I’M JUST CURIOUS: The holiday season 2020

by Debbie Walker

Okay, so the holiday season of 2020 has begun. It is sure to have some differences for just about everyone. I hope you all had a great turkey day, enjoying good food and loving family and friends.

Included in my family’s celebration was our new little one to introduce to the holiday season. Thanksgiving was a small group of family: grandparents, aunts, and uncles, all looking forward to spending time with six-month-old Addison Grace. She is full of curiosity and two new teeth. Every day is an adventure to her.

Our weather here in central west coast Florida was a bit warmer than yours, we were able to still spend a good part of the gathering time outside without freezing. Now, that being said, I want to tell you that tonight is a reminder for me. A reminder of the cold in Maine. At 9:51 p.m., in Lecanto, Florida, on December 1, it is 36 degrees! I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal to you, however… Just the other day it was in the 80s! Day before yesterday it was 60+ degrees at 7 a.m. This 36 is not acceptable! Good thing it is only supposed to last two days.

OK, I am finished with the latest weather update, I am including a few jokes I found in a book from Reader’s Digest. Laughter, The Best Medicine – Holidays. Published in 2012

“One of the great unsolved mysteries of life is how you can get 24 pounds of leftovers from an 18-pound turkey,” by Robert Green.

“A three-year old’s report on Thanksgiving, ‘I didn’t like the turkey, but I liked the bread he ate.”’ by Art Linkletter.

“Bless oh Lord, these delectable vittles. May they add to thy glory and not to our middles.” By Yvonne Wright.

When my mother began teaching, she was known as Miss Smeed to her grade one students – or so she thought. She found out differently when she met one of the dads the following January.

“I’m so glad to meet you, he said warmly. Do you know it was Christmas before I found out your name wasn’t Mincemeat!”

So writing this column has taken a couple of days of putting together. I have been at Nana Dee’s (Wandering Nanas) for the past couple of weeks during her recuperation from open heart surgery. She had a mass they had to get rid of (like my medical terminology?!) and thankfully it is a total success. That means we will be wandering still!

The follow-up to our weather was this morning’s numbers. Sandy, Nana Dee’s dog, doesn’t care what the temperatures are, she still expects to be walked. Today that was my job. You will have no sympathy for me, I understand. Roxie’s and my time outside was in 28 DEGREES!

I found an article in our local Seniors paper about Surviving the Holidays and the writer was Beverly Thomassian.

One thing she pointed out was Sleep is particularly important. You need about seven hours of sleep. It helps you make better decisions.

Keep active. Try for 30 minutes of activity. Could be exercise, it could just be playing music and dancing or even playing cards.

Keep hydrated by enjoying plenty of water.

Limit alcohol to one drink a day for women and two for men. Do I know why the difference? Of course, I don’t, that kind of stuff irritates me.

You are already sweet enough. Limit sugar.

List the things for which you are grateful. This would be a great thing to do every day just to help create perspective.

I’m just curious what you might add to this. Contact me at DebbieWalker@townline.org with any questions or comments. I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great week!