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Bad Manners and Brimstone
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DIR Return to: Holidays
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#Post#: 21622--------------------------------------------------
Post-Holiday Activity Ideas
By: Amara Date: December 16, 2018, 3:46 pm
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I just read about that farm fair in another thread and thought
it was a wonderful thing to happen in early January. Something
to look forward to after December that sounds like genuine fun.
It occurred to me that perhaps discussion on things people plan
or do in January and/or February to avoid feeling down after the
excitement of November and December. I have previously
participated in Apartment Therapy's January Cure, but I think I
am going to pass this year. Maybe not. I'll see. But what I'd
really like are simple ideas of things you do or plan to do in
the first two months of the year so not things like planning
your summer vacation, which is months off, but like attending
fairs, festivals, making a certain day a special party day,
reading a particular book, etc. Really, anything. I like these
two articles that show how others choose to spend the darker,
colder days of winter. But what do you do?
HTML https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/6-strategies-to-avoid-post-holiday-depression-239125<br
/>
HTML https://www.fastcompany.com/3052970/the-norwegian-secret-to-enjoying-a-long-winter<br
/>
I live in Santa Barbara, CA, and many people would say that the
relative warmth and sunny days are natural antidotes. Probably
for most they are. For me, they are depressing, and endless year
of sunny days that gets on your nerves after a while. This is
probably why I am so crazy for autumn and winter, and
Thanksgiving and Christmas. I get very depressed during summer,
but I also feel let down come January not to darkness and cold
but to what to do now that my favorite three months of the year
are over.
So, regardless of the weather where you are what do you do to
make yourself happy come that "month after December"?
#Post#: 21658--------------------------------------------------
Re: Post-Holiday Activity Ideas
By: Aleko Date: December 17, 2018, 2:21 am
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DH and I have a friend who throws an annual Unwanted Christmas
Present party in late January. The price of admission is at
least one unwanted present (can be not-wrapped, or you can
re-wrap it as a mystery gift) which she takes, sticks a number
label on, and puts in a pile. Then we get on with the party, and
fairly late on in the evening everybody draws a number out of
the hat to 'win' one of them. If it was the one you brought
yourself you put the number back and draw again, but otherwise
you have to take it. However, you're perfectly free to swop it
with somebody else's 'prize', so plenty of cheery horse trading
takes place during the rest of the evening. It's a lot of fun,
and quite often everybody manages to go home with something they
at least quite like.
And on Christmas Day it does take the sting out of once again
receiving exactly the kind of socks/chocolates/nightwear you
most dislike from Aunt Mabel; as the paper comes off and you see
the full horror of it, instead of groaning inwardly you think
'Yay! That's my entrance ticket to Claire's party all sorted!'
#Post#: 21660--------------------------------------------------
Re: Post-Holiday Activity Ideas
By: STiG Date: December 17, 2018, 6:05 am
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^ I love that!
My group of friends often get together for a holiday meal in
January because we are all too busy before Christmas to get
together.
I love winter activities so we usually plan to ski, snowshoe and
snowmobile in January/February. And I also plan out my seed
purchase for my garden!
#Post#: 21687--------------------------------------------------
Re: Post-Holiday Activity Ideas
By: Amara Date: December 17, 2018, 10:34 am
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Oooh, I love that idea, Aleko. What a fabulous excuse to throw a
fun evening.
#Post#: 21780--------------------------------------------------
Re: Post-Holiday Activity Ideas
By: Thitpualso Date: December 18, 2018, 10:46 am
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We tend to take vacations (sometimes long weekends) in January
or February. Rates tend to be lower after the holidays and we
enjoy the change of scene.
Since we’re retired, we’re free to go pretty much whenever we
wish. In the past, we’ve taken the train to Baltimore or DC in
February. We’ve also taken a transit of the Panama Canal that
left San Juan on the day after Three Kings’ Day. Seeing the
festivities in Puerto Rico was almost holiday enough.
This year, we’ll be doing something that seems insane. In
January, we’ll be taking a cruise up the coast of Norway in
hopes of seeing the northern lights.
#Post#: 21786--------------------------------------------------
Re: Post-Holiday Activity Ideas
By: Winterlight Date: December 18, 2018, 11:11 am
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Thitpualso, you might find this useful-
HTML https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast
It will give you an up-to-date read of what aurora activity
looks like that day.
I grew up in Alaska, and we never minded the cold. Like that
Norway article says, "There's no bad weather, only bad
clothing." I admit that -60F could be tiring, and my walks
tended to be truncated, but otherwise we just went out and did
things. One year a reporter from a big Outside newspaper did a
story on my town, basically saying they went up figuring they'd
be sitting around a lot, but in their three days there they saw
a play, two concerts, a museum, took an aurora-watching trip,
watched part of a local film festival, and still missed several
other events they wanted to go to.
I find the rain and gloom where I currently live in Maryland
much more depressing than the cold. I combat it by getting out
for walks when I can, exercising at home when I can't, and
always having something I want to go see when I have a free day.
I'm near DC, so this Saturday I'm going to see the DAR Museum's
period rooms which are decorated for Christmas, possibly the
Renwick which is nearby, and then maybe Zoolights if I feel up
to it. In January, I'm making it a goal to go to at least one
Smithsonian I haven't been to in over a year. I picked the
African Art Museum since I can't remember my last trip there. I
also live in an area with a lot of free concerts, so I watch for
those.
#Post#: 21828--------------------------------------------------
Re: Post-Holiday Activity Ideas
By: Thitpualso Date: December 18, 2018, 7:54 pm
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Thank you, Winterlight.
Mr. Thipu is very interested in weather and astronomy. He’ll
find your link a most pleasant Christmas gift.
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