up.

Merry un-christmas to you Laurie! I wish I could join you. I really don't think the baby jesus would mind if we celebrated his birthday with wine and tivo. He's pretty cool about keeping things simple. Oh, btw, my URL changed, just in case you want to continue blog stalking me. Ho Ho Ho.

Okay, your cats and my cats do exactly the same thing all day, right down to the annoying waking up ritual. This year the kids and I decided, without angst, to do Minimalist Christmas. Casual gift exchange, no cooking on my part. I did put up the tree, but that was it for decorating, everything else is still boxed. They are both booked to work next weekend (Christmas is just another work day in Tourist Orlanduh). I feel very liberated. I'll put Christmas Fussing back on the calendar if I ever get a grandchild-spawn out of either of them. Until then, I'm off duty.

Sorry you've been sick! Soba sounds a lot like my Small Change. I'm tellin' ya, calicos are snotty psycho cats. . . with charm to spare.

Screw Christmas--celebrate Festivus! The airing of grievances, the feats of strength, the--pole?? Much better. Festivus! For the rest of us!

Thanks for all the smiles.

Helen

1. I SWEAR we are channelling...some of our posts are freakily similar this month.

2. Flocking? Anyone else from Brooklyn know what flocking is...or knew before Laurie enlightened us? I honestly hadn't a clue.

3. And I have honestly NEVER put tinsel on a tree, much to the southern separated from him husband's chagrin. Truly. Tinsel just isn't Brooklyn. Unless they are in a drive by with tinsel on the antenna, maybe then.....

4. I just yelled at the American Express man for wishing me a Merry Christmas, and I even had a glass of red wine in my hand as I did that, so you wouldn't think I wouldn't be so hostile, no? At least you aren't hostile, like me..... :)

5. Do whatever you want, but TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Got it girlie?

No Christmas for me either this year with the possible exception of a charlie brown christmas tree. Because it smells good and the animals aquire a new jungle gym.

But what I really want to talk about is flocking. A few years ago I went to a two week jewelry workshop and one of the things that was taught in the class was flocking jewelry. The well known teacher did a very serious presentation of the various ways to flock a piece of metal and concluded with "You can pretty much flock anything."

So of course I piped up with, "Can you flock yourself?" And pretty soon, we had flocking tattoos and toenails and fingernails and a rocking good time.

So in case you get bored, you can always flock yourself. :)

I skip out on Christmas every year anymore. What's the point? I show up to the appropriate events when invited and bring the appropriate items, (food, gifts, etc.), but I'd be happy to sit at home with my DVR like you. What I'd REALLY like to do is spend it somewhere else, like Paris or New Zealand or Switzerland. I think that's what every single gal should do!

I don't mind Christmas; I do think some people can overdo it a bit...I am not one of those people, hopefully.

Do whatever makes you happy. Even if that means doing nothing at all....

Fortunately, I was her to enlighten Kristine about the flocking. She is very interested in the getting high part as toxicity is partiucularly intriguing these days.

Oh, and can my cat Franny join the LAPD. Punching is one of her unique talents. and, I also need help with the mortgage!

We all love Christmas, but some years there just isn't the right Karma or something. Many of us are jealous of you sitting, knitting, watching tivo, sipping wine, talking to your cats...etc. We, on the other hand are trying to pull a six course dinner out our whazoos while orchestrating cleanup from Christmas brunch and present opening and hyper children. Actually, as an empty nester, the only child that will be home is our youngest son and he is totally into a low key Christmas. So you go girl and do it your way.

I hear you about Christmas! Told the man I'd just rather be on some tropical beach rubbing suntan lotion on me and sipping some wacky flowered drink.

AS for the cats, come on Laurie, they are just pulling an act while your home sick. You know, they have tons of other cats over to party, party, party till 30 min's before Mom gets home from work. Haven't you noticed the cap nip dealer lurking in your neighborhood?

I, for the first time this year, am sitting out Christmas too. And I’m pretty happy about it, I just hope no one feels bad or left out if they don’t get a card/gift/whatever-other-social-nicety-the-season-commands from me. It’s not them, it Christmachaunukwanzakah. I will celebrate by eating Chinese take-out and going to the movies. Any and all interested parties welcome to participate in the anti-holiday.

Dude, I'm just plain JEALOUS. Laurie, you're a ray of sunshine, and Christmas is just a day. Nothing particularly meaningful - it's just a day.

And your cats were totally lying to you.

Just tell your family you are jewish (yes that is my answer for all you troubles) and blame it on the early years of huffing for the holidays (ie flock the halls).

Hope you feel better.

make sure you blog that day so that all the rest of us who are doing the toy trotcan have something to look forward to when we get home. wish we could join you, but, ya know, we would be "depriving the children" or whatever. path of least resistance.
enjoy your day to yourself.

Even if the holiday spirit just isn't happening, I hope you can still enjoy the Christmas Spirits! Eggnog, mulled wine, peppermint schnapps. . .

Put on your Santa hat & get the decorations up. (Tinsel in the litter box counts as a decoration). Go to the mall, buy yourself & the kitties presents. Sing Christmas carols. Get some people in for a celebration. They will bring FOOD, WINE,COOKIES & FUN. Give yourself Christmas sweet Laurie and take lots of pictures of the celebration. This suggestion is offered because I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR BILL O'REILLY TALKIN BOUT YOU ON THE TVEE!

Dearest Aunt Purl,

Are you kidding? Christmas is all about lying in bed with your remote control and a bottle of booze. When else do you get to do that without guilt? Enjoy your freedom!

P.S. I did the whole Christmas tree/ cookies/ gingerbread house/ hand-crocheted scarves for Christmas this year. I'm EXHAUSTED.

As I have sat out every other holiday this year, I do not think that my family would allow me to sit out Christmas. Besides, I do like getting gifts. If it wasn't for the gift thing, I'd probably be with you but I know that my dad has a case or so of wine waiting for me at his house. I guess I'll just have to take one for the team.

I just wanted to say, you are so not alone in boycotting christmas.

I'll be working Christmas day. Santa boycotts Afghanistan(cause of all the anti-aircraft missles...those gunners are TRIGGER happy).

and don't put those kitties on a Science diet. have them pull thier weight as science expirements (i'm just sayin is all...)

Have a flocking fun Christmas whatever way you WANT to. Pretend you are making a Discovery channel documentary and studying the quaint local customs as Margaret Mead might do. Or identifiy what the local Presbyterians have in common with pagan tree worshippers. Or act like a cat and nap.
My first post-divorce Christmas (when my kids were at their DAD'S house and NOT WITH ME) I played solitaire (with real cards, I didn't have a computer yet), tried to read a book, but fell asleep in the chair. And then I woke up and Christmas was alllllllll done.

OK, I have to be serious for a minute and say that if you suddenly have an attack of last minute redneckism and buy icicles (and are they even available on the west coast? Aren't they pretty much only in Dollar General?) DON'T. Cats and icicles don't go together. What you eat really can kill you.
Other than that, I salute you for ignoring Christmas and wish I could!

I'm so glad to hear that I am not the only one who hasn't sent out the Christmas cards or put up a tree, etc.
There is absolutely no shame in this. We're choosing to unembrace the circus of commercialism that Christmas has become.
Umm, yeah, that's it.

So I'm depressed now. I did all the holiday STUFF and realize you have WAY more friends than I do! Look at all these responses! I sent out 100 Christmas Cards but I don't have this many friends. Sigh. Good thing I have a Dog.

Why not? Decorations and presents aren't whats important about Christmas anyway... Besides - I'll completely agree some years about not doing the decorations thing - why put them up just to have to take them down? Just promise me that all this won't end up with you sitting by yourself on Christmas depressed while the kitties sleep all day... (you can be by yourself, just not depressed =)

Consider yourself lucky that you can choose to sit out Christmas. When you have family on top of family on top of you, you wind up HAVING to celebrate, whether you feel like it or not. Total. torture.

Do what you feel like this year--jump in when you're ready.

Do NOT spend Christmas at home -- it's much too easy to notice what's "missing" from "the way it's supposed to be," no matter how determined you are to be non-traditional and cheerful.

Instead, go somewhere completely different -- the beach, the desert, one of the really cool canyons (not on fire now) around LA, a ghost town, the Salton Sea and Anza Borrego, whatever.

I was amazed at how well this works. By freeing yourself of the associations of the day (impossible at home no matter how relentlessly upbeat you try to be), the whole liberating fresh start thing works waaaay better.

Saw this on the knitlist and thought of you ("Jingle"):

"I had a sweater that had a set of little christmas lights that ran off a watch battery.... I would love to find the lights and get them for her so she can restore her Mom's sweater. Any body know where I could get a set even if it ends up being after Christmas it would be fine."

Oh, no it wouldn't!!! B/c then you would be a lighted target and I wouldn't be able to miss!!!

Whatever works for ya girly! Enjoy your no-stress-required, regular-old-Sunday December 25th :)

Time is relative. I faked telling time until the third grade, when my father, tired of my "the big hand is on the 4,and the little hand is one the 6" method,patiently taught me the intricacies of time. I love watches and wear one religiously, but am rarely ever on time. Fortunately, my friends and family have come to accept this as one of my lovable quirks. Even my boss has learned to deal with it.

As for Christmas, as a fellow spinster, I have not decorated for years and don't feel one bit guilty. Everyone else does enough decorating. I also do not buy cards except for the immediate family and only buy gifts for my favorite nieces and nephews (yes, I play favorites).
Your friends and family know what you've been going through lately so I'm sure they'll forgive you.
Oh, and I saw a tree flocked in ELECTRIC BLUE yesterday when I was frighteningly deep in the hood (where the streets were numbered in the triple digits). Yowza!

Hey Girl--and you still ARE!! You're just a year older than my son! I've always WANTED to sit out Christmas, and I haven't put up a tree since he got married and left home in '96...then my daughter, who was 31, died in '98 of a heart attack in her sleep. Sometimes, Christmas is just something other people do, ya know??

I've sat out Christmas more than once too and found that it has many enjoyable facets.