Merry Christmas!
(to all who celebrate! Otherwise....happy Chanukah, or happy random Wednesday to you. 😉 )
If your day is full of good things, I am delighted for you! And if your holiday is going to be filled with more challenges than pleasant things, I'm sending love across the internet to you.
(And perhaps you would appreciate the post I wrote before Thanksgiving about difficult holidays.)
Next year, I do believe that Christmas Day is going to be one of my mandatory holiday shifts, and honestly, I don't even think I'm going to mind.
I hope my coworkers with small children are able to have the day off instead of me; I'm in a good stage of life to be working on Christmas Day!
Anyway...I know that many of you will be out of your normal routines for the next week and a half, but I'll still try to get some blog posts up, even if they are slightly less frequent than usual.
Working on Christmas. I can tell you what I remember from my first year as a Medical Technologist (at a general hospital in a poor neighborhood).
Because I was lowest in seniority, I worked Christmas. The other techs assured me that it wouldn't happen again while I worked at his place, because there was always a new hire the next year to work Christmas. Then, because it was new year, and a new holiday schedule, I also worked New Year's Day.
At that time, the only people who were in the hospital the week between Christmas and New Year's were very, very ill. They really tried to discharge folks. Christmas was fairly quiet. New Year's day, because of the increase in accidents (both a home and on the road) was busier.
Also - working in a field that is still mostly women, and women who have children. You might find (as I did) that the women with young families needed the money, and were more likely to work extra and holiday shifts than you might think.
@bellneice, agree re: extra/holiday shifts for some professions but in IT, salary is salary (read: pretty much only consultants, who are not employees and OT is discouraged).
Then again when it comes to on call in the IT world, the computer operators *know* who is a) usually home and/or b) responds to calls (pre-cell phone days)/texts.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas and thank you for being a beacon of good cheer and practical advice, and information all year long. During challenging times I know I can read your blog and not be offended or upset by anything, a real challenge online these days! Most days I am uplifted by your blog and can find something to be be happy about…
You will LOVE working on Christmas when you are an L and D nurse..all those cute babies in santa hats or something similar ( I worked in the days when it was still “politically correct “ to do the hats.. but maybe now they do something more global..)whatever..I am sure you will enjoy the Spirit of handing new babies to moms onChristmas,I know I did!!
I love the gratitude thursdays, your recipes and all your musings and photos so much.Thanks again!!
Merry Christmas, Kristen. And, if I may channel Tiny Tim, "A Merry Christmas to us all; God bless us, everyone!"
Happy Holidays everyone! Hope they are filled with good cheer!
Merry Christmas, Kristen!
I thought this may be one of those challenging ones, but so far I’m doing great! (Emotional last night at the candlelight Christmas Eve church service, but just normal emotional, not divorce emotional)
Thank you for all you do for the online community and your patients who are lucky enough to have you! Hugs to you!
Look at you navigating this season like a pro! I’m proud of you!
I wish the Commentariat a Merry Christmas, a Happy Chanukah, an Excellent Kwanzaa, and as good a New Year as we can all manage under our assorted circumstances!
@A. Marie, Amen!
@A. Marie, aka Happy Whatever you do/don't celebrate. I'll have a later major soapbox rant re: diversity is not ruining the United States (read: your hate is ruining it). @A. Marie - time to think WWJD (what would Jane do?).
@Selena, I heard the entertaining felicitation of "Happy Yuletide" and had to smile as I wondered about all the ways to give good wishes in this world.
Merry Christmas!
Chag Hanukkah Sameach!
Joyous Kwanzza!
For those of you struggling this year - may the day land gently.
@Kathy L and A. Marie,
Well said and ditto!
Sending love to all!
@Kathy L, Love your phrase "land gently." I just gave me a feeling of calm. Thank you!!!
For the last 5 years I worked a "regular" job all 12 months of the year. I have also worked a second job seasonally for the last 20+. This last year I got up the courage to quit the regular job that was burning me out and caused me to cry in the car on the way home more then I want to remember. The one big perk was that I had 10-13 days off between the holidays. Now I have to work during this time while my DH has off. But like you said it is a good time of my life to do this. My kids are adults, so a lot of the stuff we ran around for is over. My parents are passed so the family commitment is less. It's going to be a good day. And work tomorrow will be too.
@Amy cheapohmom,
Was your regular job in education? Sounds like it with two weeks off. Life its too short trapped in a job you hate. I taught for 35 years and shed my share of tears but on the whole had more happy days than sad. If I had one wish it would be that our educational system could change enough to support and retain good, caring people.
@Mary Ann, @Amy cheapomom - we need good teachers so I am sending good jujus, strength, fortitude, resilience, survival to all teachers committed to the cause. In my day, there were only one or two students whose safe haven was school. Far, far too many these days which does make me sad. A pox on alito's "domestic supply of infants" which does not equate to the safety of aforementioned supply once in school.
@Selena,
I taught for 20 years, and I think we had just as many kids who thought it was a safe space, it's just no one talked about it. I'm finding out the number of kids I knew who were having troubles at home and it just wasn't discussed. We see kids with two parents and a job and we think everything is fine. It was shocking to find out how many were definitely not ok at home.
Merry Christmas dear Kristen. Know that you are a gift to us all year long. You lead with kindness and deserve kind people in your life. And the Commentariat is certainly that, all due to you creating and maintaining this space. No illusions about how much work that is.
May you and yours be showered with blessings at this special time.
Happy Holidays, to all.
I remember someone telling me once that Christmas is a gift to the young and a service opportunity for the adult. Sounds a little severe but the service work itself holds the real magic and meaning. I agree.
My hubby and son went to Christmas Eve Mass. I went to a woman's AA meeting. 3 gals there were surviving their first sober Christmas. They all talked about giving their children a sober mom: the best gift ever. I left the meeting incredibly grateful that my son has never seen me drink.
Christmas is always changing. That is part of the bittersweet. DS is still sleeping and we won't be building Thomas the train. He is here and is becoming a man of whom I am proud. My new little grandnephews and grand nieces will be running around. Christmas is always enough if I let it be.
@Mary Ann, thank you for the last remark in your post: "Christmas is always enough if I let it be." It was very meaningful to me this year. Blessings to you.
Merry Christmas, and I wish you all beautiful, productive, fulfilling and love-filled things for 2025. You've certainly earned them.
@JDinNM, hear, hear!
Jobs like nurses and fire fighters etc are ones that you have to work holidays until you have seniority. My son is a fire fighter and he has no children yet. So he always volunteers to work their Christmas Day shifts if he is not scheduled. Hoping when he has children, he will be home with his kids.
Merry Christmas to you and your family. I enjoy your blog so much and it brings me such Joy. Even when you are writing about difficult times and things.
Our electricity has gone off twice today - thankful for linemen who work and restore service. May each of you have a excellent Christmas and look forward to the new year.
Merry Christmas!
I always liked working Christmas. Everyone who had to be there tried to be in good humor and cheerful.
Happy Christmas to all who make this blog inclusive and interesting.
Since living in the bush and seeing this video, we start every Christmas morning watching these little kids, now adults of Quinhagak, Alaska sing the Hallelujah Chorus :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyviyF-N23A
@Lindsey, Thank you for this video! What fun! Merry Christmas!
@Lindsey, Oh my gosh!!!! Thank you for sharing this and brightening my world!!!
@Lindsey, thank you always a favorite.
@Lindsey, I loved that video! Thank you for sharing it.
Merry Christmas!!!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! It looks and feels differently this year, but things like this post and kind messages from friends are beacons of light. Thank you, Kristen, for all you do.
Sending love right back to you!
@Kristen, wait a minute—did your tuxedo cat just wish you a Merry Christmas??
My mom worked in the ER, my brother was a police dispatcher, my oldest daughter and her husband are nurses, two of my sons work 2nd shift at their railroad jobs on Christmas and my third son is a police officer.
We don't need a special date for special occasions.
Happy all the holidays and random Wednesday! I had pie for breakfast, which is one of the most fun things about a holiday because my diet is so boringly healthy otherwise. 😀
@Ruby, OMG!! I fully support pie for breakfast!!!! Nice move 🙂
Blessings to everyone today. I am actually having a pretty good day.
I didn’t return to the comments yesterday until late, so if Hope is reading today, I want you to know I was excited to read that someone else learned Christmas Eve Gift growing up. If only we knew why!
I want to say thanks again for the kind comments yesterday. You are all special to me.
And YOU are special to us!
@JD, I'm so glad to hear about your day. I didn't get to read yesterday, but I've been thinking about you over the holidays especially, and wishing you well. We have had to ramp up VA medical care recently and navigating all that makes me think of you. You sharing your story has been an encouragement to me; thank you!
@JD,
Glad to read you're having a good day today. I think all of the "firsts" after lising a loved one are challenging, but you are doing great. I didn't comment yesterday, but I'd never heard of the Christmas Eve Gift game before....now I want to know more! 🙂
Merry Christmas, everyone, as we celebrate many of the quieter aspects of the holidays this year. I am so relieved not to have to travel; we did so for many years to see our families on the far coast. It was always exhausting, expensive, difficult, and challenging, and I am so grateful to stay home this year. I worked for many years through holidays so I get a double thankful to stay home. May we always be happy to be where we are.
@Kristina, “May we always be happy to be where we are.” I love that so much. I try to live my life with gratitude & contentment & that wish sums it up
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a lovely day 🙂
Happy holidays to all who celebrate, whatever that looks like to you.
While I don't comment often, I am always grateful for Kristen's upbeat attitude, lovely photos (that's some crazy-good bokeh in today's photos!), the Commentariat, and - of course - Chiquita. 🙂
thanks for the posts. happy holidays to all. i look forward to reading whatever you put out here whenever you can. when you first said you were going to nursing school i was worried the blog would be dunzo. so grateful and glad my worries were for nothing. all the best to you and all of your readers to almost rn frugal girl.
can we have a few shelley photos, please? many thanks.
I got Covid for Christmas this year, which is not what was on my list, but I’m recovering pretty quickly (felt icky and achey over the weekend, horrible Monday and Tuesday, a little better today) and I have two weeks off work to recover so I can’t complain. It’s much easier to be sick on Christmas when your youngest kid is 10!
So true about being sick with older children! I hope you are back to normal soon.
Happy Holidays to all!
Kristen - thank you for all you do and have done to create such a wonderful community. I look forward to another year of your posts and of comments from the Commentariat. Always a great feeling to know there is a definite bright spot waiting on the internet for me to enjoy.
@BonG, Agree to the "definite bright spot on the internet" that Kristen so thoughtfully and caringly provides for us. And we in return love her for it!
Merry merry Christmas! Thank you for shining and sharing your light!
Happy holiday season, you know you are loved but just wanted to send virtual hug and best wishes,
Love,
Annie from Denmark
Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
Merry Christmas! From the medical world 22+ years & counting, alternating holidays has been a "normal" part of life, it's actually a gift being able to bless others in hard times at the hospital! And my kids are used to it, I think it's made them more compassionate people too, realizing lots of people are suffering any & all days, and it's a privilege to help others.
Merry Christmas, Kristen! I hope you had a lovely day! Many continued blessings to you and your daughters in 2025! It will be a wonderful year ahead! 🙂
Merry Christmas!
Once my kids reached a certain age and my fantastic MIL had passed away (as did her beloved Xmas Day family get together), I too don't have an issue with, in my case, being on call Xmas Day. While I don't think childless (particularly younger childless) should de facto work any and all holidays, I do think those of us at a certain point in life can (and should) step it up.
Our daughter with Down syndrome just spent a week in the hospital with a blood clot in her left adrenal vein and a few other issues. I thought of you Kristen. The nursing staff was amazing. Not only did they do their “health care duties” but they offered us so much kindness and support. We traveled from the Er to ICU to Cardiac floor and finally to a floor that was for Oncology patients that I think they were using for overflow patients. Your kindness and caring attitude will be a blessing to all your patients. I love reading your uplifting blog and appreciate the time you take to write it. Blessing for a wonderful 2025.
I'm so delighted you got kind and warm care. Yay!
I don’t currently have a job that has me working holiday shifts, but I don’t think I’d mind in the future.
My Christmas was distorted by an alcoholic family member’s outburst and it changed travel plans for me. I will be home with the cat while they travel to see family & have family Christmas celebrations.
I look forward to the quiet house, seeing a few friends, reading, and maybe going on a hike. I hadn’t planned meals or budgeted for it for the next 5 days so I’m working on some pantry meals.
I am proud of myself for sticking to my boundaries & standing up for myself. Saying it here helps my resolve.
@Colleen, I'm proud of you for sticking to your boundaries. Just wanted to say I see you and wish you well. I hope you and your cat make some special memories as you spend the next days together and that you get to do some things that bring your heart delight.
@Colleen, So very proud of you for holding your ground! It requires a lot of strength and deep-down resolve to hold on to your convictions when confronted with that type of problem. Congratulations!! I wish peace and healing for you and your family, and hopefully that person will be able to escape the grip of alcohol. But you absolutely made the right choice! (where's that heart emoji when you need it?)
@Colleen, Proud of you for your excellent recovery. Always happy to hear someone standing up for themselves. I wish I’d had that ability when I was younger. You are a shining beacon in the night.
Aww, I'm so sorry to hear this. But also good job taking care of yourself!
I hope you had a restful and happy day yesterday! Next year I am sure I will be working, too, as we alternate holidays. (unless someone wants to trade me for Thanksgiving) When I was going to bed last night I thought "this is the first Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays season I was not stressed, exhausted, grieving, and disappointed in years". I was the opposite of all those things, so I did get my Christmas wish - peaceful movement through the season. Merry Belated Christmas to you!
The holidays are certainly different as children age and move out. Two of ours are across the country and have snow jobs so definitely not popping home to visit. But one was here for dinner and the evening which was very nice 🙂 My husband worked the day so that someone with little children would be able to choose to be off. I have that blissful nearly 2 week break from public school that many of us are enjoying right now; sleeping in is an excellent thing! And pasta, salad, and garlic toast made for an tasty dinner 🙂
So to everyone--happy holidays!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Kristen:)
Merry Christmas, Frugal Girl!! Hope you had some beautiful moments of peace this season.