Merry Christmas!

[DaveyO]

Just wanted to say merry Christmas to everybody and have a happy new year
This year was rough for me
I lost my brilliant guitar playing brother to cancer
It's been a hard last four months
But we move on
I hope everybody is OK
I hope everybody is enjoying their family and the Christmas season
And I truly hope everybody has a great 2026
God bless

[B0WIE]

Definitely a tough year for many. I thought I would take it easy this year and ended up having a real fight on my hands. The holidays have been kind to me though. Lots of healing and recovery, in many different ways.
Merry Christmas all!!

[jazzereh]

Merry Christmas to everyone here.  2024 was a bad year for this family and I think we are still dealing with some of those issues.  But Christmas is a time to remember the good times and those no longer with us.  A guitar helps me with that. 

So, I hope everyone here enjoys the posts and conversations as much as I do.  Happy New Year to all.

Ralph

[Silence Dogood]

This year was pretty good for me.  I landed a job within my company that I had wanted for a long time.  But all the while, things like that are less exciting than they would have been years ago. I find the same is true for many things: getting new stuff is not that big a deal, going on a trip is the same, etc.  It's odd that the older we get, more things are within our reach, but our capacity for enjoying them seems to diminish. What a strange kind of trade-off.

Holidays are also a mixed bag.  I'm so grateful for my family (i.e., the people who live in my house), but I miss the old traditions of my boyhood and youth.  No one realizes when he's a kid that all those wonderful holiday celebrations are just on loan, and for a short time, because all your people will be gone too soon, and all the traditions will die with them. 

Everything that matters is always slipping through one's hands.  It reminds me of a line from G.K. Chesterton: "The only way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost." 

All said, I do with everyone a Merry Christmas, and I hope the New Year will be a good one for you.

[Queequeg]

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas.
There's a certain melancholy for me this time of year as my mind always drifts back to holidays in my past and all the family members no longer here to celebrate with us. But that's the natural order of life, so we look to the younger generation who have their whole lives ahead of them, as they look forward with hopes and dreams of their own.
I find joy in that.

[Strings4Him]

The older I get, the more this simple scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas means.  Wishing you all such wonder.

Retrieved from A Charlie Brown Christmas:

"I guess you were right, Linus. I shouldn't have picked this
little tree," said Charlie Brown. "Everything I do turns into
a disaster. I guess I don't really know what Christmas is
all about. Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas
is all about?"

"Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about,"
said Linus. [Linus walks to center stage.]

"Lights, please."

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding
in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them:
and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy,
which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.

The True Meaning of Christmas (recited by Linus)

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace,
good will toward men.

                 --Book 42, Luke (002:08-14)
                   The Bible, King James Version

[Linus picks up his blanket and shuffles off-stage.]

[unclrob]

Happy holiday to all.    

[teh]

Here's hoping that all of the members and visitors to the Larrivee Forum and their families have a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. Except for the times when I was traveling, this forum has been also been nice place to spend a little time each week.

Best wishes to all for a Happy New Year including the Larrivee family and their employees for building boutique quality guitars that are within reach of everyone. In closing, Jean Larrivee also started building guitars the same year that I started playing.

[StringPicker6]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, all! This forum and my larrivee guitar bring me joy in a world that at times can feel cruel and malevolent. You all bring peace to me, and I'm grateful for all of you and for the wonderful Larrivee family.

[Myopic Squirrel]

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year to all the Forum members and their families!

And I hope Santa's sleigh isn't empty after his stop in Malvern...

[shellback]

I just wanted to wish all the forum members a Merry Christmas! I also wanted to express my gratitude to you all for being so generous and kind every time I've ever posted.Healthy and Happy holidays and may your Christmas tree smell almost as good as opening up a new guitar case,or your old Larrivee sound new tonal qualities you've never heard yet the next time you play. Peace &

[BlueBowman]

A day late and a dollar short. Merry Christmas to everyone on the forum! Some good and very knowledgeable people on this forum.

2025 was the worst year on record for me. Family member's major health problems? Check. And then learning how to care for them long term? Check. My company was just taken over and I lost my job? Check.

Here's to wishing us all a great (or maybe just "better"  ) 2026! 

[B0WIE]

After a lovely Christmas Eve with friends, Christmas morn started soooo rough. On the way to see family I almost quit and turned the car around several times. But, I relaxed, got there, and it was a beautiful Christmas.
My wife and I celebrate for several days, continuing to open presents and watch Christmas movies until New Year's. One of the luxuries of being two middle-aged kids with no children of our own.

[Silence Dogood]

A day late and a dollar short. Merry Christmas to everyone on the forum! Some good and very knowledgeable people on this forum.

2025 was the worst year on record for me. Family member's major health problems? Check. And then learning how to care for them long term? Check. My company was just taken over and I lost my job? Check.

Here's to wishing us all a great (or maybe just "better"  ) 2026! 

I'm sorry to hear this.  An old Scottish proverb comes to mind: One year will be a man's mother, the next his mother-in-law.  Here's hoping for a much better New Year for you and yours. 
 

[Silence Dogood]

After a lovely Christmas Eve with friends, Christmas morn started soooo rough. On the way to see family I almost quit and turned the car around several times. But, I relaxed, got there, and it was a beautiful Christmas.
My wife and I celebrate for several days, continuing to open presents and watch Christmas movies until New Year's. One of the luxuries of being two middle-aged kids with no children of our own.

Our extended family Christmas festivities started much the same.  In fact, lots of folks showed up in a sour mood and reeling from a rough year.  But all seemed to right itself in the end. 

I woke up today with a 3-beer hangover!  I must be getting old when three pints of Guinness puts the hurt on me!
 

[B0WIE]

I woke up today with a 3-beer hangover!  I must be getting old when three pints of Guinness puts the hurt on me!
 

We're trying to get to the bottom of that mystery ourselves. We used to need to put the brakes on around 8 to 10 drinks but now, we're plenty tipsy after 3. We're not big drinkers anyhow so it's somewhat convenient.

[Silence Dogood]

We're trying to get to the bottom of that mystery ourselves. We used to need to put the brakes on around 8 to 10 drinks but now, we're plenty tipsy after 3. We're not big drinkers anyhow so it's somewhat convenient.

It's weird, man. I can drink beer all night and not get "tipsy," but even a little bit anymore will hit me hard the next morning.  It's honestly been a good while since I've genuinely enjoyed a drink and have considered just giving it up entirely.  I listed out the pros and cons of alcohol once and the cons won out by long shot.  In fact, the only pro that I could come up with is that having a drink can be fun.  I used to love red wine but had to give it up because one or two glasses would damn near kill me next morning.
  

[B0WIE]

It's weird, man. I can drink beer all night and not get "tipsy," but even a little bit anymore will hit me hard the next morning.  It's honestly been a good while since I've genuinely enjoyed a drink and have considered just giving it up entirely.  I listed out the pros and cons of alcohol once and the cons won out by long shot.  In fact, the only pro that I could come up with is that having a drink can be fun.  I used to love red wine but had to give it up because one or two glasses would damn near kill me next morning.
  

I didn't want to derail the Christmas thread, but let's consider this a pre-New Year's Eve health recommendation; NAC (N-Acetylcysteine). It's become one of my "life-hacks". A pretty common supplement at this point, sold as an anti-oxidant for liver health, but it's also a powerful hangover preventative. I eat clean and workout every day so I cannot allow for hangovers at all. For the past 10 years I've taken it before drinking, which is mostly during the holidays, and I've not had a hangover in that time, except for once when I forget to bring some on vacation. A few studies showed it mostly just helped women, but that's likely because they used a ridiculously low dose of 600mg (I use several times that amount with no adverse effects). I personally won't drink without taking NAC before hand. My wife sometimes drinks with friends and she is dead to the world the next day, whereas if she's with me and I have her take NAC, she'll be gardening the next morning.

[Silence Dogood]

I didn't want to derail the Christmas thread, but let's consider this a pre-New Year's Eve health recommendation; NAC (N-Acetylcysteine). It's become one of my "life-hacks". A pretty common supplement at this point, sold as an anti-oxidant for liver health, but it's also a powerful hangover preventative. I eat clean and workout every day so I cannot allow for hangovers at all. For the past 10 years I've taken it before drinking, which is mostly during the holidays, and I've not had a hangover in that time, except for once when I forget to bring some on vacation. A few studies showed it mostly just helped women, but that's likely because they used a ridiculously low dose of 600mg (I use several times that amount with no adverse effects). I personally won't drink without taking NAC before hand. My wife sometimes drinks with friends and she is dead to the world the next day, whereas if she's with me and I have her take NAC, she'll be gardening the next morning.

Well, Christmas is over so I suppose a thread derail is ok now! 

I have been exercising pretty faithfully for a while now and I've noticed that drinking the night before almost always ensures that there will be no workout the next morning.  Alcohol tends to ruin a night of sleep on the day of drinking (used to make me sleep like a rock when younger), as well as the next day for me. In many ways, it makes absolutely no sense to do it because the outcomes are almost all negative. 

[BlueBowman]

We had a good Christmas. Everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed their gifts. That was the "immediate" family Christmas. The next day was the "extended" family Christmas. It was...less fun.

I'm sorry to hear this.  An old Scottish proverb comes to mind: One year will be a man's mother, the next his mother-in-law.  Here's hoping for a much better New Year for you and yours. 
 

I like that proverb, which is a new one on me. Thanks for the kind words. Things will right themselves. I am hopelessly optimistic, even when there's zero reason to be.

I didn't want to derail the Christmas thread, but let's consider this a pre-New Year's Eve health recommendation; NAC (N-Acetylcysteine). It's become one of my "life-hacks". A pretty common supplement at this point, sold as an anti-oxidant for liver health, but it's also a powerful hangover preventative. I eat clean and workout every day so I cannot allow for hangovers at all. For the past 10 years I've taken it before drinking, which is mostly during the holidays, and I've not had a hangover in that time, except for once when I forget to bring some on vacation. A few studies showed it mostly just helped women, but that's likely because they used a ridiculously low dose of 600mg (I use several times that amount with no adverse effects). I personally won't drink without taking NAC before hand. My wife sometimes drinks with friends and she is dead to the world the next day, whereas if she's with me and I have her take NAC, she'll be gardening the next morning.

I've always wondered about that supplement. Thanks for the advice.

I rarely drink anymore, but when I do, I drink a glass of water in-between cocktails (jack and coke, in my case). That will also help curb the hangovers the next day. I'll have to pick up some NAC next time.