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My family is experiencing the slowdown that follows Christmas. We didn't have the huge flurry of activity so many families are swept up in.
We were fortunate in that the people we spent time with all came to our house to see us. A couple of our adult kids that live in the area, and my dad, dropped by but for the most part our Christmas was pretty lowkey.
Visits were spread out over a couple of days. But still we are all really tired. Too much food, too many late nights have left us feeling worn out.
My son and I have chronic fatigue syndrome and my husband has fibromyalgia. This helps us to keep the holiday plans to a minimum. Every activity and event is carefully planned and streamlined to give a good return for a minimum of effort.
Even so, we are feeling the drop. Our way of handling this is to rest and nap alot after Christmas is over. We don't brave the crowded stores or line up for after-Christmas sales.
We read, or sleep, and gradually ease off the chocolate and other goodies, and slowly veer back to our usual, healthier routines. The first few days after Christmas are probably the quietest, least eventful time of the year for us.
We're big on Christmas movies and old classics from the '40s and '50s. We'll watch a movie every night starting early in December and carrying over into the New Year, making the evenings a time that is satisfying without being a strain.
The occasional laidback visit with friends we can relax and put our feet up with, are also low-stress while offering a high emotional return.
I look back on earlier years, and while I miss the frenetic era of little children, Christmas plays and parties, and mountains of gifts under the tree, I don't think I could do that again.
The mere thought makes me want to lie down. It was a great experience at the time, but the quieter present suits our lower energy life these days.
No longer do I spend the day cooking a turkey dinner with stuffing, potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie for Christmas Eve, or the ham with all the trimmings for Christmas Day. We haven't fed eight or nine people for several years now.
This year, it was chicken cacciatore, prepared ahead of time so it just needed to be warmed up on Christmas Eve, and a quick sautee of shrimp and asparagus on Christmas night.
I didn't do any baking this year, but our guests all brought homemade goodies with them so there was more than enough to snack on over the next few days. Really. It was more than enough.
New Year's Eve will be spent at home by the three of us, with a movie or two. We'll probably toast the New Year somewhere around midnight, and then it's off to bed.
Do you experience the post-holiday blues at your house? How do you handle the recuperation process?
Visit Jody's website at http://www.ncubator.ca
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