Big hugs, Beverly. I know it is always there, but on the big memory days it is more on the surface.

For the most part I am grateful for the family being close. It can be a bit tricky in election years though.

Thinking of you today, Beverly.

{{{Beverly}}} Keeping you in my thoughts today.

I have both the close relatives and the not close relatives. I'm very grateful for the small Thanksgiving gathering, and then getting to see the rest of the step-family after for dessert. My niece, I, who is 3 now really liked the baby until her mom was holding her, and then she freaked out and became hysterical. Her mom is not allowed to hold another baby, although she quickly volunteered that she didn't care if daddy held ltc.

Also, my step-cousin's wife is pregnant again after two miscarriages. She's understandably very nervous, but seems to be far enough along and had enough tests that things are looking good so far. So, hopefully next year there will be another little girl in the family!

Lots of warmth and strength, Beverly. I can remember if you are a hugger or not, but virtual hugs are short and sweet.

Beverly, I'm envisioning wrapping you up in the warmest, coziest everything that feels good to you. You are in my heart today (and most other days too, fyi).

Thanks, y'all. Hugs are definitely de rigeur, giving and accepting. Again, Laura with the wise. All of us have lost people and the absence is always there. But there are marker days when it's especially keen.

The neighbors are already all over Christmas, and I'm in don'wanna mode. It doesn't help that H grew up with no visible signs of Christmas till Christmas Eve, whereupon, magical tree, decorations, presents, candles in the windows and wreath on the door. All of which stayed up till Old Christmas, which I think on the Gregorian calendar is Jan. 16th or something. He strenuously fought moving up the timeline, so our neighborhood has always thought we are the laziest people alive, both coming and going, where Christmas is concerned.

I'll get candles in the windows, the wreath and the house flag out tomorrow, add holly to the half-basket of ivy by the back door, maybe tie a bow on the lamp post. But indoors will wait awhile.

Lots of hugs, Bev.

Warm thoughts for your step-cousin, sj.

Wow, you mean there's a universe in which getting the decorations up in the few days before Xmas is tradition? I'm all over that. I can't usually start the real cleaning until the 15th or so, so decorations always go up late in our house.

{{{Beverly}}}

which I think on the Gregorian calendar is Jan. 16th or something

Jan 7. My mom thought it was like Twelfth Night for quite a while, but it's just the two weeks that got skipped to fix the drift, well, the Pope said to do it so the Orthodox church didn't was the explanation that I got (my dad's explanations of Russian culture tend to be glib). The 15th is New Year's , which is also a church holiday, so leaving the decorations up to span all that would make sense.

We did not do the last minute decorating, but we did leave our decorations up until at least Rssian Christmas, as we called it, but really only observed it if we were visiting relatives or had them visit us. Conflicted with the start of Mardi Gras season in Louisiana.

My maternal grandfather used to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve after the kids went to bed, so it was part of the surprise for my mom. When I was growing up, we would decorate the week before Christmas. My BFF's family would decorate on Christmas Eve in a slightly smaller party than their big Christmas Day doings, which featured gifts for all and sundry, Dinner, noshing on homemade Sicilian style pizza and other snacks, party games, music, and watching movies.