I used to do Pilates and Swiss ball for dressage riding @tui34, good for core strength and balance. My friends and I would practice in a friend's sitting room which was fun. Eventually I gave my ball to Son 1's wife for exercises after her babies were born.
Present wrapping today then the car is going to have new winter tyres fitted. Just the front ones which need changing anyway.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Like @Lizzie27 and @Busy-Lizzie, I love a big family Christmas. Always have and hope I always will. Totally understand that others do things differently- and that they are happy with that choice. Live and let live.
What I do object to however, is being told by those that don’t “do” Christmas, that my distress at my favourite time of year being spoiled by restrictions is somehow frivolous and unfounded. Its not “just another day” to me, its a very special day (or two). And it makes me genuinely miserable that it all looks like being spoiled for another year. I have every right to feel like that, and I refuse to be judged by people who have chosen, and prefer, a quieter, more solitary time. None of their plans will have to change. Lots of mine will.
Totally understand that others do things differently- and that they are happy with that choice. Live and let live.
It isn't always a choice. If my family was still alive, I wouldn't chose not not to celebrate with them. I don't prefer a quiet Christmas, it's what I have, it's what DD has. It doesn't help to have other versions of it promoted so very vigorously that you end up feeling you have failed when you can't do it, no matter how much you might want to.
I'm glad you're able to have a big family Christmas if that's what you enjoy. I'm just asking (asking the world that is, it's not addressed to you) to be allowed to find a way to enjoy something about a different sort of Christmas, rather than spending the whole week wishing for things I can't have.
Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Poor Chicky, that strikes a chord. I’ve just had to tell daughter and son in law not to come for Christmas, just doesn’t feel as if it will be sensible or safe enough. I am both heartbroken and relieved, if that is possible? OH and I have had quite a few Christmases with just the two of us, so we will cope fine and have a good time. To be honest, Christmas has never been the same since I was a child, with five siblings. I’ve usually felt torn between the needs of in laws and my wishes to spend it with my family, and always found it a bit conflicting. Both children live a distance away, between two and four hours drive, so it’s not a case of easily popping over for lunch with the windows open. Im feeling quite depressed again, one moment I’m feeling as if I am being over cautious, the next that I’m being very sensible and not getting over influenced by the usual Christmas hype. Hopefully we can get together once things look clearer, and the weather improves, but what if they don’t? All horrid.
I think Christmas becomes a more horrendous event with each year that passes. It seems to result in at least as much misery and negativity than the months-long excitement and joy that the telly box would have us buy into. Over-indulgence, financial woe, stress, arguments and very few 'tidings of joy'.
I'll get through it in my own way but will have to suffer aspects inflicted upon me that I could do without.
I'm just glad I'm not working as the payroll companies close down and I'd end up doing two weeks worth of work in one week in order to get everybody paid in time.
Same here @raisingirl .... it's not necessarily my choice ... it's what I have ... growing up on a farm we knew that other things took precedence ... animals had to be fed and attended to ... living over 100 miles from any relatives it was unlikely to be more than the four of us most years ... when it was our turn to have Granny for Christmas, if the weather was bad and trains were cancelled or Pa couldn't go and fetch her then we would see her in the summer. Christmas Day had presents and a marvellous lunch ... and Pa would spend as much time as he could with us and we would play board games while Pa dozed off by the fire before going out to feed the animals again ... it was special and wonderful ... but not big family festivities.
After I married, my first baby was born on 22nd December ... as he was growing up we tried very hard not to let his special day be subsumed into general Christmas stuff ... so we didn't start Christmas until the 23rd ... but then we had the full on Christmas ...the whole house was decorated, there was the Christingle Service, Midnight Mass and a service on Christmas Day then drinks with friends before sitting down to eat a goose or turkey ... we went carol singing, had friends and family around for food, fun and games and we visited them bearing gifts ... it was just like on the tv and in the films ... it was wonderful ... a real village family Christmas ...
Then when OH and I made a home together we we bought all the stuff (dinner service, platters, glassware etc ) so that we could host big family gatherings and have that sort of Christmas again ... for one reason or another they've not happened ... Wonky and her Lovely Hub have their own family responsibilities, and as my son married a Moslem their priorities at Christmas time were different to ours ... they would use the Christmas break from work so that her mother could visit from Russia or they would visit relatives there ... now he's on his own he's always given colleagues with children the chance to spend as much time as possible with them, and he's worked the Christmas Shifts.
So, we don't always get a choice in the sort of Christmas we have ... what makes it special is to make the best we can of what we've got
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Good luck @Yviestevie - hope all goes well. Nice jam @Pat E - my late MIL used to make a lovely clear apple jelly. She was a very accomplished cook; I have her handwritten cookbook but haven't yet made anything from it. OH does most of the cooking and we tend to have a fairly limited range of meals - New Year Resolution - get more variety into the meals we eat! So sorry to all of you who cannot have the Christmas you would wish for. But my heart goes out to those who don't even have the comfort of this forum. All I can do is donate to those good souls who do so much to get food and shelter to those who really need it. @Punkdoc - yours is the voice of reason on the other threads here. Hope you are feeling a bit better.
Afternoon folks. Lovely looking jam @Pat E. I used to make some but we don't eat enough of it to bother any more. One jar lasts months in this house, a very occasional treat.
I drove OH for his Blue Badge assessment this morning at a town about 7 miles away. Goodness knows why it couldn't have been carried out in Bath but there you go. Surprised to find that no vaccinations appeared to being carried out, very few people around. A big recently purpose built Community Clinic/GP centre with an ample free car park. One thing that did strike me however that it was right out on the edge of the town and not many people could have walked there from the town centre. You would need a car or taxi to get there. Didn't appear to be on a bus route either.
On the way back we called in at a Waitrose store, I needed some strong tin foil which Sainsbury's hadn't delivered and yet more Xmas cards/stamps for OH. Got 3 for 2 boxes on the cards but they'd sold out of 2nd class stamps, so we stopped again at another store. Too long a queue there so gave up and went home for lunch.
@Dovefromabove, your childhood family Xmas's sound the ideal. Mine were usually spent at the grandparents and were similar to yours. Given that they had had six children, there were usually masses of rellies coming in and out all day.
Posts
I used to do Pilates and Swiss ball for dressage riding @tui34, good for core strength and balance. My friends and I would practice in a friend's sitting room which was fun. Eventually I gave my ball to Son 1's wife for exercises after her babies were born.
Present wrapping today then the car is going to have new winter tyres fitted. Just the front ones which need changing anyway.
What I do object to however, is being told by those that don’t “do” Christmas, that my distress at my favourite time of year being spoiled by restrictions is somehow frivolous and unfounded. Its not “just another day” to me, its a very special day (or two). And it makes me genuinely miserable that it all looks like being spoiled for another year. I have every right to feel like that, and I refuse to be judged by people who have chosen, and prefer, a quieter, more solitary time. None of their plans will have to change. Lots of mine will.
I don’t judge you, please don’t judge me.
I'm glad you're able to have a big family Christmas if that's what you enjoy. I'm just asking (asking the world that is, it's not addressed to you) to be allowed to find a way to enjoy something about a different sort of Christmas, rather than spending the whole week wishing for things I can't have.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
To be honest, Christmas has never been the same since I was a child, with five siblings. I’ve usually felt torn between the needs of in laws and my wishes to spend it with my family, and always found it a bit conflicting.
Both children live a distance away, between two and four hours drive, so it’s not a case of easily popping over for lunch with the windows open.
Im feeling quite depressed again, one moment I’m feeling as if I am being over cautious, the next that I’m being very sensible and not getting over influenced by the usual Christmas hype. Hopefully we can get together once things look clearer, and the weather improves, but what if they don’t? All horrid.
I think Christmas becomes a more horrendous event with each year that passes. It seems to result in at least as much misery and negativity than the months-long excitement and joy that the telly box would have us buy into. Over-indulgence, financial woe, stress, arguments and very few 'tidings of joy'.
I'll get through it in my own way but will have to suffer aspects inflicted upon me that I could do without.
I'm just glad I'm not working as the payroll companies close down and I'd end up doing two weeks worth of work in one week in order to get everybody paid in time.
After I married, my first baby was born on 22nd December ... as he was growing up we tried very hard not to let his special day be subsumed into general Christmas stuff ... so we didn't start Christmas until the 23rd ... but then we had the full on Christmas ...the whole house was decorated, there was the Christingle Service, Midnight Mass and a service on Christmas Day then drinks with friends before sitting down to eat a goose or turkey ... we went carol singing, had friends and family around for food, fun and games and we visited them bearing gifts ... it was just like on the tv and in the films ... it was wonderful ... a real village family Christmas ...
Then when OH and I made a home together we we bought all the stuff (dinner service, platters, glassware etc ) so that we could host big family gatherings and have that sort of Christmas again ... for one reason or another they've not happened ... Wonky and her Lovely Hub have their own family responsibilities, and as my son married a Moslem their priorities at Christmas time were different to ours ... they would use the Christmas break from work so that her mother could visit from Russia or they would visit relatives there ... now he's on his own he's always given colleagues with children the chance to spend as much time as possible with them, and he's worked the Christmas Shifts.
So, we don't always get a choice in the sort of Christmas we have ... what makes it special is to make the best we can of what we've got
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Nice jam @Pat E - my late MIL used to make a lovely clear apple jelly. She was a very accomplished cook; I have her handwritten cookbook but haven't yet made anything from it. OH does most of the cooking and we tend to have a fairly limited range of meals - New Year Resolution - get more variety into the meals we eat!
So sorry to all of you who cannot have the Christmas you would wish for. But my heart goes out to those who don't even have the comfort of this forum. All I can do is donate to those good souls who do so much to get food and shelter to those who really need it.
@Punkdoc - yours is the voice of reason on the other threads here. Hope you are feeling a bit better.
Lovely looking jam @Pat E. I used to make some but we don't eat enough of it to bother any more. One jar lasts months in this house, a very occasional treat.
I drove OH for his Blue Badge assessment this morning at a town about 7 miles away.
Goodness knows why it couldn't have been carried out in Bath but there you go. Surprised to find that no vaccinations appeared to being carried out, very few people around. A big recently purpose built Community Clinic/GP centre with an ample free car park. One thing that did strike me however that it was right out on the edge of the town and not many people could have walked there from the town centre. You would need a car or taxi to get there. Didn't appear to be on a bus route either.
On the way back we called in at a Waitrose store, I needed some strong tin foil which Sainsbury's hadn't delivered and yet more Xmas cards/stamps for OH. Got 3 for 2 boxes on the cards but they'd sold out of 2nd class stamps, so we stopped again at another store. Too long a queue there so gave up and went home for lunch.
@Dovefromabove, your childhood family Xmas's sound the ideal. Mine were usually spent at the grandparents and were similar to yours. Given that they had had six children, there were usually masses of rellies coming in and out all day.