I try really hard to keep all the old traditions going, especially around that king of all the holidays, Christmas. But money has been tight for so long, it's been a real challenge---on top of losing so many beloved relatives.

I would have to say, Thanksgiving is still at the top of my favorites list, however. The rest don't signify as much for me anymore.

My husband is a nice man but he is a bit clueless about celebrating without being almost completely inebriated throughout. He can't ever let his hair down, or be warm, enthusiastic, or romantic, without a lot of beer in him. And that is a huge turnoff. I think that's part of what I deal with, as well. He's also clueless about birthdays. I was never really into big birthday parties and stuff, but now they've almost completely fallen by the wayside.

So, that takes an awful lot of the fun out of just about every celebration. If you can't do it sober and completely conscious, with other people's enjoyment taking priority, then why bother? And I'm tired of being the only one who really does all the cheerleading, and all the actual labor involved.