Not such a good morning. Since yesterday evening I have been having problems with viewing my blogs and viewing those of others. This means that I cannot make the comments or likes I want to make. As my computer is functioning perfectly otherwise, I can only deduce that this is a WordPress problem. WordPress is constantly telling me that the site is not responding and I should check this, that and the other, but to no avail. I can post my blogs and I can read other blogs on the Reader. I can also post comments on the reader, but not get to the various sites. Funny thing is that it works perfectly on my iPad, so whats up doc/WordPress. I can only hope that they are having a temporary problem which they will cure at some time. And now to the daily business.
Yesterday morning Mr. Swiss decided to go shopping. It was Saturday and I was safe at home organising our week-end life. There were a few odds and ends to purchase and so he made his way to the supermarket – see photo of entrance. We are now 2 weeks away from Christmas, you know the time of goodwill towards men and also the time to buy, buy, buy that nothing is forgotten. The stores are there to help us on this quest, which is probably why they are already wishing us a happy Christmas at the end of October.
So, Mr. Swiss arrives at the supermarket parking lot and already he has the first problem. There are no parking places free. At the entrance he sees an illumated screen showing how many places are currently free. There is a large “0” for the the top floor and the bottom floor, so he waits behind the line of cars already waiting for the next free space. As he crawls along he hits pay dirt. A man approaches his car with his wife, with a full supermarket trolley, and they will be departing. So what do you do? You wait until they have finished piling their shopping in the car and leave them enough space to drive away, so that you can take their empty parking lot. In the meanwhile Mr. Swiss had about 10 cars behind him which could no longer drive on because he was blocking their path. That’s life and he was not going to ignore the chance in a million of finding a place to park the car.
He then made his way to the supermarket which was packed full of jolly shoppers. As it was Saturday they had naturally made a family excursion of it all, and brought the kids and the grandparents. Luckily there is a place outside for dogs. Things were tough in the supermarket. We really only needed some chicken, which we had forgotten and bread, we do not ask for too much. Eventually Mr. Swsiss arrived at the cash desk to pay. Here again he was confronted with a queue of people where you could not see where it began. After another 30 minutes he arrived at his target, the cash desk. Unfortunately the person in front was shopping for others, and naturally paid for each neighbour or relative separately, but using dividers for the various sections of goods she was buying for the family, neighbours and herself.
Success, he had fought his way through this pandemonmium and returned to pick up the car. A lady at the wheel of her car who had been searching for a free parking place, saw Mr. Swiss and waited patiently for him to drive away. In the meanwhile this young lady was also causing a traffic jam, just like Mr. Swiss did when he arrived. Oh happy days, Merry Christmas everyone, and is this really the meaning of the season. Ok, I am not a Christmas person, but you are forced to do it for the others, if you have any others. Luckily my others are diminishing every year and it is now me and Mr, Swiss and No. 1 son. No. 2 son now has his own family to look after.
Mr. Swiss asked me yesterday when I stopped believing. I think it was when I began to think for myself. I am a logical person, do not really want to have a theological discussion here, but seeing this Christmas carnival year for year I ask what is there to believe. A shopping spree, piles of presents for everyone and one big stress to go with it. Mr. Swiss is no longer a youngster, but he is fit. However when he arrived home yesterday, I think he was approaching a Chrismas nervous breakdown.
I just had to get rid of that.
Today is Sunday, a day of rest, although I just had a look at the opening times of our local supermarket on Internet. I was curious to know something and yes, it was confirmed. Today is Christmas shopping in the supermarket as an exception. Otherwise we do not have Sunday shopping in the stores in Switzerland. Thank goodness, if Mr. Swiss has forgotten something he can buy it today. We will never learn. Gone are the days of Charles Dickens, and the days of A Christmas Carol.
And now I am moving on. I have nothing special to do today. Just cook and eat, a little bit of ironing and a little bit of clearning.
By the way this is not my Christmas Tree, I do not have one yet, must take a look in the cellar I might find it. This is the Christmas tree indoors in the supermarket.
Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss 
My Christmas is very low key – each year. You develop some traditions and some routines along that so that stress does not come into the equation.
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For some strange reason your comments are slipping into my spam comment list, which I usually delete without really studying what is there. WordPress moves in mysterious ways. Today I noticed this comment and managed to rescue it.I do not know whether others have been deleted by me.I hope not. I will make a point of being more careful with my deletions.
We used to have a family Christmas with my parents from London, my mother.-in-law and our four kids, but that was long ago.The family has moved on and now it is me and Mr. Swiss and No. 1 son. and I am not unhappy. I cooked the food, made the christmas biscuits, wrapped the gifts and was a nervous wreck when I finally collapsed under the Christmas Tree, I no longer need that. I like my quiet Christmas. Yes, as you say you develop traidtions and routines, but it does not have to be more. I do not need a name for it, it is a time to enjoy and not stress, but it seems to me I am surrounded by stress from the others at Christmas.
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I just have my sister over, so it is not much to do, either. We are flexibel in our traditions, too. We are not fussy eaters, so do not need any hard to cook dishes, we are in fact not even four “meals” a day routiniers – sometimes we find it hard to eat three, when we get up late and have a good breakfast first we make dinner later – and only eat some fruit and sweets in between. Gone are the days of my grandma, cooking for seven over several days, preparing coffee-time with a special cream-cake additional to breakfast, dinner at lunchtime and some sandwiches and salads for the evening …
I understand your dislike, you are 70 now and back then had to cook for seven, too – and for several days.
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Did you try re-booting your computer?
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Often, but I have now found the culprit I think. I have two computers, an apple an a microsoft. I use the Microsoft in the evening and early morning and that was where i could not log in to various other WordPress sites, as well as my own. The apple computer functions perfectly as always, which narrowed my problem down. I have Google Chrome on the Microsoft and have organised all my tabs for the sites I visit. The tab for WordPress dashboard was working perfectly, but I could not transfer to other sites. I have now removed this tab and set it up again – a 5 minute job, and now it seems to be working perfectly. Somehow a small spanner had got into the works, but now I am a happy bunny. I just could not rest quietly this morning after breakfast, until I had sorted the problem.
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Glad you found the culprit! I, too, will stick with a problem for hours rather than letting it get the best of me.
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Emptying your cache, browsing history, and cookies solves a LOT of problems. I feel I should write a blog titled “When good cookies go bad” … if only I actually knew why it happens.
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Every time, without fail, when I am finished with my Microsoft computer I first of all empty my browser on Chrome, then I run the “Crap” cleaner and afterwards the Malwarebytes. This time I discovered the link had gone bad or whatever from WordPress. I could get into my dashboard, but all other connections from there were not working. I deleted WordPress from my tabs and renewed it. Now it is working perfectly. With Apple you do not get these problems
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Christmas is not what it once was. I used to love shopping for family and friends in my youth, but at almost 40 years old I find it a miserable experience. This time of year brings out the rudeness in people, at least in public, sadly. I guess this not just an American problem. Merry Christmas, and good luck!
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It is a general problem.I am not a “christ” too illogical for me, but I can enjoy with the others. There is no enjoyment left, just one big money making public relations spectacular. We don’t have thanksgiving, so it all begins in October through to December. Afterwards New Year celebrations and then we have carnival. When carnival sales are coming to an end it is time for the easter bunny. Something is wrong somewhere.
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Such parking problems were part of life in California. Now that I live in the back of beyond, they are a thing of the past though yesterday when a friend and I went to a nearby town for pizza, the parking lot was full… :O
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It is only because of the Christmas panic shopping. People seem to think that drought and famine will be soon arriving. It is so ridiculous. Generally we have the pick of the parking places at the local supermarket, but not on Saturday morning 2 weeks before Christmas.
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Two WEEKS? OH NO…. 🙂
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Mr. Swiss keeps reminding me, as if I would forget.
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Yeah… I like Christmas. I like my tree and sending and getting cards. But I don’t like the fuss. I feel sorry for all the people with kids who can’t do anything for them, but it’s out of my reach to fix all those situations around here (and there are a lot). I dunno… I loved Christmas in CH — I love the Christmas markets and the chestnuts and the hurdy-gurdy players on the streets of Zürich.
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I was in town in the evening last week for my birthday meal. We had to walk from the parking house to the restaurant and I must say the Christmas lighing effects did look very nice, but I could not appreciate them. I no longer enjoy such outings in the evening and only go to town if necessary. I prefer a walk in nature. We have a Chlause market in our town, but it is not the nice Christmas market with grog and music and treats. It is packed full of mothers with their kids, everyone wanting to see Santa. I can do without it all.
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You two are very organized team, be thankful for that. Happy Holidays to you all.
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I suppose after almost 50 years together, you do get a system into your lives. Happy festive days to you too.
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The Christmas season makes me very sad in a way, because the way we have come to observe it has so little to do with Jesus’ birth or religion at all. Even if folks dropped all pretense of it being about Christianity, there would still be this annual winter festival or holiday season. People seem to need the mid-winter pick-me-up with lights and tinsel, and stores need the profits.
Retailers would find another name for it — just as stores in the States have come up with Black Friday — and promote just as much seasonal decor, etc. Anything for a profit. “Couturier Day,” anyone?
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I am not a believer, but that does not mean that I do not enjoy the atmosphere of Christmas. Unfortunately the atmosphere is no longer a pleasure but a stress. Buy, buy, buy and special offers in the toy department of course.I find that often gifts are bought, just for sake of buying something to tick it off the list. One day a couple of years ago I said no more presents. I do not want or need them and I am no longer giving them. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief, and that is how it now works. If I really want something I do not need a buying spree at Christmas, I can get it my self when I need it and perhaps at a special offer.
I do appreciate the season of decorations in the local town and houses and the atmosphere of a Christmas market, although I no longer visit so much due to my walking handicap, but that is OK. The psychological pressure and frenzy caused by the commecial side of it does not have anything to do with Christmas, but with profits.
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Sounds like Senior Day at Hannaford. Everyone is our age or older — and no one is in a hurry. And, everyone is very friendly and chatty. Every Tuesday is like that .. unless you shop very early or very late. And worse now as we approach Christmas.
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We have those senior days in our local supermarket, but they are always on Tuesday, and we never go to the supermarket on Tuesday, because our days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Mr. Swiss might go in between. I do not like the senior days, full of golden oldies and they seem to be crowded in the computer department most of all – go figure.
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