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What’s Been On Your Calendar – December 2024?

Retirement Reflections

This past month has been filled with highs and lows, joys and sorrow. Let’s start with the joys:

Festive Decorating

On December 1, I began decorating our home, unpacking one Christmas box per day. It was a fun and doable approach that allowed me to decorate mindfully, minimilize (at least a bit), and finally part with some items that could hopefully bring joy to others. This is what the final Christmas scene looks like.

Reverse Advent Calendar

I am wild about Advent Calendars. This year, I decided to do a Reverse Advent one. Each time I opened a new decorations box, I found a Christmas item (or items) to give away. I then posted daily on our local Buy Nothing Site (Give Ask Gratitude). It felt great to free these items, minimize our decorating, and make new friends along the way. Pictured here are some items that are now happily in a new home. Do you have a Buy Nothing Site in your area? If you are not sure, I highly recommend checking it out.

Festive Activities and Warm Friendships

Research repeatedly proves that friends and social integration are the number one key to longevity. I am forever grateful to have wonderful friends to confide in and do amazing things with. Recently, Deb (of Widow Badass fame) and I attended three different performances at three different theatres within a seven day timespan! First, there was ‘Mom’s The Word: Talking Turkey’ at the Belfry Theatre in Victoria. Then Buddy Holly Christmas at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo. And we topped this off with Christmas at Pemberley at the Chemanius Theatre. If you get a chance to see any (or all) of the above, I highly recommend them.

Oh, and of course, there were Christmas parties, book club celebrations, ladies’ lunches, meals out, wonderful catchups, our regular Muttley Crew walks and a Friendship Christmas Dinner. I enjoyed them all immensely, but due to my social media break, I took less photos than usual. Thank goodness for Deb’s and my traditional selfie-taking.

Family

Our Christmas Family Gathering (3 sons, 2 DILs, 3 grandchildren, 2 granddogs plus Richard and I) is taking place at our house today and tomorrow– so too late to include family pics in this post. Substituting for that is our family Christmas invitation. Nerdy, I know…but festively so!

Sorrow

In sorrow, I share the passing of Richard’s sister, Teddy Colton. Gone far too soon, Teddy will be lovingly remembered for her kindness, keen sense of fun and unwavering commitment to her loved ones. This was a sudden, unexpected death. My online presence may continue to be intermittent as my husband and I spend quiet time with family and travel out of province for Teddy’s memorial.

Did you celebrate holidays this December? My cohosts and I would love for you to share with us in the comments or via this link below. We hope to see you here.

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Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

93 thoughts on “What’s Been On Your Calendar – December 2024?”

  1. I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your sister-in-law. It’s never easy. ❤️

    Your house looks warm and cosy and so nicely decorated. Have a great family gathering with all the kids, in-laws and grandpups! There was just the two of us as everyone else is in Canada or the UK, but we had a nice time. Sat in the sun and visited with our Irish neighbours while enjoying a baileys over ice. Yum!

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    1. Hi, Darlene – The last of our family left over five hours ago and I am still comatose on the couch! It’s been an extremely busy, bittersweet month with lots happening. Drinking Baileys over ice in the sun does have a nice appeal to it. I would be delighted to send you an extra rainstorm or two from water-soaked Vancouver Island! ❤

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  2. Donna,

    You have a fabulous outlook on life. Your days are filled with family, friends, and fun activities–all of which will keep you healthy and grounded. Sending hugs to you, Richard, and his family for their loss. It had to be especially hard on everyone during the Christmas season. May 2025 be a wonderful year for you both. Joe

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  4. I love your Advent calendar idea. I use the Buy Nothing site frequently, to find and give away things. People are always so grateful! My grandsons have a stroller and a high chair at my house because of that wonderful group. I’m so sorry about the unexpected loss, especially at the holidays. I hosted a get together for Christmas Eve at my house: both daughters, one daughter’s husband, three little boys (4, 2 and 17 months), my 92 mother, my brother and his family and my boyfriend. My cat, a solitary creature who only likes me, was traumatized. She did NOT have a good Christmas! We did, in spite of the activity, noise and general chaos.

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  5. We did a massive Christmas decoration cleanout this year. If it’s not out, it’s gone! Feels good and I have to do that with more stuff. I’m sorry for your loss. The holidays are a hard time to lose loved ones. Your home is festive!

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    1. Hi, Kate – It does feel good to free items that we truly no longer need, are not using and won’t likely miss when they are gone. I noticed that members on our Buy Nothing Site are still giving away Christmas items and people are willing to take them and store them for next year. So, there may be a few more items that I give away. Thank you for your kind thoughts.

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  6. Hi Donna – a mixed Christmas emotionally for you – so much joy with decorating and de-cluttering, time with friends and family, and the specialness that’s Christmas……offset by the sorrow of Teddy’s passing. Take care of yourselves as you ride the waves of happy and sad. x

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  7. I’m sorry for Richard’s and your loss, Donna. It’s double sad during a festive period. You sure had a busy December! We celebrated Christmas with old and new friends and – luckily – it was warm enough to eat, drink, and chat outside.

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    1. HI, Liesbet – I am so glad that you had a nice Christmas with old and new friends. I am a tad jealous about your nice weather. Although ours has been not too cold (at least not for a Canadian), it has been very, very wet and stormy. I’m pretty sure that you and Mark would hate it! ❤

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    1. Hi, Barbara – Thank you for your thoughtful message. I think that our December may have been a tad too busy. Richard and I thankfully have a blank calendar for the next 5 days until we head out to my mom’s in Kelowna. I am determined not to get out of my pajamas tomorrow – not even for a single moment! 😀

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  9. Pingback: If we were having coffee…or even a cup of tea… a brief year in review – Thistles and Kiwis

  10. Your Christmas sounds like a lot of fun Donna, though dimmed by Teddy’s sudden death. Deep condolences to Richard and family. Family is so precious – it’s a hard whack when one member is no longer. 🕯️🦋

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  13. Hi Donna, I love the look of your house with all the decorations up, it looks so cosy and inviting! You sound like you had a great time with Deb and lost of activities leading up to Christmas. Your invitation is delightful and not nerdy at all – it made me smile! Again, I’m sorry for the loss of Richard’s sister and hope you can find peace with family members.

    I hope 2025 is a good one for you and must say it’s always fabulous to have you as a co-host, we all make a great team and I love the linkups we share. Take care xxx

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  14. Pingback: December Walks and Fleurs de Villes Noël – Natalie the Explorer

  16. I am so very sorry to read about your sister-in-law Teddy. Sudden death is a unique thing that is grieved differently than an expected death. Both are sad and definitely hard, just different. Again, I’m so sorry.

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  18. My dear friend! I am grateful to have shared so much of December with you – the highs and also the lows. Love your menu and your Christmas decor. Enjoy your Wageman family Christmas, and I look forward to catching up with you in 2025!

    Deb

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  19. I am so sorry for your loss; your family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

    I am loving your reverse advent idea though and it sounds like mixed in with the sadness you had lots of great festive experiences this month too.

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    1. Hi, Anabel – Thank you for your wise words. I lost my sister to cancer 19 years ago and I still feel her loss regularly. Teddy’s unexpected death has been hard on our full family.
      Wishing you and John a happy and healthy 2025.

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  21. Sorry for the loss. It’s an awful time to lose family. I looked for a Buy Nothing group as it seems like a good idea, but I couldn’t find anything locally. Your house looks lovely. We have a much smaller tree since we moved to Portugal and I gave many ornaments to the local charity shop.

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    1. Hi, Jo – Thank you for your kind words. I am glad that you checked for a local buy nothing site. They do operate through FB (at least the sites that I know). There is a FB Buy Nothing Site in Porto City and Lisbon. Are either of those places remotely closs to you?

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      1. I did see that there’s one in Lisbon, but that’s 2-3 hours drive, while Porto would be more like 8. I also saw that I could set one up myself, but that might be too challenging right now. I’ll keep my eye on Facebook and see what comes up. Thanks, darlin!

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  22. Such an up and down month for you – sending sympathy for your loss. That Christmas invitation is SO you! And I love the idea of the Buy Nothing site. Wishing you and your family much love this season and the biggest thank you possible for your friendship and support.

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  23. Your house with warm decorations, despite grief right now, reminds your loved ones of good times then …and now.

    Hope it’s not too stormy right now.

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    1. Thank you for your kind words. We did have strong storms on Dec 25 and 26 (with most of our Nanaimo – Vancouver ferries cancelled. But the weather seems fine right now (she says with confidence). No snow yet for us this winter…and being the snow-grinch that I am, I haven’t missed it! 😀

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  24. Hi Donna, I’m sorry to hear about Richard’s sister. Your home is warm and welcoming just how I remember it. I love your festive decorations and family invitation. Wishing you and your loved ones much love and peace this holiday season.

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  25. Your house looks so warm and cozy!

    I’m happy that you were able to find joy and laughter with friends and family despite your grief. More hugs to you and Richard (and add one for Deb when you see her next).

    I cleaned out a lot of decorations too this year. I figured that if I hadn’t used them in two or three years, I probably would never put them up again. Buy Nothing is a fabulous to share the bounty.

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    1. Thanks so much, Janis. I will continue to take those warm hugs and promise to pass one on to Deb when I see her (which tragically will not be until the end of January).

      Wishing you and Paul a happy and healthy 2025 and an absolutely wonderful birthday!

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  26. How wonderful that you managed 3 live threate shows! I love it but rarely fit it into the schedule. Your reverse advent decoration scattering sounds fabulous! I would love to do it but someone might mutiny. And once again, I am so sorry for your family’s loss. Sudden death is devastating, and I am glad you will have some family time together to mourn Teddy.

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    1. Thanks, Bernie – Richard has been surprisingly good with us giving away items we no longer need. I used to have to do that in secret. It is liberating to now do this with his cooperation.
      Thank you for your very kind words. Wishing you a wonderful new year ahead!

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  28. What a festive home you made with your Christmas decorations and more. In winter it all seems so much more festive!!

    I am sorry to read of the close family member’s death. Sending my condolences.

    And yet, not matter what we do still need to gather and remember friends and family as we celebrate with those who can be with us.

    I understand when Christmas looks different…we had one like that, and this time a choice of one person not to attend.

    Take care, and thank you for the link up and friendship on line.

    Warm wishes to you and yours

    Denyse x

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    2. Hi, Denyse – Thank you for your wise words. We’ve recently have had a large gathering with family and will have more next week. So we have been able to share wonderful Teddy stories – which have added to our very fond memories.
      I hope that you holidays have been going well. Wishing you a very happy new year ahead!

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  29. I am so sorry for the unexpected loss of your sister-in-law, Teddy. I think I saw something on your Facebook page about her passing. She looked like a sweetheart. Hope the memorial will be a blessed time for all who loved that precious soul.

    Glad you enjoyed so many social events over the holidays. Just love your friendship with Debbie. Yay for the selfies so we can tag along, too.

    Your family invite is so fancy and fun. Hope you have had the best time with love you love most. I always want to link up for this series but tend to write my month in review posts all the way through the end of the month so by the time I get it posted, we are a day or two into the new month. And the link up has closed. Would love for you gals to extend the link up just a day or two!!

    Safe travels to the memorial service. Wishing you comfort and peace as you grieve with family and friends. XO

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    1. Hi, Leslie – Thank you for your warm thoughts and kind words. I am currently celebrating Stay-In-My-PJS-All-Day. It’s not an official national or international day, but it truly should be. I’m only a few hours into the day and I am already feeling incredibly relaxed. ❤

      I hope that all is well there and you are also getting in much-deserved rest and relaxation.

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  30. Hello Donna your Christmas decorating is beautiful and I do like the idea of the Reverse Advent Calendar. It certainly has been a month of highs and lows, especially with the loss of your sister-in-law. Wishing you and Richard a very happy and healthy 2025 and sending love to you both. I look forward to catching up with you soon. xx

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    1. Thank you so much, Sue. I greatly look forward to catching up with you too. Your holiday photos with family have looked absolutely fabulous. Wishing you a wonderful end to your holidays and a very happy and healthy new year ahead. See you soon!

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  32. Kindest regards to you & Richard on the death of his sister/your SIL. It’s never easy. Oh, the highs & lows of life. I was able to attend the memorial service that the local funeral home hosts annually as well as a coping with grief at Christmas hosted by a community church. I’m also reading a book by Frank Ostaseski – The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully. I call this grief work which was balanced with fun – reunion dinner with old work group; playing Santa, delivering kitchen gifts to friends & neighbors. Culling excess is an ongoing project. I usually donate items to fund-raising tag sales (library, lodge, church, etc). There were 3 beds to be removed from mom’s house & I managed to rehome them this month. The highlight of the month – Christmas in Puerto Vallarta, MX with my son & his family. We also celebrated my son’s BD (Dec 25) there with close friends who just happened to be there as well. I came home to concierge service – my neighbor had cleaned the 10cm of snow that had fallen the day before my return. Season’s greetings.

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    1. Hi, Mona – You live such a rich, full life and you share it so eloquently. I promise not to harangue about you not blogging or sharing on social media…but it’s very, very tempting! 😀
      I’m delighted to hear that you were able to have some relaxation time with your son and family in Puerto Vallarta. And then to come home to concierge service. You definitely have and deserve very good karma.

      I’m off to check out The Five Invitations right now.

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  36. I am sorry to hear of your loss, Donna. Losing a loved one is never easy, and when it is unexpected and during the holiday season, it can hit even harder. I hope you and Richard are well-supported and surrounded by love. Sending virtual hugs. As for your joys this month, your home looks lovely in its Christmas decorations, and what a great idea to pass some things on for someone else to enjoy.

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  37. I am so sorry to hear of the passing of your sister-in-law. Losing a loved one is never easy, and when it is unexpected and during the holiday season, it can hit even harder. May you be well-supported and surrounded by love during this time. Sending virtual hugs. As for your joys, your home is beautiful in its Christmas splendor, and I love that you passed on some items for others to enjoy.

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  38. It’s wonderful to hear you had a social media break, Donna. It’s great to unplug and just be in the real world. I enjoyed reading your month of December. How thoughtful of giving away some items as you get new ones through Advent Calendars. I’ve never been big on Advent Calendars. It wasn’t something that I did growing up and neither did my family or friends. This year I decided to get one of those chocolate Advent Calendars – one chocolate for each day.

    Sorry to hear about the sad news. Take all the time you need. People touch us in ways we don’t expect, and Teddy sounded like a wonderful person. Wishing you a wonderful year ahead, Donna. Much love to you and hugs across the miles ❤

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    1. Thanks, Mabel – The Social Media break was well needed but flew by in a flash. I am still on a partial social media break, but am checking in on my blog and online here and there. I hope to be back again in full speed by February.

      Thank you for reading and commenting.

      Wishing you a very happy and healthy 2025.

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  41. Hi Donna – I’m exceedingly late … just very slothful, with minor keyboard hiccups (resolved yesterday – finally!) … so a few out and abouts – all very quiet … with quite a lot of reading and watching old films … catching up will happen as Spring comes along. I’m sorry to read about Richard’s sister – and just glad you can get across to the mainland to spend time with family. Take care and a happy 2025 – cheers Hilary

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  42. Hi, Hilary- I’m glad that you have your keyboard issues resolved (technology issues are always such a drag). I still am not able to subscribe to your site for some reason (i must be on a bad list). But I have bookmarked your site so can get in that way.

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