What did you get for Christmas that you love

[malaise]

I received a lovely Homedics foot massager.
Had one from years ago but this one is fabulous.

HoMedics Shiatsu Deluxe Foot Massager with Heat 4 Rotational Heads, 10 Massage Nodes, Therapeutic Kneading & Rolling Warming Massage😀😀

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Peace and Quiet w/o no traveling either. Staying at home finally after so many years traveling for the holidays.

Not that I don't love family, but I'm the one always on the road and they're not. They tried to resurrect it again (my niece) but my sister knew what I meant when I said, Nooooooo!! Let me have a break from traveling (for holidays, bdays, Mom and Dad's day, etc.)...

I feel like we're both 10 years younger too...

[malaise]

2. With you on that 100%

I like when family come here for Christmas and we spend ten days near a beach.
No such trip this Christmas - too sad after Hurricane Melissa.

[SWBTATTReg]

3. I'm sorry to hear about the hurricane mess...I hope that it gets cleaned up/fixed up in a reasonably amount of time.

[Marthe48]

4. A Santa painted on natural wood

Like driftwood or a scrap of log. He has such a kindly face. Really well done.

Best gift this year, was that for the first time in many years, it felt like Christmas. We had fun, laughed a lot. Music, good food, and our family was home. It makes me happy to see family traditions getting passed along with the generations. So many young cooks and bakers. So much kindness and hope.

[malaise]

6. Went to the 50th birthday party for a kid I used to babysit

Her parents are close friend but her mom died in 2024.
I cooked for some friends the Sunday after Christmas. The numbers are less as one by one folks die. Most folks here kept things quiet because of the suffering from Melissa.

[LuckyCharms]

23. Sounds nice, Marthe!

[johnp3907]

5. Carhartt gift certificates.

Now I have a new nice warm coat!

[malaise]

7. Nice

Second sis gave me several new tops in November when we got together.

[quaint]

8. A visit from my 22 yo grandson, xmas eve day, out of the blue.

He knows I'm the grandma without extra funds.
He stayed an hour or so, just talking.

[malaise]

9. Now that was wonderful

How lovely

[deRien]

10. My kids took me

to the play Come From Away with lunch before...
Another kid gave me 5 watercolor lessons... It will be interesting to see if I can actually paint anything... but I'm sure that it will be a great experience... I awarded myself a participation award for my try at decorating cookies on Christmas Day...

[malaise]

11. Lovely gifts

😀

[Intractable]

12. Apple TV box. The picture quality is outstanding.

Literally speaking, we got the Apple box so we could watch HBO Max with optimal quality.

Formerly, HBO looked quite crappy on my six-year old 4K LG smart TV. Now, most shows look great.

It's a top-of-the-line OLED TV. For many reasons, I would not buy LG again.

[malaise]

18. Sounds great

Nice

[greatauntoftriplets]

13. I don't love it, but a detached retina and surgery to fix it.

That was the last weekend of November. Had surgery on 12/3 and am waiting for my vision to fully return. The doctor says it's healing well.

[Kali]

14. OMG

that sounds pretty terrible

[greatauntoftriplets]

16. Thanks.

It's not painful, but your vision is messed up. The surgery is considered emergency because you can go blind in the affected eye. My vision is coming back, slowly.

[Kali]

21. oh I am glad not painful

I do know someone that had that happen but he's a tough sucker and he would never admit if it was painful LOL. he's had a fractured pelvis, hip replacement, heart problems, and been snakebit. twice!

rancher/cowboy. need I say more?

[malaise]

17. Holy shit that is serious

Please heal quickly

[greatauntoftriplets]

19. Thanks.

I'm trying, but recovering from this takes time. Thankfully, I figured out what was happening quickly and went to the doctor the day after the tear started.

[LuckyCharms]

24. May every day get better, greatauntoftriplets.

[greatauntoftriplets]

38. Thanks, Lucky.

I know that you've been through it lately and sympathize. Same to you.

[Kali]

15. that there wasn't too much "stuff"

no more room for things, rather have some peace and quiet.

my son did get a rice cooker - an appliance I was highly unlikely to ever buy - but gotta say it makes pretty good rice! way better than me. LOL

[malaise]

20. Rice cookers are great

Gave one to friends at their wedding 25 years ago. He insists that his immediate ability to cook rice has been good for their marriage😀

[Kali]

22. ha!

yes being good at least at something can make up a lot for not being good in the kitchen in general.

[malaise]

26. He can still cook little else

[LuckyCharms]

25. A phone call from an old friend, and some delicious home made cookies.

[malaise]

32. A young man I mentored call me on Jan 2

We spoke for over an hour. 😀

[LuckyCharms]

34. Nice, malaise!

Sounds like a special phone call! I'm happy for you!

[leftieNanner]

27. Time with my daughters

And their husbands.

[malaise]

33. Sweet

😀

[Scrivener7]

28. A Spotify membership, dinner with au gratin potatoes - a favorite! Oh, and beloved family was at the dinner too!

[wcmagumba]

30. That sounds good, we always called au gratin potatoes, "old rotten potatoes" as a joke...

[Scrivener7]

31. I'm stealing that!

[malaise]

35. Hehehe

For adding the family😀

[Scrivener7]

49. I really DO adore them!

[yellow dahlia]

29. Mr. Dahlia gave me a framed New Yorker cartoon.

https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/a20602

[malaise]

36. Love it

😀

[yellow dahlia]

37. I love it, also.

I hung it next to where I sit on the couch.

[Croney]

39. A box of chocolate-covered cherries.

Took me back 70 years to when I was 10. 🍒🍒🍒

[johnp3907]

42. We gave my dad a box every Christmas!

He loved them! 🥲

[Scrivener7]

50. Ha! One of the ways my dad chose to bond with us was to take us individually (there were 6 of us) to the

local stationary store that had those and buy a box. Then the two of us would sit in the car and share the whole box between us and chat about life.

What a great memory!!

[malaise]

43. Nice

Rec

[buzzycrumbhunger]

40. We didn't really "do" Xmas

My ex pretty much ruined it for all of us *eyeroll* but not having to work a full week was a definite bonus—and the fact the following week was a short one, too!

[malaise]

44. Glad you got some rest

😀

[Grim Chieftain]

41. I didn't get anything for Christmas

[malaise]

45. Well here's a belated hug

[Grim Chieftain]

46. Thanks. malaise

That's a wonderful gift. Right back at you.

[quaint]

55. I hope you gave yourself a New Year's gift!

[PJMcK]

47. An appointment at the Panamanian Tribunal

On Christmas Eve, our lawyer’s paralegal texted us that she had secured an appointment for us at the national Elections Tribunal to secure our cedulas which is an official ID card. These appointments are very difficult to come by and the earliest we expected one was March or April. Although we will not be eligible to vote in Panama, it is the highest form of ID here that even supersedes our U.S. passports. The appointment was last Monday and we will receive the cards this week.

This is the final and most important step for us to complete giving us full right and authority to stay in this beautiful country. Previously, we got our drivers licenses and Pensionado Visa cards. With all of these documents secured, our one-year journey to create an escape plan is now in place. Recent events have shown that our premonitions about the direction of the U.S. appear to becoming true. Very sad and disappointing.

[malaise]

48. Congrats

[Sneederbunk]

51. Not any more. I ate it.

[malaise]

52. Hehe

😀😀😀

[cbabe]

53. Furnace fixed after days of 30degrees. And some chocolates for comfort.

[malaise]

54. Hmmmmmmmm

Good😀