The Animal's Nativity.

Painting.
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I'm back to painting in my typical style. I'm painting The Animal's Nativity. I set out to do an illumination type painting, then I inserted a dog, a cat, soon a rabbit, and mouses... The dog is bigger than Our Lady, and Joseph is holding the Bambino. It will be a pazzo Nativity - not at all like the masterpiece above - but the cats will like it very much. Xena-Celine sits on a little rug atop my painting table as I work. I doubt I'll finish it by Christmas - although it ought to be done by Twelfth Night - but I'm not concerned about completing it.
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Making up your own traditions.
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It occurred to me that if one is alone, or one half of a couple, or even with a small family - it could be fun to try and make things for Christmas - even "on" Christmas, or to "do" things around the home. What if you decorated the tree closer to Christmas or on Christmas Eve - it doesn't have to be done all at once - but could be stretched over a few days, only to be completed Christmas Eve. It should be an enjoyable task, and not a drudgery. So often we work very hard to complete things, to get things done, only to be disappointed and let down after everything is "perfect" - although it is never perfect.
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Christmas is very much about the imperfect. Imperfect trees, imperfect dinners, imperfect wines, imperfect gifts, imperfect relatives and friends, imperfect me. You get the picture.
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And don't forget, Christmas is a season that only begins on Christmas Eve. And if you have to visit many people, remember the Three Kings never made it to Bethlehem until 12th Night.
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Works for me.