I’ll just be sticking close to home—catching up on much-needed sleep, maybe seeing some movies, reading books and working on the one I am (alas) still in the process of writing. To that end, I’m signing off for just a little longer than I typically do: expect me back here bright and early on January 7. Meanwhile, as I always say, if the holidays are your jam, I hope they’re fantastic for you. And if you loathe this time of year, I hope it passes painlessly and without incident. Love to you all, and thanks for making my life infinitely richer.
Hope you enjoy your holiday hibernation and catch some winks! Thanks for providing a daily respite from the world, and a touchstone for this GOACA!😘
Merry holidays to you, Kim! Your blog always is one of my favorite things to read on a daily basis. Eager to read your book. 🙂
Thank you for being a sane voice in an unfathomably insane world.
Happy Holidays to you! I love reading your blog every morning as I sip my coffee, and I can’t wait to read your book. Thank you for giving some perspective to this GOACA! I also plan to have a low-key holiday this year and I’m off work as of today until after the first. : )
Peace and Joy! My beau and I aren’t religious––I was brought up Episcopalian and he is Jewish so we “celebrate” what we call our Jewish Xmas. This year we will bake xmas cookies because I like them, go to a movie on xmas day and go out to dinner. All our kids are off doing other things (which is fine) so we keep things low key and relaxed. I hope you and yours have a lovely couple of weeks!
I wish I had parents that were as mellow about the holidays as you and your husband. Mine try to attach as much guilt and criticism to as many aspects as they can. It’s like a sport! (Mom has Narcissistic Personality Disorder) It makes holidays particularly stressful especially Mother’s Day. As a result I tend to be more like you to give myself some peace.
Holiday travel every year is too much for us, whose family lives in multiple different states, so my husband and I occasionally stay home for our own happiness. Then people try to make us feel guilty about it. No one ever comes to visit us; we are always expected to be the ones to travel.
Happy holidays! I love this blog so much. My favorite Christmas tradition is making homemade pierogis on Christmas Eve with my sister & brother-in-law. They are so delicious. We eat them for two days straight.
I also have the week off and am looking forward to finishing “You’ll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again.” I’m halfway through and it’s very juicy.
I liked that book too. Also “Hello, He Lied.” Which made me want to watch the Kingfisher, which I still have not done.
Dearest Kim,
Thank you for an ncredible year of GOCA- enjoyed every single morsel. Big hugs to you and see you in 2019❤️ xoBrett Jackson
Kim, enjoy the break and thank you so much for the joy you bring me every morning.
Since we live far from all family, we created a Christmas tradition 30 years ago – a Christmas Eve open house with friends, neighbors, and anyone else who wants to stop by and share some holiday cheer.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
I am DONE as of 3 pm today and don’t have to come back till Jan 2.
I plan to do nothing, go see my mom, sleep, read, go into the city, etc.
Love that you remembered the holidays aren’t all happiness for all people. I’m quite sure you and I could solve all the world’s problems over a glass of wine. Thank you for all your writing, I’ve appreciated your company this past year. All the best. e.
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/19/677718010/a-musical-lament-for-those-who-dont-feel-the-magic-of-christmas is something I haven’t listened to yet, but I thought I’d share.
Happy Holidays! Enjoy your time away, I will miss checking in with you each day! Thank you for being a constant presence in my life – from Sassy, to Lucky, to GOACA, I feel like I’ve grown up with you and I’m so glad you’re still writing and sharing! Can’t wait for your book!
Thank you so much for the work you do on this wonderful blog. It really is one of my first visits in the morning.
Thank you, too, for including the analytics…super interesting to see what everyone purchased!
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays to you – I hope your break leaves you feeling alive and refreshed. Looking forward to all of the great content you will bring to us in 2019.
Happy Holidays to you & yours! Thank you for your solid & supportive, stylish & intriguing GOACA that brightens and enriches my life out here in flyover country. So glad you are taking time for yourself excited to read your book!!
I have a very strained relationship with my father (and it’s not just me, the man is universally disliked) so my husband, my daughters and I began traveling for Christmas a few years ago. We’ve had an English countryside Christmas (an absolute dream!) and a New Orleans Christmas (heaven!! Oysters for all!!). This year we are going to Japan. My husband has been a number of times, but I haven’t nor have my girls. Adventure awaits. Happy Holidays to all of you!!
Please tell me more about your English countryside Christmas! This sounds like absolute heaven and I am already dreaming of doing this next year.
There are quite a few stately homes that are small hotels now and they do Christmas packages – you stay in the castle, have tea, treasure hunts, see off the hunt, listen to the queen on the radio, walk to church for the Christmas eve service (If you like) and generally feast. We were in the west in a village called Thornbury. I think there were 4 other groups in the castle besides us. It was heaven.
Thank you! I will look into it!
Yes please share
We went to Thornbury Castle in the west, near the Welsh border, but there are quite a few lovely spots – I went to one in Wiltshire in the 90s with my family and it was beautiful, too. Many of the old manor houses are small hotels now and they almost all have a Christmas program. Google and look at the pictures – you really kind of can’t go wrong! Happy googling. <3
I’m staying in with boyfriend & dog, eating, napping, exchanging gifts & playing air hockey lol… maybe a movie if we get bored.
I know I haven’t been around much lately, but you’re still THE blog I always read (or save to relish later). I love everything about Christmas and go into a funk when it’s all over (But I legitimately stretch it out til Epiphany!). This year is extra special because all of my kids will be home and we’ll have a houseful – 5, 3 and 18 months- it’ll be CRAZY but fun.
We’ll open some gifts, eat and drink too much and drool on the couch. Other than that, it’s a normal work week (I work Monday to Saturday) so I am glad to have a day off during the week!
Happy Holidays and a Very Blessed Winter Solstice to you and yours!
Happy holidays Kim and thanks for your work here… I look forward to reading your words and appreciate all that you do!
I’ll be visiting my parents and pampering them as I do each year. Then back to my darling husband for a long stretch of napping, reading, winter walks, delicious meals and great wine. I love this time of year and honestly can’t get enough of holiday music, movies, etc. Peace and good health to all!
Ditto what ^^^^ they said, Kim – it is a pleasure to be here.
I send warm vibrations to the rest of us too, especially to those who don’t feel holiday-ish (yet?!) I was watching that movie “Four Christmases” the other day, and while I might quibble a bit with the casting, I thought it was dealing with some kinda heavy stuff. It seemed to me to have a good script. My guess is, a lot of people could relate.
I wasn’t able to watch the ending though. So I have no idea what happened. I will need to fix that soon.
But anyway, don’t let the turkeys get you down!! Some people we have to love/agape from farther away than others, that’s all. Save yourself first! Put the mask on and then worry about others. Don’t feel bad. Love. Peace. Joy. Plug in!
Husband and I are in Oaxaca, Mexico loving life and each other. And away from family! Peace Kim–