Tuesday, December 24, 2024

Christmas bonuses

Christmas is extra special because At spends Christmas Eve here. The kids didn't want to go to the candlelight service at the UU (I guess that was always me), but they still enjoy getting their Christmas Eve pajamas, fuzzy socks, and ALL THE books.

Speaking of bonuses, I set out the gifts and cash bonuses for the trash collectors and mail deliverers this morning. In the past, our trash was collected by a team of two so I set out two of everything for them. But I guess the team has been reduced to just one person because only half the things had been taken when I went out later. I'm blown away by the uprightness of this! I would not have known or cared if the one person had taken it all. People are just so amazing. (This person is doing all the work and they deserve all of the cash bonus; I plan to get the remainder to them next week.) 

Pic: Nu and At in their fuzzy pajamas. I'm proud of the old copy of Susan Faludi's Backlash I found for At and the copy of Michael Kimmel's Guyland I found for Nu. Classics both. 

16 comments:

StephLove said...


Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Nance said...

How wonderful and gratifying it is to hear the story of the honest and, as you termed them, upright sanitation worker. Perhaps you could call or write a note/email to the city department and make sure to commend them. And I love that you want to give them the other gift, too. It's so true that they are deserving.

Is there anything better than the combo of jammies and books? Sounds like pure heaven to me. Merry Christmas, maya.

Jenny said...

That's such a cute picture!!!!!!! And- that's an honest person who only took one of the gifts! They definitely deserve the other half as well.
Merry Christmas to you and your family!!!!!!!

Gillian said...

Merry Christmas

Anonymous said...

One of my goals for 2025 is to return the joy to giving. You model this well. :)

The pajamas look nice & cozy. I’m wearing a new pair from my mom, too. ❤️

-Steph

maya said...

Thank you, StephLove; hope you and yours are enjoying yours at the beach!

maya said...

I'm in the jammies-books-cat mode you suggest, Nance.

And thank you for suggesting a commendation note (and change of terminology)--I will follow up on that.

maya said...

Thanks, Jenny! Merry, Merry to you and yours as well!! XOXO

maya said...

Thank you! You too!

maya said...

Merry Christmas to you in your new jammies, Steph!

Lisa's Yarns said...

Those jammies look so cozy! And wow, what an honest sanitation worker! I can’t imagine doing that job so it’s wonderful to recognize them during this time of year.

maya said...

I love fuzzy jammies on my kids--it makes them even cuddlier :)!

NGS said...

We put out a card with cash in it for our mail carrier and got an AMAZING thank you postcard from her. I wouldn't know how to get a present to our trash people...I'll have to think on that.

maya said...

Same for us! People can be so lovely! (We had some strands of tinsel we hadn't used, so I bunched it on top of our bins to put out our offerings to the sanitation workers. In the past, I've used a giant gift bag perched on the bin.)

Chiconky said...

Is there anything better than your kids hanging out together in matching PJ's? I think that was easily my favorite moments this year

maya said...

That sounds so cozy! I plan to do this for as long as my kids will let me...

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