Just the two of us but we’ll celebrate with verve. We’ve already got in a hamper of decadent goodies from Fortnums and have started to assemble some other treats from local shops. Over the past couple of days I wrapped all the Christmas presents and on Monday my wife will start to write the Christmas cards.
Decorations will be what we always have - in the sitting room an artificial tree but it is a Balsam Hill one so very realistic and a branch decorated with baubles over the fireplace. In the dining room there’ll be a garland on the beam and another on the dresser. Outside a few lights will adorn the front handrail and also the potted olive tree in the back garden. All lights will be soft white.
I always have a tree and lots of decorations and this year it was my children and grandchildren's turn to come here for Christmas. But, thanks to Covid, I am in France and OH is in England. I couldn't go to his cottage in England with him in September as I am selling my French house, completion due early January. France and England are both in lockdown, flights are cancelled, some until March. I've just read that France will be in a state of emergency until February. I may well be on my own for Christmas the first time ever
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I must admit that earlier this year l would have replied "not sure", but now l've decided to go for it. There's only me and my husband, we have 2 trees, one in the lounge and a small one in the dining room. I said l'd just do the small one, but he said no. It's a tradition that we decorate the big one together and then l go mad on the small one. It has been a tough year for us for several reasons, and there will be times over Christmas when it will be even tougher. This year more than ever we need some light in the darkness and the beauty of a Christmas tree will help 🎄
It says much about the state of life this year that I still haven't put the decorations away in the loft from last year yet They're put away in their storage crates but are still sat in my hallway. We have a fake tree and will be putting that up. The kids love the lights and things even if they still don't really understand Xmas yet.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
Definitely yes, an artificial one that we bought 19 years ago when we had our baby boy. Now he has grown up with this tree, it is a big part of our little family and it wouldn’t be Christmas without it.
Maybe? We don't normally bother with one as I get more than enough Chrismas with his relatives as it is, but we sometimes do, it depends if I see a neighbour selling them (lots of people here have 1/2 acre or so of trees) so far this year Christmas is meant to be as normal, though right now we can't see any of his family as we live in the next county over and our 7 counties are asked not to travel between each-other, (I'm in the part of Denmark with the mink) However I am buying 10 trees this year for planting, so in 6 years we'll get a small tree and in 16 years there will be a monster in the house!
Bah, humbug! We (OH, aged parent and I) don't do trees, lights or turkey (one of us is vegetarian, the others eat what's put in front of them). None of us drinks alcohol anyway. The only decorations are the cards which we hang around the sitting room as they arrive. We neither visit nor invite. We don't do much in the way of presents, as we are old and already have everything we need and almost everything we want.
Mother and I are Christians and we go to church on Christmas morning. OH isn't, and doesn't. We will miss that this year. We have been having virtual meetings on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, so I expect there will be a virtual meeting on Christmas morning.
We do have edible treats: expensive chocolates and home-made puddings, such as banoffee pie and bread and butter pudding made of panettone with stem ginger and marzipan. I'm sure we enjoy our peaceful, stress-free, cheap and cheerful Christmas as much as anyone.
Usually get our big tree (the biggest we can get in the car) from the sales place in the forest nearby, but don't know if they are doing it this year.
Also the space where we usually put it is currently filled, overflowed even, by my swiss cheese plant (aka The Monster!) which has had seven new, huge leaves this year and I don't know where I can move it to! Perhaps it will get a star and baubles
I do know that three of us (daughter, her partner & I) will be eating and celebrating to our utmost. They will be drinking too, but, much as I would like to join in the fun, my alcohol consumption has been so low this year, that my tolerance is close to zero and I don't want to spend my time under the table!
Sadly no, but not due to the pandemic. A tree (and our precious glass decorations) would be a total toy-fest for our new puppy. We might hang a few baubles on the wall, and a bit of tinsel out of reach, but that's it until she's a bit older.
We will console ourselves with a few swigs of homemade Sloe Gin......
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Decorations will be what we always have - in the sitting room an artificial tree but it is a Balsam Hill one so very realistic and a branch decorated with baubles over the fireplace. In the dining room there’ll be a garland on the beam and another on the dresser. Outside a few lights will adorn the front handrail and also the potted olive tree in the back garden. All lights will be soft white.
This year more than ever we need some light in the darkness and the beauty of a Christmas tree will help 🎄
Nicely trimmed and chopped into logs, delivered to a burner of wood 10 months later than promised.
Mother and I are Christians and we go to church on Christmas morning. OH isn't, and doesn't. We will miss that this year. We have been having virtual meetings on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings, so I expect there will be a virtual meeting on Christmas morning.
We do have edible treats: expensive chocolates and home-made puddings, such as banoffee pie and bread and butter pudding made of panettone with stem ginger and marzipan. I'm sure we enjoy our peaceful, stress-free, cheap and cheerful Christmas as much as anyone.
We will console ourselves with a few swigs of homemade Sloe Gin......