Christmas 2019

Marigold

Marigold

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So how's your Chrustmas going?
We had our first two guilt-inducing Christmas cards today, from super- organised friends, one of which contained a two-page newsletter full of the usual moaning about all the usual topics, from a friend we haven't seen since 1972. Not helped by the fact that his political outlook is at the other end of the spectrum from ours. I am becoming more and more resistant to the idea of Christmas cards, especially the ones from people we haven't seen or spoken to since last December, that are really an annual check-up to say 'I'm still alive, just - what about you?" Have the rest of you ticked off your lists, bought your stamps and caught the last dates for posting to far-flung lands? At the moment I'm too busy planning for the big family get-together here, nine people and three dogs, though at least they are all truly welcome, whatever the chaos.
Meanwhile, I enjoyed this video and so did Poppy, who is a real screen addict. She likes David Attenborough best, also The Dog Rescuers and For the love of Dogs. Jumps up and down and gets lots of exercise when animals are on screen, and is loving the daemons in His Dark Materials. Tonight on YouTube it was The Border Terrorists Dogtivity, which I hope you will all enjoy as much as we did. https://youtu.be/HCalIMr8W1E
 
That is so cute Marigold! I can just picture Poppy enjoying that. I have to confess to having bought my cards last January and stamps before postage went up as the increase was more than I could earn in interest if Id saved the money. They are local charity cards ... I have already received 8 cards, fortunately none with a round-robin letter. Those that I do get tend to be full of "doings" with friends and family members I don't know, holidays etc which I don't want to know about. Most of the people on my list I'm in touch with albeit some very infrequently during the year and a number think the divorce is done and dusted so I will have to disillusion them.
Posting some car spares to Japan today I was amazed to discover that the last posting date for airl mail to far-flung lands is Thursday! So the Australians may get a paper card rather than an e-card for once.
Some of my cats react to miaowing cats on the screen, but only lifting their head to look around!
 
I always like to get sendng Christmas cards out of the way early. I tend to write them over several evenings at the end of November, and send them off the first week in December. I have an address book just for Christmas cards, which I keep with my stash of cards. I buy the stamps as soon as the Christmas ones come out and keep them with the address book and cards. And one or two pens. I have crossed off a few people from my card list over the last few years. Dau never sends cards to anyone. Because I always did it when she was growing up.
 
Hello everyone. I havn't been here for a few weeks. I am working part time, doing irregular 5 hour shifts, so need to catch up!!

I am bah humbug about Christmas and I only (reluctantly) give a card to my Mum and 3 grown up kids. Christmas means nothing to me. I feel it is just a waste of money buying presents which have been requested anyhow and get the same in return. Then there's all that nasty, excessive, packaging....I might feel differently if I had small grandchildren, but for now, it feels like a meanlingless chore. Roll on December 27th :-) :-)
 
Tweetypie you Grinch! ?. It’s a case of is your glass half full or half empty. It’s a great opportunity to remind friends that you still think kindly of them. Also sharing food together is something we’ve done since caveman times and is hard wired into our psyche. Giving presents is what you make of it.
Having said that you are right about the dreadful waste of packaging. And the false commercialism. But who could not be entertained by the annual John Lewis advert and the succession of beautiful models doing perfume/cologne ads.
One of my brothers from whom I am totally estranged insists on sending me a card each year. My one to him is a card from last year (from someone else) with a ‘Reuse, Recycle, Repair’ sticker on it. Any normal person would be amused. Him and his wife ...?
 
Loved the doggy nativity, have passed it onto friends who have Border terriers.
Just love the reuse card Hen-Gen, OH is thinking of doing that with her brother, this is the only time he gets in contact, we are spared friends sending us details of their kid, holidays etc thankfully.
Our Christmas is rocking along on the same lines as previous ones, with something happening. Apart from being busy at work, big thanks to the idiot changing lanes at high speed on the QE11 bridge and crashing this morning, total gridlock thanks mate. Ex wife decides to die, I can't really leave our daughter and her half sister to sort everything out on their own so got house etc to clear. Then daughter in one breath announces that her divorce has come through, ( best present ever when she arrived on Xmas day 2017 and announced she had split up with that idle waster) and she is 2 months pregnant with her current boyfriend. Oh grand.
Then she announces that as my ex wife wants a non religious funeral her and her half sister have decided I am the ideal person to officiate at this. :roll: :roll:
Can't quite remember that being on my bucket list. All I need to do now is four weddings.
Needless to say OH is finding this quite amusing, now she has recovered from 9 days of hell with Parcel Force customer services dept.
 
Well done. Whatever the personal cost to you and OH, we shall all be eagerly waiting to hear the latest on this saga. What will you wear to the funeral?
Actually, I'm sure you'll do the job beautifully, BYM. Please can I book you for mine? (I hope you'll have time to get a bit more experience first.)
 
Absolutely, consider me booked. please let me know what you would like me to wear ? I can do all black, I have a variety of amusing ties. I am sure I could transport you in a vintage bus also.
 
On the question of burials my husband says he’s going to have a length of hose pipe running from my coffin to the surface with a funnel in the top of it and a sign on my gravestone saying ‘Public Urinal’. Not sure whether this reflects his sense of humour or some bizarre sexual fetish. But I have left clear instructions that I’m to be buried with no service of any kind.
As the poet said,
‘Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not here, I do not sleep’

But having bym conducting some kind of surrealist ceremony does have a definite appeal! But how about a joint burial marigold.
Separated by geography, united by chickens. Has a certain cachet don’t you think?
 
Would it have to be somewhere in the Midlands? I'm not sure the vintage bus would make it to Fetlar, and much as I hope to go there one day, I'd like to be able to look out and see the view.
Also, I can see possible difficulties over co-ordination of dates, as you're only a lad of 70 ....
Otherwise, definitely not black, BYM. Bright colours, funny hats, and dogs welcome - also chickens if they wanted to come.

Now can we get back to Christmas? I know the country is going to go down the drain tomorrow, whatever one's political persuasion that's one thing we can all agree about whatever result we get, so can we all just grit our teeth and try to be determinedly cheerful?
GRRR!
 
Love the vintage bus idea BYM. A friend of mine had to adapt his vintage car to carry the cardboard coffin of an elderly friend. Fortunately it was a dry day but I will find out more this weekend.
I like Christmas carols but can get a bit too much of it singing in a couple of choirs. Last year was the worst; two carol services on one day and a Christmas concert the night before. Not sure what I'm doing about a tree as the last time I put it up the cat attacked it - it's plastic and I was going to get a real one in a pot but have no idea what the current four will do. I'll probably try the artificial one and see what they do to it...
Not looking forward to tomorrow (1) for a personal reason and (2) because I still don't know who is going to get my vote, but definitely NOT the "You're talking through your turban" smug Tory.
 
Just to help your determination to be cheerful, Marigold!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcjh1a9Yoao
 
Excellent stuff, let's keep cheerful. I can do fancy dress as well. Have a good child catcher costume :D :D
Do let us know what happens with the tree Margaid.
OH is fed up with mince pies having just made 80 for me to take to work, plus ones for us and other friends etc.
 
Margaid said:
Not sure what I'm doing about a tree as the last time I put it up the cat attacked it - it's plastic and I was going to get a real one in a pot but have no idea what the current four will do. I'll probably try the artificial one and see what they do to it...
Click to expand...

Hint hint;
https://youtu.be/nn2h3_aH3vo
 
Didn't get that far Marigold! Look at the mischievous glint in his eye - he was named Mischief :-)07

Tree 1 resized.jpg


 
I am sure he was just trying to help.
The child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Superbly played by Sir Robert Helpmann Hen-Gen
Whilst on the Christmas theme, we were talking about the things you eat that only appear at Christmas. We both remembered from childhood those packs of candied orange and lemon slices, and the little wooden boxes of Turkish Delight that dad loved. "Eat Me" dates was another
 
Definitely not BYM , he was trying to pull the branches off! Maybe he thought I ought to have a real tree .

You can still get all of those things except the Turkish Delight isn't usually in wooden boxes these days. I'm not a chocoholic but having chocolate (the Nestle tube of round chocs was my favourite) that I didn't have to share with my sister was really exciting!
 
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