December 20, 2020
Every year, as Christmas approaches I enjoy eating excessive baked goods. December seems to be a time when coworkers bring in cookies to the office and chocolate is available around every corner. But this year, December has been noticeably lacking on the baked goods front. I'm not going into work, and even if I was, I doubt treats would be sitting on a plate in the kitchen for everyone to dig into. So I've taken it upon myself to make sure I gain a few extra holiday pounds (on top of the previously acquired COVID pounds).
In past years, around the holidays (or really just any time), I'd get together with my friend and we'd bake treats that we'd then promptly wolf down. But this year, we're not allowed in other people's homes and my friend has moved to another country and can't even come home for the holidays. But we're making it work! Once again I'm thankful for technology during COVID.
She and I had a 5 hour Zoom call yesterday. She made cookies while I made brownies. We caught up while mixing ingredients, while the batter/dough was in the oven, and as we munched on our delicious goodies. We also share a love for the Grinch (1966 original, of course), which it seems our partners do not. So we we engaged in another joyous Christmas tradition while on a video call. I shared my screen, which worked pretty well. Then, for the first time in 9 months we tried out Netflix Party and watched Klaus. It worked great! (I strongly recommend checking out Klaus, if you haven't seen it. It is very sweet and offers some adorable explanations into how Santa came to be.)
It felt like a very Christmassy day. Despite COVID, I got to engage in a bunch of holiday traditions with my friend. And probably because of COVID we even considered doing so many activities on a Zoom call. (We also had 6 hour wine night a few months back, which was lovely.) I don't think we would have thought to keep up with our usual activities if we hadn't already had to adapt our perspective about how to stay connected during the pandemic.
Even though many of my friends who abroad can't come back for the holidays, thanks to technology, I've had a chance to catch up with people in different provinces, countries, and continents in the past week. It's helping me feel connected to loved ones during the holidays, even if they can't come home this season.
- Roo
How are you spending the holidays this year? I'd love to hear how you're all staying connected and celebrating!