Christmas 2022: A Look Forward and Back

2022 is almost over. But before I bid this year farewell, I wanted to share what our Christmas was like.

We usually go all out for Christmas, but since we threw a nice bash for our Christmas in June, we didn't really get too crazy for the real thing.

For starters, it was just the two of us this year. Also, the weeks leading up to Christmas haven't been that great. For those of you who don't know, my husband suffers from a hereditary skin disorder. There's no cure for it as of yet, but there are pills that he takes to manage some of the symptoms. Now, generally, he's able to cope with the discomfort, but the Argentine summer has been particularly cruel to him this year. So, the extreme heat aggravated his condition and left him in a terrible state. There were days where he didn't even want to get out of bed. So, as you can imagine, celebrating Christmas wasn't really a top priority for us.

Luckily, the temperature leading up to Christmas started to drop just enough to allow the hub's skin to heal a bit. He was still in some pain, but it was manageable enough that we were able to work together to make some holiday treats and a homemade pizza.

Homemade Pizza

Panettone - Think of it as a fruit cake. This was store bought.

Jell-O X-Mas Tree. Homemade and loaded with alcohol.

The hubs made Christmas themed white chocolate candies. I made the fruit salad.

These cookies were store bought.

These cupcakes were store bought.

I also bought a few extra decorations with the help of a friend, including a new star for our tree at Ma & C Distribuidora in Nueva Cordoba. If you're living here and are looking for decorations or Oriental food products, this is the place to go. It's actually in the same place where Clayton, the buffet that gave me the runs in 2018, was located.

Well, now that I've shared what we did for the holidays, I'm going to share what's ahead for me in 2023. 

With regards to my career path, let me start out by saying that I've enjoyed teaching English... A LOT! Not only have I helped my students improve their conversational skills, but I've also been teaching them about current events, science, and more. However, I'm looking for something more challenging, so I'm exploring a new job opportunity that has presented itself recently. It's too early to talk about what this new job is about, but I'll share more next year.

There are a couple of other things that I do want to mention. 

This year, people around the world seem to have forgotten that Covid 19 happened. Argentina is no different. Most people have stopped wearing masks and started congregating in large groups as though the pandemic was over. It isn't. This has become evident in recent weeks as the number of Covid cases have continued to rise in Argentina. In Cordoba, some of the people that went to get their booster shots discovered that they were infected. Still, this hasn't scared anyone into wearing their masks when they go out. You don't have to take my word for it. Just click on this article and you'll see the photos of what happened after the Argentines won the World Cup in 2022. Spoiler alert! The crowds were massive and there wasn't a single mask in sight. Is it any wonder that the Argentine capital has the highest number of Covid cases? 

Look! I get it! We all want this situation to be over. I'll even admit that I went out with a friend a few weeks ago and didn't wear my mask for the first time in nearly three years. It felt soooo liberating! Then I kicked myself for being so careless. 

Luckily, I didn't catch anything.

I did get my fifth shot in December and the hubs received his fourth shot as well. He's one shot behind me, but I'll make sure he catches up in early 2023.

Besides the pandemic's resurgence, there were a couple of other reasons why I've been so sad. 

Celebrity deaths are not uncommon, but 2022 really took some of my favorites.

Rest in peace Leslie Jordan. This guy was funny as hell. I've seen him guest star on shows like "Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman," and "Will & Grace." I loved him in the film "Sordid Lives." He also starred on the sitcom "Call Me Kat."

Rest in peace Nicki Aycox. For those of you who don't know her, she was the first actress to play the demon Meg on the long-running series, "Supernatural." She was also in the film "Joy Ride 2."

Rest in peace Jason David Frank. He played the original Green Power Ranger, but went on to play other colors as well. This one hit me hard. I followed Jason's work for years. He was an inspiration to me. Learning that he had died at 49 by his own hands was devastating, but I think the reason his death affected me so much is because I've dealt with suicidal thoughts on and off over the years.

Life isn't always puppies and rainbows. I get that. But sometimes life can get to be too much, especially when you're an expat. Those of you who have read my blog posts over the years know that living in Argentina hasn't been easy for me. The hubs and I have been through some sticky times both in our marriage and financially over the years. To top that, I've been dealing with neighbors who are constantly vandalizing our home. There's also the culture shock which has never gone away and in some cases has been unbearable. So, there have been moments when the thought of ending it all has crossed my mind. 

I could have reached out to some of my friends in the States, but they're all going through so much right now that I feel guilty dumping my problems on them. Besides, the main reason I haven't taken my life is because of the love I have for my husband. There's no way I would ever willingly leave him alone in this world to fend for himself, especially in a foreign country. Also, the logical side of my brain tells me that we're all going to take that big dirt nap eventually. So, why rush it? Still, I was glad to learn that Argentina has a suicide hotline that can be reached by dialing 135 or 0800-345-1435. The call is free, and it's literally a lifeline if you find yourself needing to talk to someone. They don't care who you are. They just want to help.

I hope I don't worry anyone who reads this. I'm actually hanging in there. I have things to live for, and as I mentioned earlier, I plan to be busier in 2023 than I was this year. Plus, I can't leave this world without finding out what happens to some of my favorite characters on shows like "Grey's Anatomy," "The Winchesters," and the insane number of new "Star Trek" shows on Paramount Plus. 

But before I go, there is one final death I want to mention. Our family dog Chewie passed away a couple of months ago. 

She wasn't technically mine or my husbands. She belonged to the hub's aunt, uncle and cousin, but we loved Chewie as if she were our own. 

We spent a lot of time with her when we were living in New York and called her our granddaughter for a big reason. Her father, Joxer, was our dog and we considered him our child. Sadly, he's no longer with us either. 

Well, hopefully, I didn't bum anyone out. That certainly wasn't my intention. I'm actually very excited to share something with you, but you'll have to wait a week or two.

Oh! Before I forget. Two Christmas movies I highly recommend are "Violent Night" and "A Christmas Story Christmas," which is the sequel to the classic "A Christmas Story."

Until next time, I hope everyone has an amazing New Year celebration. 

Keep on fighting! 

Keep on living!

Thanksgiving 2022 With a Side of Family

Thanksgiving. 

To most Americans it's a time to get together with family and enjoy a good meal. But it's tough celebrating this holiday when you're living in a country that doesn't understand the notion of Thanksgiving. And yet, we consider ourselves pretty lucky, especially this year, because we were able to celebrate this holiday with friends. Scratch that. Family.

The company was amazing but making the meal was an ordeal for a huge reason. In the States, Thanksgiving takes place in the fall, but it's springtime in Argentina. So, cooking a turkey in 100-degree weather with no A/C was A NIGHTMARE!

Despite the heat, the turkey and the sides--which included stuffing, mashed potatoes, biscuits, a macaroni salad and regular salad--were delicious. Don't ask me about the green bean casserole. I mentioned this last year. Green bean casseroles are dreadful and have no place in our home.

As far as desserts go, things didn't go as planned. We wanted to make an apple pie, which is a signature dessert during the holidays. But by the time we were done cooking the turkey, our house felt like the heart of the sun. So, we made the executive decision to turn the oven off for the night. 

Although we didn't bake a pie, we did cool off with some ice cream and a coconut cake we had baked the day before.

Over the course of the night, we talked, laughed and enjoyed a hearty meal. In other words, our Thanksgiving was... MAGICAL! It also made me realize something. 

We had celebrated with extended family members when we were back home for many years. I'm talking about lavish parties with over 50 guests and all kinds of food that honored traditional American and Puerto Rican dishes. (Just to clarify, my husband is of Puerto Rican descent.) But we always felt like outcasts at these family gatherings and failed to make genuine connections with anyone. So, even though we miss the States, our friends, and certain family members, we realized that the connection we longed for during the Thanksgiving holiday wasn't 5,000 miles away, but right under our roof.

And if you're wondering how much the turkey cost us in Argentina this year, it set us back about $6,700 Argentine pesos for an eight pounder. That would be about $39.95 USD.

But don't expect my upcoming Christmas post to include any elaborate meals this year. We have NO INTENTION of turning our oven on. We will, however, have refreshing alternatives like fruit, salad, some sandwiches, and lots and lots of cold drinks.