Bah-flippin- Humbug

[yoanbob]

I love xmas, but we dont do the crass stuff or the commercial stuff. We go to my parents, tree goes up xmas eve after we have all helped to clean the house, small needed gifts nothing unwanted or bought for the sake of it and nothing expensive, we play board games and computer games as a family have a roast dinner go to church to sing our hearts out and say hi to all the little old dears. oh yes, then its my birthday (boxing day) when we go to the cinema with friends and family and go out for an inexpensive meal to catch up.
Xmas can be great if you can ignore the crassness.

[Flummery]

We love the games too. When the children were young we had some really wierd one that included rhyming bus destinations - Poole to Goole, Hull to Mull, Dent to Ghent - they could be rally daft! We also had one where you had to 'invent' new trans-uranic elements (whole family had chemistry qualifications) - my favourites were 'tedium' and 'oprobrium' - Ok we're certifiable probably but heck we laughed a lot. (PS the more you've supped the funnier they get!)

[kirsty b]

pressies should be done all year round when you can afford them, from love not commercial guilt trips, the victorians started all this, and oh my gods did they love to cover up cr@p with glitter, i can't believe we still buy into it?

to me , the best present is a nieghbour knocking on the door, with a few mince pies, we HATE mince pies, we love that they cared enough to knock.

I had a patient the other week who I got quite chatty with, and he was telling me that he and his partner don't 'do' Christmas or birthdays. If they see something that they feel that they or someone would like, they get it then and there as long as they have the money to do so, instead of waiting for certain days. It seems like a nice philosophy.
All I want for Christmas is a houseful of people to cook for. So sick of seeing tinsel from Sept onwards.

[Comfreyfan]

Just go with the bits you enjoy and ignore the rest (they must be the bits for other peeps!)

[rogesse]

Usually I'm a bit of an old humbug but I lost my mum not 2 months ago - she was child-like silly about the whole thing (she had a tough childhood so spoilt me and my sister at christmas) - so no humbug this year, even OH is behaving himself. I'm putting up all the lights (inside!) and going full hog traditional. It will probably be cheaper than usual but require more effort on my behalf - ie smiling (not rictus) at the in laws..... strangely I'm feeling an out pouring of love. Maybe it is part of the process but I'm having to tell everyone how much I appreciate and love them. I've even agreed to midnight mass with the MIL, (much to sons disgust) despite pagan leanings!

I so agree with the sentiment that this is a lovely place to come, a community in a way

Merry Christmas one and all

Janexxx

[BrideXIII]

* dances happily* just found the perfect presnt for son1 for less than £15, son2 and i are giggling ourselves silly.

[Glutton4...]

... don't 'do' Christmas or birthdays. If they see something that they feel that they or someone would like, they get it then and there as long as they have the money to do so, instead of waiting for certain days ...

Yup, that's what we do. OH loves it because he doesn't have to wrap anything! X

[BrideXIII]

I had a patient the other week who I got quite chatty with, and he was telling me that he and his partner don't 'do' Christmas or birthdays. If they see something that they feel that they or someone would like, they get it then and there as long as they have the money to do so, instead of waiting for certain days. It seems like a nice philosophy.
All I want for Christmas is a houseful of people to cook for. So sick of seeing tinsel from Sept onwards.

we have more spare cash in the summer, than we do at xmas, so what i do is if the boys really want something, they get it then, i mean........i love em all year round, why wait till xmas to treat them? we do birthdays, but not really presents, birthdays are a celebration of life, gifts dont really come into it much.

[m3bfs]

for years now i've hated CROSSmass (Xmas) but enjoyed Christmas. Have been a member of several faiths/churches, but have never found my 'home'. (just deleted a few sentences there as might have upset some people while trying to explain myself).

Is it bah humbug, not to want to buy into the media/commercial frenzy that has been built up around this time of year. I had the pressure to buy the kids the playstations, the bikes etc that they wanted, so they were as good/better than their friends, to show that as parents we 'cared' that much for them. Not from my kids, other parents etc but from my ex. Not only that but had to go out and get more food for the one day that most shops were shut (corner shop, opened for a few hours) than we had room in the fridge/freezer/cupboard to store, because the calendar said it was Xmas (he wasn't/isn't religious). Even when he'd been in tears the month before because we'd had a repossession letter for the mortgage, which i managed to sort out and rearrange monthly payments on, but because it was 'Xmas' wouldn't pay the mortgage for December because had to have biggest turkey/most booze. I always enjoyed the days up to Christmas, decorating the house with lights and decorations that had been built up over the years, but come Xmas Day, all enjoyment was gone. And just massive debts left, that i'd just get cleared in time for the next Xmas.

For the last few years, same again this year, will just be me (new) OH, Bruce (rottie) & Charlie (Cavalier), maybe a present each, maybe not if we've already had something we wanted. Sunday dinner, tv on in corner, him watching, me in here on here, or sat on sofa doing some sort of craft. Just a normal day. My kids will be with ex, and my granddaughter will be spending her first Christmas with him, i'm not likely to see her until her birthday, but no guarantee.. But all that another complete story.

Sorry to have waffled, but i've just realised something, Xmas was a big factor in the split of my first marriage, and the 'loss' of my kids, especially my daughter, but things are building there a bit, hopefully they will continue.

If we don't buy into this commercialism, do you reckon we can turn the clock back, well not the clock, but subdue the commercialism.

m3bfs

[BrideXIII]

well you get a BIG hug from me, cos yes that is exactly what my bah humbug was about, i am not sure we can turn the clock back, but i am damned if i am going to feel guilty about not buying into it anymore.

enjoy your Yule.

[crazy_red]

Flummery

We love the games too. When the children were young we had some really wierd one that included rhyming bus destinations - Poole to Goole, Hull to Mull, Dent to Ghent - they could be rally daft! We also had one where you had to 'invent' new trans-uranic elements (whole family had chemistry qualifications) - my favourites were 'tedium' and 'oprobrium' - Ok we're certifiable probably but heck we laughed a lot. (PS the more you've supped the funnier they get!)

Flummery, can you sing them all in order like the Tom Lehrer song?

That still has me in fits every time I hear it, because my Dad insisted on English pronunciation, so we used invent new names for the elements to make them fit the music....

We've always played really silly word games at Christmas too and have been playing them with the boys since they were really small! In fact, we don't usually bother waiting for Xmas......

We should start a new thread and play 'I went to market' and see who can 'buy' the daftest thing

On a serious note, half the reason I've been on the Vine all night is to keep myself occupied.

My son was in a car accident earlier tonight with his Grandad, both got out without a scratch but my heart has been in my mouth ever since......

The car was totalled and not driveable and I don't drive, so I'm having to wait til he can get a bus back tomorrow, to see him and give him a love. I just keep wanting to cry...

So enjoy your loved ones every day and never part on an argument because you never know what might happen tomorrow or even later today ...

[BrideXIII]

Flummery

Flummery, can you sing them all in order like the Tom Lehrer song?

That still has me in fits every time I hear it, because my Dad insisted on English pronunciation, so we used invent new names for the elements to make them fit the music....

We've always played really silly word games at Christmas too and have been playing them with the boys since they were really small! In fact, we don't usually bother waiting for Xmas......

We should start a new thread and play 'I went to market' and see who can 'buy' the daftest thing

On a serious note, half the reason I've been on the Vine all night is to keep myself occupied.

My son was in a car accident earlier tonight with his Grandad, both got out without a scratch but my heart has been in my mouth ever since......

The car was totalled and not driveable and I don't drive, so I'm having to wait til he can get a bus back tomorrow, to see him and give him a love. I just keep wanting to cry...

So enjoy your loved ones every day and never part on an argument because you never know what might happen tomorrow or even later today ...

i wondered why you were on so late, i assume everyone is ok? i hope so, must get my msn fixed in my profile, i avoid it usually, but sometimes it would be nice to just ping someone when they need someone to talk to.

[crazy_red]

Thanks Bride, everyone was fine, thank goodness.

They were both really shaken up and Grandad was very upset, which is natural.

It's the 'what ifs' that come and haunt you afterwards....

You know those horrendous tragedy/accident fantasies that first plague you when your pregnant or they're newborn and then happen whenever you have a near miss with them...

Although I often 'lurk' when I can't sleep - which is most of the time actually, I've had insomnia for about 10 years now

It is nice to 'hear' a friendly voice when you're fretting though, so thanks again

I'll set my MSN up too, that's a great idea. So feel free to 'ping' me anytime i'm online...

Red x