Christmas Countdown - 2018

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Edge612

Santa's Mentor
MMC Premiere
Oct 7, 2011
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Good Morning, New Year Counters!

And just as sure as the calendar flips, we return to our long-familiar countdown format.
Time to settle into the groove and relax a bit as we.......
Wait!!
What's this??
Our first Milestone Marker. Can it be? Can it really be?
It's just 15 days away! Scarcely a day over two weeks!
And can you believe -- it's the 300-day Season Window?
(Well hey, Folks. What can I say? It's the beauty of the Season count, which has been silently running ever since last November 13.)

Days to the Season: 315
Days to Christmas Day: 357


Old Man Winter has settled in and plans to reside here for quite a while, I'm afraid. We did not see the freezing mark all day yesterday and we are starting off this morning at 16 degrees.
Again, we are not predicted to surpass freezing all day.
BRRR!!!

But you have a Terrific Tuesday Friends, whatever your weather!
Thanks Crown! It's nice to see the old familiar count back and running!
 

AuntieMistletoeDear

MMC Hostess of Christmas Online
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Oct 7, 2005
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Greetings my merry friends :ringy

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.



 

Edge612

Santa's Mentor
MMC Premiere
Oct 7, 2011
34,101
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Greetings my merry friends :ringy

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.


Sorry to hear about your mom!
 

SnowflakeMom

Rudolph's Groomer
MMC Lifer
Apr 22, 2014
11,332
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Connecticut
Greetings my merry friends :ringy

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.


I am so sorry....prayers for you and your family!
 

SnowflakeMom

Rudolph's Groomer
MMC Lifer
Apr 22, 2014
11,332
64,216
351,881
Connecticut
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A new year is here, I hope it will be better than the last. I disappeared from here in April or May last year. I popped in a few times the rest of the year but nothing regular. I told you my wife and I seperated back in September, we got back together and seperated again in November. My grandfather passed away in November and the time we spent reflecting after he passed brought us back together. Everything finally caught up to me at the end of November, and I had a breakdown where I had to go to the hospital. I am still recovering from the breakdown, but I am still doing everything I normally do. My wife and I are doing a lot better, we worked a lot of things out, us and the boys had a great Christmas. Between my grandfather's passing and the Christmas season, I believe those two things have saved our marriage.
I hope to be here more often this year and visit all of you.
I hope you all had a nice Christmas and a happy new year.
Ron
So sorry to hear you had a rough year...I hope 2018 brings you much more joy.
 

SnowflakeMom

Rudolph's Groomer
MMC Lifer
Apr 22, 2014
11,332
64,216
351,881
Connecticut
Oh! I almost forgot.

Amazing daughter #1 announced this week that she is with child.

2018 will make me a Grandpa again.

Nothing but joy in that announcement. A real gift.
Congratulations!!

Morning MMC! Back to work after being off 9 out of the last 11 days. And it's still cold out there but supposed to "warm up" to the low 20s today. Well the one good thing is nobody is going to rush to take their lights down with this cold weather so we get to enjoy them for a good part of January. That's one thing I like about it. Have a great 1st work day of the year!
Stay warm, Edge...
I was thinking the same thing about the lights as I was driving home last night.

Greetings all. The holidays are over and 2018 really kicks into gear. There may be quite a few changes in my household over the next few months, but I will take them one at a time if and when they occur. For now, it is time to relax and look towards all the positive happenings that can be found if I just take the time to really look. And since God and I (as well as the Lord and anyone else) constitute a majority, I'll be just fine.
Have a great first week of January...
View attachment 41911
Hope you have a blessed 2018, CG!
 

SnowflakeMom

Rudolph's Groomer
MMC Lifer
Apr 22, 2014
11,332
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351,881
Connecticut
Good morning MMC...back to my regular schedule. I had an extra cup of coffee this morning so I should be good to go! This cold weather is terrible but I am still enjoying my Christmas lights at night and having a cup of hot chocolate. They are saying we may get snow on Thursday, either 1-3 or 4-6? We'll see...hope you all have a great day!
 

SnowflakeMom

Rudolph's Groomer
MMC Lifer
Apr 22, 2014
11,332
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Connecticut
Good morning MMC ~
Happy Tuesday!
It’s going to be sunny with a high of 24, we’re currently at 14 degrees. Not too much going on here, my husband heads back to work today after being off for a week. I am still fighting this cold, hopefully I’ll find some time to relax now that we’re back to our regular routines.
I hope everyone is well and has a wonderful day!
xx
Hope you feel better, HMG!! Last night was the first night I did not have to take Nyquil. Have a good Tuesday!
 

made582

MMC's Ambassador to the North Pole
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Apr 15, 2009
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Greetings my merry friends :ringy

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.




My prayers are flowing for you and your family.
 

Minta

Rudolph's Groomer
MMC Lifer
MMC Donor
Christmas Crew
Oct 10, 2004
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South NJ
Good Morning ... my last day of my christmas vacation. Kids went back to school and DH went back to work today. Spending the morning doing laundry and tiding up from yesterday. We had extended family over for a family dinner and we had a fun decorating gingerbread houses. Had picked up a couple kids with multiple little houses so kids and the ladies were able to decorate a house each. Had so much fun that we are now planning a NYE get together and decorate Gingerbread houses. Have a great day!
 

Christmas Knight

Merry Forums Elf, 2nd Class
MMC Member
Jan 17, 2011
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** OFFICIAL THREAD - CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN 2018 **


Greetings, Folks!
For the 12th consecutive year here at My Merry Christmas (and the 15th year overall) it is time once again to begin another Countdown!

Here are the statistics since we began the Season Countdown idea 14 years ago:
2004 = 1,217 posts (Christmas.com) = 3.3 posts per day.
2005 = Over 2,700 posts (Christmas.com) = over 7.4 posts per day.
2006 = 3,756 posts (The Christmas Place) = 10.3 posts per day.
2007 = 1,957 posts (My Merry Christmas, where the thread was not launched until July) = 12.1 posts per day.
2008 = 5,103 posts = 13.9 posts per day.
2009 = 8,231 posts = 22.6 posts per day.
2010 = 16,226 posts = 44.5 posts per day.
2011 = 31,091 posts = 85.2 posts per day.
2012 = 39,183 posts = 107.1 posts per day.
2013 = 59,747 posts = 163.7 posts per day.
2014 = 63,096 posts = 172.9 posts per day.
2015 = 56,859 posts = 155.8 posts per day.
2016 = 58,288 posts = 159.3 posts per day.
2017 = 18,081 posts = 49.5 posts per day.
Interestingly, we had a huge drop off in 2017. Not sure why, but the quality of our posts is still quite high. And that's more important than volume any day!

So, here we are ready to go again, at the start of 2018.


A word of explanation. We are running a dual countdown in this thread - one for Christmas Day and one for the start of the Christmas Season (November 13).
There seems to be general agreement that we look forward to the entire Christmas Season rather than just to Christmas Day itself.
But why November 13?
Well, it just seems about the right time to regard the season as arriving. That date is exactly 6 weeks before Christmas Day and is around the time the public at large is beginning to really get into the holiday spirit. Many of the malls and stores have decorated. And starting the season then gives us exactly 50 days (Nov 13 through Jan 1) to enjoy being "within" the season, giving it a depth that is lacking with just the Christmas Day count by itself.

We also enjoy noting special "Milestones" along the way (see the chart below).

And there is one date you CERTAINLY do not want to miss! Many of us gather here on the evening of November 12 for our annual hour by hour and then minute by minute countdown to the start of the Season at midnight Eastern Time. It's something we really look forward to and is truly great fun!

OK then, Everybody.
Climb aboard once again to enjoy reading the posts and following the count, which begins today at 316 to the Season and 358 to Christmas Day.

Here is a list of our Christmas Season and Christmas Day countdown milestone markers:

CHRISTMAS SEASON MILESTONE MARKER CHART
January 17 = Day 300
February 12 = 1/4 mark
March 15 = 1/3 mark
April 27 = Day 200
May 15 = 1/2 mark
July 14 = 2/3 mark
August 05 = Day 100
August 14 = 3/4 mark
October 07 = 90 percent (The Home Stretch begins)
November 13 = THE CHRISTMAS SEASON ARRIVES!

CHRISTMAS DAY MILESTONE MARKER CHART
February 28 = Day 300
March 26 = 1/4 mark
April 26 = 1/3 mark
June 8 = Day 200
June 26 = 1/2 mark
August 25 = 2/3 mark
Sept 16 = Day 100
Sept 25 = 3/4 mark
Nov 18 = 90 percent
December 25 = MERRY CHRISTMAS!


- CROWN
WOOOHOOOO .... aaaannnd we'er off!!!
 

Martine

Dang Near Santa Himself
MMC Lifer
Christmas Talk Alum
Oct 13, 2010
5,625
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Canada
Good morning MMC ~
Happy Tuesday!
It’s going to be sunny with a high of 24, we’re currently at 14 degrees. Not too much going on here, my husband heads back to work today after being off for a week. I am still fighting this cold, hopefully I’ll find some time to relax now that we’re back to our regular routines.
I hope everyone is well and has a wonderful day!
xx
Everyone is catching something these days. Hope you feel better soon HMG.
 

Bradmac

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
MMC Lifer
Nov 7, 2008
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Bellville, GA
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A new year is here, I hope it will be better than the last. I disappeared from here in April or May last year. I popped in a few times the rest of the year but nothing regular. I told you my wife and I seperated back in September, we got back together and seperated again in November. My grandfather passed away in November and the time we spent reflecting after he passed brought us back together. Everything finally caught up to me at the end of November, and I had a breakdown where I had to go to the hospital. I am still recovering from the breakdown, but I am still doing everything I normally do. My wife and I are doing a lot better, we worked a lot of things out, us and the boys had a great Christmas. Between my grandfather's passing and the Christmas season, I believe those two things have saved our marriage.
I hope to be here more often this year and visit all of you.
I hope you all had a nice Christmas and a happy new year.
Ron
Ron,

I'm so sorry to hear of your Grandfather's passing, and the personal troubles you've had. I'm praying that you're now on the road to recovery, in your health and in your marriage.

You always have friends and family here, Ron. Take care, my friend!
 

Bradmac

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
MMC Lifer
Nov 7, 2008
65,034
80,513
4,869,881
59
Bellville, GA
Oh! I almost forgot.

Amazing daughter #1 announced this week that she is with child.

2018 will make me a Grandpa again.

Nothing but joy in that announcement. A real gift.
Awesome news, Jeff! I believe that 2018 will be the best year ever!
 

Martine

Dang Near Santa Himself
MMC Lifer
Christmas Talk Alum
Oct 13, 2010
5,625
36,378
200,881
Canada
Greetings my merry friends :ringy

Well, I'm off to get my haircut and pick up a fancy donation basket/well (for the Serenity Hospice) that will be provided for any family and friends who join my family and I as we celebrate the life of my Christmas Spark.

My mom passed away last Wednesday at 3 p.m. with my father and I present.

I shared with you in the previous countdown thread that I had a strong feeling she was celebrating her last Christmas with us. And she did.

I've been experiencing a mixture of emotions since then, but managed to get through my New Year's Day chat with my dad without any choked up words; he accomplished the same.

My brothers return this Thursday so we can finish our preparations for her memorial gathering on Friday evening.

I am thankful that we shared one last Christmas together and face the New Year with a loss of life, yet a positive attitude and so glad I was there when she exited knowing she was loved and that she doesn't have to suffer anymore.

If it wasn't for her and my father instilling a love and merry fellowship in me as a child and young adult, I may never have become a Christmas Wacko.

I'm thankful for those memories because that trail of believing in celebrating the joys of Christmas year round brought me here to my merry haven.

Festive Regards,
Auntie M.


I am very sorry for your loss AuntieMistletoeDear. Sending warm thoughts to you and your family.
 

Christmas Knight

Merry Forums Elf, 2nd Class
MMC Member
Jan 17, 2011
440
1,746
135,271
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A new year is here, I hope it will be better than the last. I disappeared from here in April or May last year. I popped in a few times the rest of the year but nothing regular. I told you my wife and I seperated back in September, we got back together and seperated again in November. My grandfather passed away in November and the time we spent reflecting after he passed brought us back together. Everything finally caught up to me at the end of November, and I had a breakdown where I had to go to the hospital. I am still recovering from the breakdown, but I am still doing everything I normally do. My wife and I are doing a lot better, we worked a lot of things out, us and the boys had a great Christmas. Between my grandfather's passing and the Christmas season, I believe those two things have saved our marriage.
I hope to be here more often this year and visit all of you.
I hope you all had a nice Christmas and a happy new year.
Ron
well here's to a bounce back 2018! If ya ever need someone to vent to, give me a holler.
 
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