Hard to say isn't it? I don't think there's any test for SAD, it's not like the flu or something.
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Yeah, I think that's all it'll be. You spend a decent amount of time outside (on your walks), all year round. More than someone who works in say, a shop or an office.
I came to hate winter more and more in recent years, and even now that I don't have to go out to work I still don't like it. Even Christmas, which was put there to give us something to look forward to, doesn't work any more.
Be nice if we could go into suspended animation for the winter months, and be switched back on come March. It worked for those folk in the film Alien. Well it would have if it weren't for that pesky er, alien. Our closest equivalent would be Trump I suppose, wrecking the world while we sleep.
Snow's quite nice if you don't drive or don't have to. Certainly looks good, especially on the hills which are only a couple of miles away. I used to like Christmas, but two things ruined it for me:
1. I grew up and had to start buying gifts for others.
2. The commercialisation started earlier and earlier every year, so by the time Christmas actually arrived I was already sick of it.
Don't mind the extra food though :)
I get all that, mate, and also hate the commercialisation, but you can't do much about that. There's also the religious side of things for us, being Christians, which is really what Christmas should be about (the birth of Jesus), so we love all the carol singing at the church, etc.
Had to laugh about you buying gifts; I guess it depends on how big your family is. In terms of present buying, I've only ever had my mum and dad and Del, so really not too much bother. Del sends me links to things she wants (rather like writing a letter to Santa, lol) and I just get whatever it is, along with a few surprises, and make sure it's all attractively wrapped up.
I get just as much pleasure out of giving gifts, as receiving them, especially when I see her reaction on Christmas morning!:)
Marco.
You do paint a good picture of the ideal Christmas, even a miserable old bugger like me could be on board with some of that :)
And you're right about "how big my family is". I can tell you it's pretty big. And pretty demanding too. Three of them (her dad and two of her sons) seem incapable of doing anything for themselves - so Anita is in charge of buying presents for them to give to each other, including wrapping the gifts and buying cards for them to give to each other. It's a chore that takes many days to complete.
Add to this there are also two granddaughters, neither of which have their mums and dads living under the same roof, So Anita has all the presents buying and wrapping duties there too. Now Anita does relish all this, but it does wear her out, and it's not until after Boxing day that she can finally chill.
All I have to do is spend time with them, but that's a job in itself, and sometimes it's a real effort keeping from speaking up about how useless they are.
Just a couple of weeks now before it all starts :santa:
As for your last line, I don't really need to know what you get up to Christmas morning :eyebrows:
I hope you get through it as best as possible, and manage to enjoy yourself... Sounds like a good excuse to get bladdered, lol... I also hope Anita finds the time to relax and enjoy the day:)
Marco.