I'm writing from Nat's blog this morning... this is certainly a first for me, and I know she will be surprised.
I haven't been following all the feature changes in our journal/blogs. I've been getting the alerts, but not reading them all. I keep thinking I'll catch up over the holidays, which has been my usual mode of operation.
I'm curious about it this new feature of adding entries into other people's journals. Following the tradition of Natalie's question asking and prompting, I do have a question. Not for Nat alone, but for anyone who reads this.
Why do we need the feature to invite others, even strangers, to make journal entries in their own blog? What do you think?
I can think of one, possibly.... if I were to become ill, had an accident, or died, my husband, if he thought of it, could add an entry to let everyone know. But if he could get to my journal in the first place, he could write one anyway... but it would identify him by my screen name, not his. Chances of my husband doing that are nil. Unless I specifically make the request of him. Which I could. Over Christmas. When he asks me what I want for Christmas, I'll say, "Steve, would you please make an entry in my journal if I suddenly die, to let my J-land friends know?" I'm sure he'd honor it if I asked him to.
Another reason I thought of was if someone wanted to add information to continue a topic that the journal author had begun, one could write much more content if it was in entry form, rather than a comment. So in this case, it's another way to write lengthier comments, as I have been known to do.
For instance, in a previous entry, Nat asked the question, "How are your Holidays going?"The more humor, writing, links, frustration and good things,the better!"
I could respond to that here. Not much humor, a sense of frustration, perhaps, and a couple of writing links follow.
Since I've decided not to put up the tree, it's gone amazingly stress free. Although, I don't know if I will feel a sense of panic the day before my son arrives with his girlfriend's family. I had invited them to come visit over the holidays. Perhaps I should decorate, I pondered. I did unpack my favorite Nativity Set and set it out at the beginning of Advent. I've bought Christmas for people on our Angel tree, but I haven't dove into the parts of the holidays that usually wreak havoc for me during those two very short weeks that I get off.
It's holiday time (beginning the 20th for me), which means I get days off, and I get paid. I'd much rather use the time for creative endeavors and introspection and visiting with family and friends than unloading and loading the attic back up again. The decorations do not make Christmas for me. Neither putting them up nor taking them down.
I cherish all the memories of Christmas trees past, with my son who always helped set it up. We put up our first Christmas tree the year he was born. It was always for him. Homemade ornaments, mine and his. Many he had made at school. It's not the same anymore. Not a complaint, just a fact.
I decided to destress my life. When you are in your fifties, you realize that some, nay many, things aren't necessary to be happy, and many more things don't contribute to the order in one's life. As for me, if I sense a state of chaos approaching, I will either get involved to be part of re-ordering it, or I will avoid it altogether. I am re-ordering how I (we) celebrate/experience Christmas, avoiding those things that have caused problems in the past.
I'm going to revisit this topic in my own journal the night before Christmas to consider how I feel about this break-away from tradition. Perhaps I will have regretted it? I don't know. I'm going to give it a try and see what happens. I'll let you know.
In answer to Nat's question about the holidays:
My holiday hasn't started yet, but I am looking forward to it. My plan is to make some miniature Nativity sets to give as gifts. I bought several creche's at Wal-Mart last year during their after Christmas sales, various sizes. They will serve as the backdrop for my polymer people. I love making them, but it takes a good deal of time.
You know me from Wanderer. I leave comments in Nat's journal often. The first time I met her was while browsing the internet at 1:30 in the morning back in December of 2005. I discovered my addiction to the internet that night, and a friendship with lurkynat began!
She has been one of my on-line friends ever since, and I just wanted to visit her in her place of writing this morning. She is a very gracious lady, a family woman. I imagine her in her home with her children, raising them, educating them. She is the mother of teens, yes, that's plural, so I can only imagine the trying times she is experiencing these days and years. I say God bless her, and wish her a "Merry Christmas!" And thank you for being a dedicated friend, Nat.
So, what do you think? How do you destress over the holidays?
Thanks Nat! I enjoyed writing here!
Tag by Donna aka Nightmare Mom
