I’ve mostly been fine with pandemic restrictions so far. I know that restrictions are for our safety and to protect those who are vulnerable. The more the virus spreads, the greater the chance it will reach into nursing homes and plug up our hospitals. But to get through the holidays in good cheer, I’m going to have to work at it. Here are some ideas to help enjoy the holidays…
Staying in touch
My husband’s family have been doing video calls twice a week since spring, every Wednesday and Saturday. It’s really helping to keep the family in touch with each other and gives us something to look forward to. I started a similar “coffee hour” with my two sisters on Sunday mornings. I have been video chatting with my children fairly often, but sometimes we get busy and a couple of weeks go by. I want to get into a schedule with them too, so we talk regularly.
Of course, a low-tech phone call works too and is often simpler for those who might be find technology confusing, but there is something special about seeing each other, even on a screen. There are many programs that include video calling now, making it easier than ever. We’ve used Skype for years, but now also use Messenger often, as you can hop from texting onto a phone or video call in the same program. All you need is to load the app on a phone or tablet. Google’s Meet program, Zoom and What’s App are others that allow free video chatting through your internet connection.
With my husband's family, we use a program called Whereby that allows up to 4 devices to securely connect for free, great for those who worry about security on the internet. They have a special on right now - unlimited free calls for up to 50 people over the holidays, until January 8th, if you were interested in trying it out. I find it’s easiest to really have a conversation with just 2 parties, though, as it’s harder to follow cues of whose turn it is to talk with 3 or more. My hubby’s family, who often have 5 or 6 on a call, raise their hand when they want to say something and that works well. Might be because several of them are retired teachers…
I also set up a group text in Messenger with our children and their spouses last spring, and they post there every day. It’s keeping us all in touch with each other and fits into their busy lifestyles. My son and daughter-in-law post videos of our two granddaughters regularly on it too, and we really enjoy those (watch them over and over and over…). It’s hard to get little ones to sit still on a video call for very long and videos let us see them at some exciting moments! These days, it’s the daily discovery of what their “elf on a shelf” is up to…
I also started sending snail mail to our Grandgirls. Nothing more fun than getting something in the mail! Sometimes it’s a small parcel, other times just a letter or drawing. I’ve even gotten some return mail and that’s so special! My fridge is getting nicely decorated…
Home alone…
I’ve been hoping that somehow, COVID cases would get under control enough that we could get together with our children. But outbreaks continue to occur, and travel is still not recommended. In fact, health authorities are begging us all to just stay home, as hospitals in many areas are filling up with COVID patients. Regular surgeries are being delayed, even those to remove cancer. I just can’t imagine being in that boat…
So, it’s looking like our Christmas will be a get-together with my husband’s brother and his wife who live nearby and have been spending their time home alone like us. Hopefully, we can have a delayed holiday celebration in January or February with our children when quarantining afterward won’t be needed or at least won’t be as difficult.
When we isolated last March, on our arrival back from our winter holiday in Spain, we ordered home meal delivery (Hello Fresh!) to make it more fun. We had a great time cooking new dishes without having to worry about whether we had the ingredients on hand (everything you need is included except very basics like butter and eggs). Might just do that again for a while this winter for entertainment. It’s fun trying new recipes and feels like you’re eating at a restaurant since you’re not having your usual fare!
Holiday entertainment
Of course, this year I’m not just bemoaning the time I won’t have just hanging out with my kids and grandkids – we also won’t be travelling as we usually do in the winter. I bought some nice new “base layer” pieces (aka long johns…) so I can get outdoors more and not freeze to death. And we do have snowshoes that we had a little fun with last March when we came back early from Spain with snow still on the ground. There’s not much snow here yet but we try to walk to our mailbox at the top of our road almost every day (about a 30 minute walk, there and back) or head to the beach to see what’s new (it changes daily!).
I enjoy browsing through photos of previous trips and reliving the memories of warm vacations. But I came across an article this week with another suggestion for us Snowbirds who’ve had our wings clipped this year – sightseeing by internet! Sounds like it would be a fun way to spend some evenings “travelling virtually” on a big screen. I have a nice long HDMI cable that will put whatever is on my computer screen onto the TV for better viewing.
I’ll post a link to the article below, so you can check it out yourself, but one site they suggested is Google Maps Treks, that offers virtual tours of stunning regions around the world like the Great Barrier Reef, Venice, Mount Everest and the Canadian North. There are also virtual tours of museums, art galleries and even the International Space Station.
And, if you don’t have a fireplace to curl up in front of with a good book, there are plenty available for free on the internet, some with holiday music if you’d like that too. You just need a cable to connect your computer to your TV or a Bluetooth connection device like Chromecast, Roku, or Apple TV. You can buy these devices at electronics stores, Walmart or online.
If you don’t have a good book on hand, the “Libby” app takes you into the online section of your local library through the electronic library program, Overdrive. If you don’t have a library card, you can apply online. There’s also another online library called Hoopla that operates through provincial/state libraries that even carries my book!! 😊 I’m working on learning how to get books into the regular library system too… another project for this winter!
Staying cheery
Lastly, I want to share a nice article written by a pharmacist/blogger in Toronto that I chat with from time to time. She gives some ideas for how you can keep your mind in a good place even though you might be missing out on some of your usual traditions this year (the link to the article is below).
Here’s what she suggests:
Practice gratitude – Being thankful for what you have and focusing on the good things in your life, rather than what might be missing, helps keep a positive mindset. Start and end each day, thinking of the things that are good in your life right now and how grateful you feel for all of these.
Become aware of your thoughts – We humans tend to have a negativity bias, letting negative thoughts circle in our brains. If you’re starting to feel a little down, take a few deep breaths and examine what you are focused on. Realize the negative aspect is at least partly due to how you interpret the information or situation, and consciously try to change your point of view, focusing instead on something (anything!) that’s positive about the situation or on something else altogether that makes you feel good.
Let go of expectations – This is a year to just accept what comes and not to expect things to be the same as always. There is still a lot we can enjoy in the holiday season, even if it’s not part of our usual activities and socializing. We can create new traditions or plan to do things we’ve always wanted to do, but don’t normally have time for, that can be done at home. As my hubby reminds me: a holiday is just a day and there will be plenty more holidays to enjoy in the future.
Sharing creates joy
Our neighbour realized this week that a special needs child who lives on our road is disappointed that he can’t go to see Santa as he always loves to do each year. So, she borrowed a Santa suit and her husband is playing Santa this year! A bunch of us chipped together to buy gifts for him to deliver to our special neighbour, and I’m organizing a few songs (plus words and karaoke music!) for us to join in the fun with some caroling. It feels good to do something kind for someone else and will take our minds off things we’re missing this year!
What are you doing differently this year? Sharing ideas can be inspiring and heart-warming… Tell us how you plan to have some fun for your winter holidays this year in the comments below!
Read the full articles:
Your guide to enjoying a classic Canadian winter, virtually – CTV News Six ways you can have a classic Canadian winter without leaving your home | CTV News
How to create a more peaceful mindset during this holiday season – King City Guardian Pharmacy HOW TO CREATE A MORE PEACEFUL MINDSET DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON – King City Pharmacy
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