The 2023 Christmas greetings thread

[DownUnder]

We do need one, after all. A Christmas thread, I mean.

Gosh, is it THAT time of year again? Where did the past twelve months go...

It has all flown by, more like weeks.

I've thought about posting this thread for some time, to say a big THANK YOU to all those on RFF who have put up with my at times idiosyncratic posts here. I send kind thought-waves to even those (fortunately very few) grinches who have on occasion taken exception to my way of writing and expressing my thoughts, and my occasional (entirely accidental) lapses from my usual old world politeness, or who have seen slights where none were intended. We are all after all human, and Christmas is an ideal time of year for some (by this I mean me) to stop and reflect on what it means to be human and try to make things around us just that much better. Something we should all do every day of the year, but especially so at this very special holiday time.

As one born in Canada and grew up there and in New Mexico, snow and ice were a given (which I now happily ignore), yet even in my old age I find it difficult to try to relate to any sort of Christmas without snow, icicles, reindeer and obese Santas in red party wear. It still makes me stop and wonder in amazement when someone sends me a 'traditional' Yuletide card - alas, so few of us do nowadays, even more sadly said I count myself as one of the nay-doers in having entirely given away this fine old tradition - with snow-ice motifs.

Here in Indonesia, so far away from Santa Claus Land, and not a Rudolph in sight, yet with many symbolic Northern Hemisphere Christmas decorations and carol singing in the shopping malls and public parks. My partner will arrive later today for a week's stay, so we can live it up at one of the five star hotels in Surabaya and celebrate together. Then off to Malaysia for a week and back to Indonesia until February. So '24 is shaping up as yet another year of happy travels for me. Long may it last. And long may we all go enjoying the fine aspects of this great season...

I have now written entirely enough about all my random Yuletide and End Of Year thoughts, so I will close this by saying MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL. And for everyone, my 'universal wish' is that '24 will be as good as, in fact better than anything '23 has so far brought us all, collectively and individually.

(Santa, please please pretty please can I have a new Grammar and Spell Check for my MacBook laptop...)

 

[JoeV]

When and where did you live in New Mexico? Oh, Merry Christmas, too!

 

[p.giannakis]

Merry Christmas to you and the people you love. I grew up in Athens where Christmas were far from white but nowadays I more and more embrace the cold British Decembers. I feel that Christmas is more a holiday for my kids than myself although I never forget to wrap up something photographic related under the tree (this year is some Kentmere and foma films).

we will be spending the rest of the day with family friends having dinner and later on back at home to watch "Home alone" with the kids. When everyone goes to bed, I will be on Santa duty - packing presents in the garage. For new years day I am flying with family to Athens to see the rest of the family.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

 

[DownUnder]

When and where did you live in New Mexico? Oh, Merry Christmas, too!

1973 and 1974. Officially I lived in Santa Fe, but being in my 20s I found Albuquerque more exciting for night life, socializing, food, friends, so I spent a lot of time there. Also weekends in Taos where parents of my then partner had a house.

I'm much older now, and if I could relive my time there I would stay longer in Santa Fe and delve more deeply into the cultures. But the '70s for me was a magical time. So many life-defining moments. A cultural input I gained a lot from. I was sufficiently inspired that I even started a hot-historical novel set in, I recall, Silver City with the locally (in)famous Billy the Kid as the central hero-figure, and I made it through the first draft. The manuscript is somewhere at home - I think. I must look for it.

In 1973 I had completed a 'BED' (bachelor of education degree) in Canada and had in mind doing a BFA majoring in photography - I'm not sure about now, but at that time I could have done this in NM as my biological mother was an American citizen who lived for many years in NM and was then in Connecticut. I enrolled for and finished a few arts classes in SF, but 'complications' both financial and bureaucratic clicked in and I decided to drop out. Pulled a few strings, got a Canadian government civilian job in Saigon, and went to Asia. As they say, from then on the rest was - history.

Amazing, the things we did when we were young. I would party half the night, get up at sunrise, go out with my 'mats or the Rollei to photograph early morning scenes, work a few hours during the day, study in the evenings, and then party again. Nowadays my bed is my bed friend and those Nikkormats feel like two cement blocks when I take them out in my backpack. The Roller and the Nettar are still easily carried, tho'. Truly, age does weary us, that or else add extra weight to everything we own...

I visited NM again in 1979 and 1982, for extended periods. During those two trips I stayed mostly down south, near Silver City, but often drove up to SF to relive old times and see my few remaining friends. Sad to think that most of my then social circle had by then migrated west, mostly to California.

New Mexico in the '70s was an unusual place and I like to think, still in. The light is unique, the Southwest landscape is mind-boggling and I admired and enjoyed the ways the different cultures intermingled so well. And the food, well, those who live there know this already...

I still have several thousand Kodachrome slides and as many B&W negatives of my travels there. Sadly my color negatives have almost all faded from age but I may yet be able to salvage a few images by careful scanning. I still own the cameras I used in that time (two Nikkormats, a Rolleiflex and a Zeiss Nettar). Back then 120 roll film was as cheap as chips, I used to buy mine (also my Kodachrome) from K-Mart and a lab in Santa Fe did the 'chrome processing. All that is almost gone now. So much time has passed.

A few years ago my two remaining friends in SF sent me two cookbooks on New Mexico food, which rekindled an intense desire in me to go back there and relive in all. But at my age now and in my current situation, settled in Australia and spending a lot of my retirement time in Southeast Asia, I'm unsure if I ever will.

I remember Christmas 1974 in Santa Fe. In fact I probably have slides of the local Yuletide decorations somewhere in a few yellow Kodak slide boxes. I must dig them out and get them scanned for posting - in this thread for next year.

Happy memories.

 

[lynnb]

I wish you a very Happy Christmas too - just in time as it's nearly midnight on Christmas day here in Sydney. It was very warm today (around 28C on the coast) and the beaches were packed... typical Sydney summer. I look forward to seeing more of your pictures, and anecdotes, from those times.

 

[Freakscene]

Merry Christmas from Brisbane.

 

[sojournerphoto]

Happy Christmas one and all.

 

[Shac]

 

[webouser2]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the gang here at Rangefinder Forum.

And for those who have other celebrations around the Winter Solstice, the Best to you and your kin at this time.

Steve W

 

[rfaspen]

Happy Festivus everyone!

New Mex in 80s and 90s was very nice for me. Today, there's way way way too many people! Extremely low population was NMs best (one of it's best) qualities. I get deep depression visiting nowadays. Almost all of my favorite places impacted by the massive hoards. It wasn't me that let the secret out...I swear.

But. At least it ain't southern California! 😬. Now there's a people problem. And with that I'm going to focus on the joy of this season spending time with my favorite people...my family...and we'll celebrate the holiday and make merriment. I send best wishes of happiness to all of you!

 

[p.giannakis]

Merry Christmas

 

[Deleted member 65559]

 

[Freakscene]

Boxing Day sunset, Brisbane, 2023.