Merry Skype-mas to all, and to all a good night
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/12/2020 (894 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Wow, Christmas looked different this year. Who would have ever imagined?
We had “Skype-mas”. It took some planning but we pulled off a safe Christmas. In the end all that matters is that I kept my family safe.
Skype-ing Christmas was no easy feat with my family, however. There were technical issues, as many family members do not own cell phones, computers nor have internet service. Once this was figured out, we had a plan.
Christmas gifts to each other were delivered beforehand, curbside, of course.
On Christmas Day, I cooked my Christmas dinner, as usual. Turkey and all the fixings. I made all my Christmas baking, as usual; everyone’s favourites. Then came hot curbside pick-up at my house. Everyone headed home and logged into Skype. We ate our dinner together, we opened our gifts together and we played games together.
I gave everyone a box of game supplies in their packages. A bottle of Vaseline and a pompom attached to a ribbon — you put some Vaseline on your nose, put the end of the ribbon in your mouth, and try to stick the pompom to your nose. I had to decide if I was going to be competitive (and play) or if I was going to sit it out and watch my Dad do this. We did one at a time so that everyone could watch and laugh, and we timed each person to determine a winner.
Everyone got a wooden skewer and some screws for screw stacking. Everyone also got a popsicle stick (to put between your teeth) and set of dice to stack on it. Everyone got secret clues in an envelope to act out charades. Everyone got a piece of paper and pen and had to write down a Christmas carol that started with each letter of the alphabet, in three minutes (OK, three minutes was not long enough).
And that’s what we did. We made the best of it.
I think my family was mad that I didn’t get upset about not having everyone over to my house. The truth is that I didn’t have to clean my house or dust or take out the ugly ornaments they made me or scrub my bathroom for guests or even wear pants while Skype-ing. It was kind of awesome for me, and much less work.
I wish all of my readers the very best of the holiday season and, with more meaning than ever, a safe and happy new year.
Wendy Hrynkiw is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email her at wendyhrynkiw@shaw.ca
Wendy Hrynkiw
East Kildonan community correspondent
Wendy Hrynkiw is a community correspondent for East Kildonan. Email her at wendyhrynkiw@shaw.ca