this is my second annual christmas thread! it’s finally getting cooler in texas, the state which continues to impress me every summer with how hot it can be. i have started wrapping all the presents, which i do every year because i am a perfectionist, and i will not be satisfied unless everything under the tree is wrapped by me. (maybe that’s why I picked dressage, I get to exercise my perfectionism)
how about you guys?? what’s your christmas like this year?
not directly on your topic but I Did show the weanling we got from North Dakota that the forecast for his old home was for a low temperature of minus 33F with a 25 to 35 MPH wind out of the northwest making a wind chill into the minus 50F/60F range… he returned to eat his hay with what appeared to be a smile on his face
We took some Christmas pictures to share with family and friends. Just about all but one present is wrapped and under the tree. I had lights up the weekend before last. The horses are getting worked as often as work schedule allows which isn’t too bad because it’s finally much cooler here too. Getting ready for a show in January so starting to plan and get ready for that. If weather allows (which it usually does) I’m sure, we’ll be going out for a nice long trail ride on Christmas day since half of the family is coming Christmas eve to celebrate and the other half is coming the following weekend. My daughter and I did go to have our nails done yesterday since we have a couple of Christmas parties this week and today plan to hit the trails a bit before she spots me on my schooling over fences - we’re dressage riders but my guys enjoy changing things up a bit.
Here’s a shot of my ever indulgent, tolerant, food motivated welsh cob gelding before the real photo shoot LOL
As fellow perfectionist please pardon the ‘dip’ in front of the wither. His mane is roached (he has the mane of no less than 3 horses) and must wear a blanket at night due to being body clipped so it’s all aesthetics and not reflective of his conformation or muscling.
The Holiday Ball is gathering downhill momentum.
Shopping done except for gift cards for shoer, mail carrier & waste pickup.
Wrapping will commence next week.
Faux Grandson neighbor stopped by with cookies from his Mom this morning & graciously took my Very Late holiday cards to the P.O. for me.
Later he’s coming over to drop off & help me stack the 31 bags of Wonderful Shavings (60# bags for $4.25!!!) in my barn.
Tonight the Hannukah menorah will get Candle #1 lit & the wee fake tree (in remembrance of my dear, departed Catholic DH) turned on.
I’ve made the edible gifts & they will start going out during the week.
My rooftop antenna has gifted me with PBS, so I’ll be able to watch shows I like instead of having to settle for network drivel.
Happy Holidays to All of COTH!
I hate Christmas as it has evolved, creeping first into Thanksgiving (which is my favorite holiday) and recently into Halloween, not to mention ‘Christmas in July’ which is cringeworthy. The hypocrisy of “joy and love” for the season (contrasting to the hurry and hate most of the rest of the time.) The greed of “buy buy buy” and the pressures people adopt for themselves and others, which lead to ads about “stress relief” from this supposed happy time. It’s all so manufactured. And the whacky MUSIC! Ugh. We mostly abstain.
Back when I was younger… you know how that goes. I really don’t know if it was better then, other than it was certainly SHORTER then. I was as greedy a kid as any other kid in America, I’m sure, and as strapped for cash and anxious about the reception of my gifts to others as anybody else, too. I’ve given it all up, and celebrate people on their birthdays or random other times instead, which feels more genuine to me.
It’s always been a family time, and I like that part, (though as mentioned, we always made a bigger deal out of Thanksgiving. First, my mother’s birthday was always in the mix there, and second, the reason for the celebration seemed far more appropriate to me. Third, travel was never as hectic.) In our big family, Christmas was the time each nuclear family had their family day without massive travel elsewhere. Now that we’re older, we have sibling gettogethers and that’s nice.
I am trying to help a barn friend find a used saddle that will suit her and her horse right now. That’s been a bit of fun for the “gifting season”.
I’m not really in the Christmas spirit this year. Life has just been…A LOT lately. I’m going through the motions this year for the kids and trying to make it good for them. Tree’s up and decorated, the bought stuff is all ready to be wrapped, and I’m working on the rest of the handmade things.
Presents are all ordered and all have arrived so now I can finish the bagging (I’ve already wrapped the ones that needed wrapping for mailing). The last one of those will head out tomorrow, followed by the last cards to be mailed.
Tree will go up on Midwinter’s Day as usual (real wreath has been up for a week smelling divine).
I plan to listen to the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College Chapel, Cambridge, on Christmas Eve morning on NPR (10 am EST I think).
@Walk_N_Gal88 I think you are somewhere in the same general geographic area as I am and I wish we could go trail riding together but I am horseless this year and haven’t yet contacted my last year’s trainer about lessons in the New Year, and besides it’s supposed to be literally freezing here Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
@attempting I hope you will have a great Texas Christmas (you’re gonna have to learn to say “y’all” by the way !).
@2DogsFarm Happy Chanukah and, as they say in England, Happy Christmas.
Peace on Earth, goodwill to all, horses and horsepeople, cats, dogs, and deer, and everyone else.
i tend to say “y’all” in person, but somehow never online 
Just got our first real snowfall in New Brunswick, so it looks like it will be a white Christmas. The boys are so much happier now that they have snow for their unshod feet.
My low key Christmas is going fine…the few presents are ready and the turkey is in the freezer. We did a cookie exchange with my friends from the neighbourhood,and I have more damned sweets than I know what to do with. I am counting on some company here to help consume all this stuff!
I hope to be able to get out and ride tomorrow or the next day and maybe get my skis out too.
I’m on a chat board with some friends who live in England. It took me months to get to where I would post “y’all” when addressing them. 
I sure wish I could! Thank you so much. 
Christmas will be a quiet affair at my house. Have not put up any decorations and really don’t feel like it. I decorated my cubicle at work with a couple of things and then I was done. I don’t feel Christmas-y at all. I will make a small dinner for myself, give the cats something special and some treats and then will settle down and watch one of the Poirot mysteries I got at the library.
I have absolutely no Christmas spirit this year. Normally I put out my little ceramic tree, stockings for the animals, and an antique wreath but this year I’m just not in the mood. I also always get the string of sleigh bells out and make a video in my jog cart, but with the temperature hovering near 0F during the days this weekend I’m not bothering with that, either. Plus, my four year old just spent a week at the university vet hospital so I’m dealing with that unexpected expense. It just doesn’t feel like Christmas this year.
Where where where did you find that shavings deal!!!
NE IN - I’ve been a passenger on the pickup runs, so can’t say for sure if the place is in Napanee or Middlebury.
When I’m not driving, I don’t pay attention. 
If you’re in the area I can get more info.
The Christmas season is tough at my house this year. We have a sick dog that we love so much. One really nice thing for me every year that helps me get in the Christmas spirit no matter what else is going on --the barn party. Maybe many of you feel the same way? It’s nice not to stress about turning up in just the right outfit, but to just wear whatever you feel like, whether it’s jeans and an old sweater or your riding clothes after you just got finished with your lesson. It’s good to know you’ll be among kindred spirits, comfortable barn buddies who are happy to talk about the really interesting things like hay quality or upcoming horse shows or how you picked up the left lead perfectly the other day. It’s better to be able to chat with your vet while slouching on a tack trunk about, say, horse nutrition or PPE philosophies, than to be at a company party dodging various coworkers and having to stick to boring, safe topics while watching what you say. And it always makes me smile to see the red stockings or bits of holly by the horses’ stalls, the wreaths someone has made decorated with horse show rosettes or the horse head wreaths, the little Christmas tree festooned with horse shoes, frames pix of favorite horses and good times. Gotta love the tasty, low-key potluck food and the homemade desserts or maybe the catered taco truck food. Plus who doesn’t love the barn gift exchange with little horse-related gifts like goofy socks with carrots printed on them or horse cookies decorated to look like your horse or candles that smell like alfalfa or green apple? Bonus points if there’s a Pony Kissing Booth included among the barn party activities. 
I just haven’t been able to get in the Christmas mood, but did get a tree put up (after my boyfriend reminded me that he bought a new one for me last year AND he gave me an early present of hand painted ornaments with my pets and us on it… so that was sweet) and minimal other decorations. All the presents are wrapped and ready to go.
The weather is taking a turn for the worst this week and I’m really hoping everyone can make it to my moms for our family Christmas. We are coming from all over KS and MO and it’ll be about an hour drive for me. They are predicting the bulk of our snowfall on Thursday but going into Friday night and then on Friday (when family Christmas is and we are all to be traveling) -5* with -20 to -40 windchill so that snow will blow all around. Things keep changing, but starting Thursday the weather is going to be the worst we have had all year. Fridays weather is expected to be the worst we will have had since 1990. I love me some cold and some snow, but not when I need to be driving and not that much of a windchill!
To everyone else who is going to be dealing with the winter storm stay safe
I have all my decorations up and lights outside. I love to surround myself with the lights this time of year, even though we rarely have company. It makes me happy.
My big Christmas present this year is coming on December 26th, though. We’ve picked her out two weeks ago, but she needed as little more time! Can’t wait to bring this little bugger home.
I love Christmas. Love it. Fortunately Mr. Batcoach feels the same way. We decorate the house just for us. I toyed with having a little holiday party, but then II came down with this dang cold that has me sidelined and canceling plans, so in hindsight I’m glad that I never planned anything.
We attended Swedish Christmas and a local tree lighting, and drove to see some neighborhoods which go all-out with their christmas lights. We are watching our favorite Christmas classics and a few cheesy Hallmark ones too, I also indulge in my childhood tradition of doing christmas jigsaw puzzles.
Gifts are all bought. I think the secret is to be comfortable with not giving gifts to everyone and setting price limits and working of off a list. I talked with my sisters & parents about how we want to handle gifts this year. We decided to just give gifts to each other and not the kids/grandkids (their moms assured us that they all have enough). Then we exchanged lists. it was so easy!
I keep a running list of gifts for Mr. Batcoach and a few other people I am close with. I’m an online shopper, so the only time I went to the mall was when I actually wanted to.
I usually do lots of baking, but we are trying to be healthier this year so I’ve held off. Plus, there are always some yummy treats from the office that make their way home.
I plan our office’s holiday party which was last week and was successful. Now its a relatively easy work week leading up to a cozy Christmas Eve at home, then Christmas morning at the in-laws, then I have the week between xmas and new years off. We are taking the opportunity to go to one of our favorite wine-tasting regions which I have been looking forward to for some time.
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