Questions Bipolar Version #9

It's between It's a Wonderful Life (with James Stewart) and Charlie Brown's Christmas.

What is something that you recently made yourself do that you'd be neglecting to do?

Laundry. I've had a virus that keeps lingering (negative COVID test although it seemed like COVID was possible) and with the body aches laundry was just hard. I finally forced myself yesterday and woke up with every muscle sore but I'm so glad to have clean sheets and pajamas.

Are you doing Black Friday shopping (you know someone had to ask it )?

Lol 😆 no I’m not going shopping but I am driving mum to her pharmacy tomorrow. Back in October when they were saying everything was going to be scarce I did all my shopping then. But lo and behold there’s no scarcity but instead there’s just increasing prices. So I am glad I’m done.

I noticed today that except for me and the under 5s everyone ate cranberries. Do you like cranberries?

I like cranberries but I'm not a fan of turkey or gravy. So I have kind of weird Thanksgiving. My mom is the same and every year says we aren't doing turkey and then every year she does turkey. Maybe we've had 2 years off. Last year I only remember the details of my dying family member and have no idea what we ate.

Have you been through grief in the holidays?

Unfortunately, yes. My mother (the family root) unexpectedly passed away 15 years ago, in September. Thanksgiving, and all of the holidays that year, were quite miserable. We even decided to have Christmas dinner at a Chinese restaurant that year. Actually, holidays have never been the same, since. I'll be happy to spend this Christmas in Czech Republic with my sister-in-law and her sons. I think if my siblings and I had had many kids, it might have been easier. My sister had two sons, but only one is still with us, and he's reclusive. My brother and I never had any. The whole "family dinner" idea is almost dead in my family, with our dad in assisted living and my siblings unwilling to host. My sister's house is basically a mild hoarder house (not her doing) and my brother keeps my dad's house a disaster, too, but he's more an obsessive hobbyist. Plus, they're both strange birds. I am, too, but am oddly the most "normal" of us. My house is always clean and tidy, but Hubby never lets me host more than four people. I still grieve.

Who has traditionally cooked the holiday dinners in your family? Has it changed over the years?

Traditionally it was mum. By the time I came along ( surprise baby and by far the youngest) the job was my mum’s the oldest girl in her family. On mum’s side of the family her brothers and sisters with their families would join us. A variety each year as they would alternate years. I do have very vague memories of going to my grandparents but I’m not sure it was for any holiday. Then about 10 years ago ( mum was in her 80’s) my oldest sister started having it at her house, then her oldest son started having it at his house as it’s bigger. But this year my sister made thee turkey and stuffing. And everyone who comes brings different foods.

Soupe lives in Czech now and may move again. If you could live anywhere where would you live?

Arizona in the cooler months and Michigan in warm months

Do you ever wish you could go back to see places where you've lived in the past?

Sure. It was only maybe a year and a half ago that my husband and I drove to the street I lived on from birth to 9 years old. The house looked totally different. They put a second level on it. A while before that we drove passed my old elementary school there. They changed its name for some reason. Not sure why.

I think we went passed by the house I lived in in Berkeley, CA once, during a trip to the Bay Area. I have also passed by my old university dorms, in the past. I doubt I'll ever go back to Taiwan.

What was your favorite grade in school (or university), and why?

I only stayed in school until around grade 5
and, I guess out of those, grades 1 or two

I enjoyed blowing bubbles threw a straw. I still do. I am so grown up.

did you complete school. if not what grade did you get to?

I did 4 years of university but didn’t graduate, I kept changing majors so the credits weren’t enough for any one major. Since I paid for myself I felt free to take what interested me. One of my favorite classes was Science Fiction, another was an honors ancient literature, but they did me no good, except that they were interesting 🧐. Then I stupidly got married instead of taking one more semester to graduate with a double major!

Did you ever take classes purely for entertainment and enjoyment?

A: I took honors abnormal psychology. I found it fascinating. We had a lot of selected readings and case studies. It was just a fun glimpse into a very small facet, albeit interesting, of psychology. If I could do it over again, I would go into the field of cognitive psychology, perhaps.

Q: What is something , good or bad, a teacher/professor/boss has said to you that has always stuck?

There's surely something more significant, but I can't think of it. One professor remarked that I'm "Too wordy" in my papers. I know it. Still often am, but I can edit, when needed.

Name one way that you've improved over the years? Leaving the question general.

tried to show more interest in what's going on around me (and the world in general)

this time last year I didn't even know who the queen was, and could only name 1 US state

now I know about news stories, know who the queen is, and can name all 50 states

I guess having never a proper education, people consider me thick, but I am trying to change that- not just for myself, but also because I live in the world. I need to know the basics.. who the queen is, who the government is, the words to my national anthem, etc etc

do you worry the best days of your life are behind you?

No because I was seriously ill and miserable. I'm much better now and doing great! I'm hoping the best is yet to come though I do admit I miss physically being younger.

If you have one, what is your favorite Christmas movie?

the christmas bunny, which is actually showing on saturday so I'm going to watch it

are your decorations up?

Nope. Not likely to be today either.

Hmmm 🤔

Too early in the morning for me, same question. Do you have your decorations up yet?

No, even though I wrote further above that I planned to put some things up. We got too busy and sidetracked today.

Do you have a particularly nostalgic holiday item you always display? Any holiday.

Mum has an old crèche she brings out every year. It’s nostalgic to her. From the 30’s or 40’s. For me I had about 11-12 12-15 inch angels that I put out every year. They were international from different countries. But I lost them in my move to Minnesota. I hope they have a good home wherever they are.

Do you have any special rituals or ceremonies you do for the winter holidays ( Hanukkah, Christmas, kwanza )

Not really. Our family has had some bad things that have changed our holiday celebrations year to year over the past several years. We will have a ham dinner with my brother and then another Christmas dinner of some kind at my sister's. We'll go to my sister's on Christmas day for gifts with the kids. Oh, and we went to the town Christmas party. So I guess some small traditions but not the same ones we used to have. It makes me sad.

Do you tend to wear the same types of clothes daily or do you change it up? (ie I wear hoodies nearly every day)

Pretty much the same thing daily. Mostly tie dye shirts and jeans or wide legged black sweat pants. I have several tie dye shirts in bright colors to black and white. In the winter on clod days I wear solid color long sleeved shirts under them. The more I wash them the softer they get. If I’m not wearing tie-dye I’m usually in black.

Did you go though an all black phase?