Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Sunday, December 10. 2023

Christmastime

A daughter and her husband stopped by yesterday afternoon, while party-hopping. She inspired Mrs. BD to decorate the tree and all that. It's no fun without some youth around and The Little Dublin Singers on ye olde recorde player.  


I told them about a friend I had in college from an evangelical family. His family did no secular Christmas - no tree, no presents, no decorations, no feasting, no carols, no Christmas cards.  It reminded me of the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony where you could be arrested for baking a pie at Christmastime. The police were alert to the smell of mincemeat pie. All viewed as pagan, which is sorta right I guess.


I think my friend's family did have church on Christmas morning. When I was a kid, Christmas church was Christmas morning too. No presents until after church.


Mrs. BD gave me my early Christmas present. An iPad with a magic keyboard and all bells and whistles. Maybe I "need" it, but it's one more thing when I want fewer...goin mobile, I guess. I like stinky French cheese for Christmas, good wine, and caviar.


This year, one of my kids with fiancee will be in Cyprus, one in London, and we'll visit the grandkids and my in-laws on Christmas day. Sheesh. Not like the olden days with excited kids all around. 


Posted by Bird Dog at 12:00 | Comments (15) | Trackbacks (0)

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Not like the olden days.

Did you enjoy Christmas more as a kid, or as a parent with kids?

The question is for Maggie's readers as well.
#1 feeblemind on 2023-12-10 12:29 (Reply)
I enjoy it much more as an adult with the kids and grandkids. However, there were a few years in there where it was definitely less 'merry' when we were young parents; stressed, tired, with expectations that had not yet been tempered by a long life together.
#1.1 eeyore on 2023-12-10 12:48 (Reply)
Just my observations from my childhood with grandparents and cousins to today with siblings and their children and grandchildren. Families are more economically successful with great individual fulfillment, but they aren't really families anymore.
#2 Still hardly ancient on 2023-12-10 12:48 (Reply)
It was best when my kids were little. About as good when I was little. Not nearly as fun now. It would be better if the grandkids were close but family is scattered and reunions are rare.
#3 OneGuy on 2023-12-10 12:56 (Reply)
You get to enjoy Christmas as a kid, and then again as a grandparent - spoiling the kids.

It's also very fulfilling to give the young parents a little bit of a break.
#4 Aggie on 2023-12-10 13:04 (Reply)
Sometimes I feel as if kids are trying to fit us into their schedule around Christmas. A side thought as maybe other things are more important. Always Christmas Eve church. This year finally both kids and their kids will be here. Not on Christmas of course, but near it. Still glad to have them together.
#5 JC on 2023-12-10 14:30 (Reply)
Oh boy! We are so lucky! DD has no children of her own so we get center stage at Christmas and all the rest of the year. We often wonder what her life would have been like if she had had children. She takes such good care of us year-round. We are blessed.
#6 facultywife on 2023-12-10 14:46 (Reply)
"It reminded me of the early days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony where you could be arrested for baking a pie at Christmastime."

One more good reason why the crowds dockside in England raised such a big cheer as the Puritans sailed away to inflict themselves on the New World.

Let's give the Immortal Bard the last word on this, shall we?

"Dost thou think because thou art virtuous there shall be no more cakes and ale?"
#7 JJM on 2023-12-10 15:38 (Reply)
Ah so you still believe the myths about them then? I find that rather quaint.
#7.1 Assistant Village Idiot on 2023-12-10 21:16 (Reply)
Did you really need to say that?
#7.1.1 Roger the Dodger on 2023-12-11 00:09 (Reply)
Who's Daddy's good boy! Very handsome and festively cooperative.
#8 Tally on 2023-12-10 16:42 (Reply)
Grandkids are the best. My chocolate lab knows which presents under the tree are his
#9 Rocdoctom on 2023-12-10 18:04 (Reply)
Even I can smell a bully stick.
#9.1 Aggie on 2023-12-10 22:12 (Reply)
One of my grandsons flay back from England to care for me after a major car crash. He escorted me back to our home in the Philippines and then met his Wife . So every thing turned out OK. Any way no we no longer have a tree but do sing and and praise God and enjoy a good feast and family.
#10 Capt. John on 2023-12-12 11:59 (Reply)
We are about to have our 34th consecutive Christmas Eve all together. Children have quit jobs, flown across the country, come with pink guy, the flu and casts on limbs, but we always get together. We open presents Christmas Eve morning, we go to church, and then a movie and then dinner all together. my husband and I pay for the dinner that is our Christmas present to our growing family. We have seven children and are expecting our 14th grandchild this year. I expect there’s more to come knock on wood.
#11 Clearisabella on 2023-12-12 21:14 (Reply)

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