General Chat

As with others, too much emotional stuff and sad memories around Christmas for me to enjoy it, altho will be nice to spend some time with my son who is coming to share lunch with us and we will open our pressies together, o.h. will be there too of course but I will be the one cooking and such so have refused to plan to visit his father on B. Day, I plan to be a slug and loll around on the sofa all day, might get some lunch if my son comes round again otherwise it will be pot luck. The next day o.h.is going to see his son 40 miles away on the train so I can have a day to myself and then he is back to work on long shifts as a big job on at his place of work over the Christmas/N.Year period. He is working on N.Y. Day too - at least he won't be able to say he can't afford to book a holiday later on lol


So many people I have spoken to in the last few days say they aren't that bothered about Christmas now, it's fun when you have little ones to share the excitement but I will have to wait for grandchildren for that lol

Happy days, Bah Humbug!

Lizx

I absolutely abhor the total commercialism of Christmas, but love Christmas itself. But, where there is man, there is profit to be made.
For me, personally, I find it difficult to eat a festive meal on any day but a Sunday, so this year I am in luck
In that vein, it should be a moveable feast like Easter.
But I will eat, drink and be merry tomorrow, God Willing
Julia in Derbyshire

PS. As gardeners and allotment holders, we're like Wend. We have got to the age that we do not bother exchamging unwanted? gifts to each other. We save our Christmas 'spends' till the end of January. That is when the seed potatoes, onion sets, and new seeds are in the garden centre.

Ah, but I have asked Santa for a new pair of Felc*s, Julia! :-D :-)

Well, I love Christmas and almost everything that goes with it. Cards arriving from those I have never met but still know, from family and friends, grandchildren as well.
I thought that OH wouldorefer not to use those decorations most of us know so well...then he went and got them from the shed, dusted what needed dusting, and started to put them up........he said it wouldn't be the same without these. No presents to each other this year, just being together is a joy after the last year. Children scattered across Europe, but phonesand Skyp means we still see each other.

I have spent one or two Christmases without anyone and even that can be relaxing, eatiing when and if you want to,watch TV if you want to etc etc.

If anyone's none be,iever, just enjoy a day off from rushing around etc, make the most of a special day, you never know what isaroundthecorner.

So MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone

:-) :-) :-) :-D :-) :-) :-) :-D :-) :-) :-) :-D :-) :-) :-) :-D :-) :-) :-)

Not me Jiminy, I'm not grumpy. I'm right in the spirit of things. Asolutely love it.

Julia in Derbyshire

just another day for me - Christmas no longer has any magic since my lovely Lawrence died - I'm not a grump though :-D

going to my son's tomorrow - lovely daughter in law is cooking lunch, I've made the trifle and for the first time ever have made a Christmas cake - a la Delia Smith!!

you wouldn't know it was Christmas in my house - no decorations and haven't put the cards up - only me here so not bothering though I have about 60/70 cards - did get the blutak out, but that's as far as I got :-D

I'm not grumpy, a lifetime of pressure and being unable to find gifts that didn't get squirrelled away, or left forever in the wrapping and feeling guilty on the rare occasions that I managed to stay in my own home killed the magic.

Then came mother in law and more pressure.

I can't for the life of me understand why we are required to eat all day, feel pressured into buying and recieving gifts (I'm not ungenerous), travel hundreds of miles to and fro within a few days at the darkest, coldest time of year.

Why the massive build up for just one day then it's off to the sales on boxing day? - something I've never done, just saying.

Apart from that, I think Christmas is overhyped and over commercialised and definitely 'bah humbug'. :-| :-)

Happy holiday everyone :-D

Christmas Comes But Once A Year - (Words: Thomas Miller)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Those Christmas bells as sweetly chime,
As on the day when first they rung
So merrily in the olden time,
And far and wide their music flung:
Shaking the tall grey ivied tower,
With all their deep melodious power:
They still proclaim to every ear,
Old Christmas comes but once a year.

Then he came singing through the woods,
And plucked the holly bright and green;
Pulled here and there the ivy buds;
Was sometimes hidden, sometimes seen —
Half-buried 'neath the mistletoe,
His long beard hung with flakes of snow;
And still he ever carolled clear,
Old Christmas comes but once a year.

He merrily came in days of old,
When roads were few, and ways were foul,
Now staggered, — now some ditty trolled,
Now drank deep from his wassail bowl;
His holly silvered o'er with frost.
Nor never once his way he lost,
For reeling here and reeling there,
Old Christmas comes but once a year.

The hall was then with holly crowned,
'Twas on the wild-deer's antlers placed;
It hemmed the battered armour round,
And every ancient trophy graced.
It decked the boar's head, tusked and grim,
The wassail bowl wreathed to the brim.
A summer-green hung everywhere,
For Christmas comes but once a year.

His jaded steed the armed knight
Reigned up before the abbey gate;
By all assisted to alight,
From humble monk, to abbot great.
They placed his lance behind the door,
His armour on the rush-strewn floor;
And then brought out the best of cheer,
For Christmas comes but once a year.

The maiden then, in quaint attire,
Loosed from her head the silken hood,
And danced before the yule-clog fire —
The crackling monarch of the wood.
Helmet and shield flashed back the blaze,
In lines of light, like summer rays,
While music sounded loud and clear,
For Christmas comes but once a year.

What, though upon his hoary head,
Have fallen many a winter's snow,
His wreath is still as green and red
As 't was a thousand years ago.
For what has he to do with care?
His wassail bowl and old arm-chair
Are ever standing ready there,
For Christmas comes but once a year.

No marvel Christmas lives so long,
He never knew but merry hours,
His nights were spent with mirth and song,
In happy homes, and princely bowers;
Was greeted both by serf and lord,
And seated at the festal board;
While every voice cried "Welcome here,"
Old Christmas comes but once a year.

But what care we for days of old,
The knights whose arms have turned to rust,
Their grim boars' heads, and pasties cold,
Their castles crumbled into dust?
Never did sweeter faces go,
Blushing beneath the mistletoe,
Than are to-night assembled here,
For Christmas comes but once a year.

For those old times are dead and gone,
And those who hailed them passed away,
Yet still there lingers many a one,
To welcome in old Christmas Day.
The poor will many a care forget,
The debtor think not of his debt;
But, as they each enjoy their cheer,
Wish it was Christmas all the year.

And still around those good old times
We hang like friends full loth to part,
We listen to the simple rhymes
Which somehow sink into the heart,
"Half musical, half melancholy,"
Like childish smiles that still are holy,
A masquer's face dimmed with a tear,
For Christmas comes but once a year.

The bells which usher in that morn,
Have ever drawn my mind away
To Bethlehem, where Christ was born,
And the low stable where He lay,
In which the large-eyed oxen fed;
To Mary bowing low her head,
And looking down with love sincere,
Such thoughts bring Christmas once a year.

At early day the youthful voice,
Heard singing on from door to door,
Makes the responding heart rejoice,
To know the children of the poor
For once are happy all day long;
We smile and listen to the song,
The burthen still remote or near,
"Old Christmas comes but once a year."

Upon a gayer happier scene,
Never did holly berries peer,
Or ivy throw its trailing green,
On brighter forms than there are here,
Nor Christmas in his old arm-chair
Smile upon lips and brows more fair,
Then let us sing amid our cheer,
Old Christmas still comes once a year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS. Santa knows if you've been good or bad during the year because he has hacked into your mobile voice messages.

I also,have come to hate xmas,the trouble is that folk will insist on trying to make me join in the 'festivities.

Please leave me alone to be a miserable barsteward. Roll on January.
:-( :-( :-( :-P :-P :-P

Yultide-named towns in USA include Santa Claus - located in Arizona & Indiana; Noel in Missouri & Christmas in both Arizona & Florida.

I understand and sympathise with those who do not like Christmas particularly. Firstly we have memories.

I often take a walk with a packet of sweets. With or without the sweeties people will always greet you and smile at Christmas time. Enjoy the children out trying their whatever, and think back.

After all, Christmas is a state of mind and we perhaps need to make a little effort to get outside ourselves.

And if that doesn't cheer you up, I don't think the Great Escape or Sound of Music are on this year, so life is not all bad.

Happy days

My parents never remembered me at Christmas time. The only presents I got were from Santa.

Bless you Harry, Happy Christmas :-D :-)

Harry you always make me smile lol

I would make lots more effort if there were little ones around, it's their take on Christmas which makes it so magical, until they find out it's all a big fib!

I have prepped some of the veg, the tree is decorated and most of the cards up, well mine are, he can put his up when he gets out of bed. Since he chose to work so much over Christmas so was too tired to do much last evening, I don't see why I should do everything lol

Roll on Spring,

Lizxx

During a recent interview, Noddy Holder admitted that Christmas wasn't his favourite time of the year.

When asked why this was he explained that it was bad enough having to listen to that awful song wherever he went but what was worse, he had to wait until Easter for the royalty cheque to arrive.....! :-)

Good Morning All
Coincidently, the Pope, in his Christmas Speech, has also condemned the Commercialisation of Christmas.
Perhaps Santa doesn't visit him, and he is abit peeved.
Have a lovely day everybody, and may all your tipples be little ones.
Enjoy

Julia in Derbyshire

Good Morning All
Coincidently, the Pope, in his Christmas Speech, has also condemned the Commercialisation of Christmas.
Perhaps Santa doesn't visit him, and he is abit peeved.
Have a lovely day everybody, and may all your tipples be little ones.
Enjoy

Julia in Derbyshire

Good Morning All
Coincidently, the Pope, in his Christmas Speech, has also condemned the Commercialisation of Christmas.
Perhaps Santa doesn't visit him, and he is abit peeved.
Have a lovely day everybody, and may all your tipples be little ones.
Enjoy

Julia in Derbyshire

IGP :-D :-D :-D

Julia, I know I have been on the cava but now I am seeing triple!

Miserable lot, Cheer up, go and have a Quadruple Brandy,Hiccup and smile.it only comes once a year, and bu88er the Supermarkets and their blurb.then have another large one. Happy inebriated Christmas and New Year. :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-D :-D

I’m not under the afluence of incohol, as some tinkle peep I am.