I haven’t been blogging for a couple of weeks, though have popped in to everyone else’s blog of course. No Mundanity Monday’s, no Thursday Thoughts here, and no ‘places wot I went to’ on the Universe blog. Last week I completely lost all motivation to pick up my camera. Would have loved to do some snow scenes but it came and went whist I was at work and then it just turned cold and meh. On Monday this week I woke up with what people call Manflu and I call a bad cold + chest infection, so am sniffing and coughing my way through the week. At least it will be over (I hope!) by Christmas.
Ah yes, here it comes again, and my world is split between those ramping it up going bonkers with presents, decorations, parties, shopping, etcetera, etcetera,etcetera, and those who are bah humbugging and grumbling at the commercialisation and having to buy presents when they don’t really want to. If I analyse it down, the bonkers lot are younger, mainly women, and have kids, and the humbuggers are older, mainly men, whose kids flew the nest long ago, if they had them. 🙂 .
I figure it’s impossible to ignore it, the radio is playing the same old crappy Christmas songs they play every year ad nauseam, the TV is full of crappy Christmas movies I wouldn’t watch if you paid me, and I daren’t even check out the family facebook pages! They’re all on the mad side.
Christmas here at Fraggle Towers will be mostly a quiet affair, we have a tree up now, on the 12th, not the 1st of December
though my decorations are old and worn, there’s still a bit of sparkle going on
We went to Cyprus one year for Christmas, and had dinner in a Chinese restaurant, we were the only ones there, and the lady owner gave us a Christmas decoration for a present.
And though it was nice to be away, there’s really nothing like Christmas dinner at home. It’s always just me and Phil for Christmas Day, the kids always do their own thing, which is grand. We’ll be having roast leg of lamb and I’ll push the boat out on the veggies to go with it. Pudding will not be an option, we can’t manage 2 courses these days!
At some point Phil’s kids and grandkids and his sister + hubby will come over for an afternoon and I’ll make a load of vol-au-vents and party food for it, and that’ll be our socialising done!
We don’t do presents, everyone gets money, we figure our grandkids are overloaded with stuff they won’t even remember getting by the week after, so when it’s all over they can have a little spend themselves. Phil and I decided long ago that surprising each other was a pain in the arse and we’d both rather just get what we want when we want it, so birthday and Christmas present became obsolete, and it removes the worry of what to get! I haven’t posted Christmas cards since forever, think they are a complete waste of paper, I’d rather ring some one up and have a chat. So on the whole I quite like Christmas, the tree looks pretty, we’ll have a lush dinner and a few glasses of something nice, watch movies that have nothing to do with it, see our loony family for a little while, and have a week off work. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. 🙂
I hope you all have the Christmas that’s perfect for you!
Having had the flu myself last week (it was seriously horrible…uggggh), I really hope you will feel better soon. And of course I also hope you find back some of your motivation. It happens to everyone at some point, but eventually you will find it back. You did take a couple of very cool pictures for this post though: great 😊 Please take care, and as I said before: take care 😊
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Thanks loads x
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I hope you’re 100% better in time for Christmas! These photos you shared are lovely. As Michel said: “take care.”🤗
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Cheers Kim! On the mend I think!
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Yay!🤗💐
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I am mainly a man, and older, so I definitely fit into your category. 🙂
I do send cards, because that’s the way I keep in touch with people I never see. It also lets them know that I am still alive!
This year, we are going to a restaurant on the 25th, the first time for either of us. After that, the mayhem of family arrivals commences!
Our tree won’t be up until this coming weekend, and I only wrote and stamped the cards this afternoon. I’m running late…
Nice shots of the decs, FR.
Best wishes, Pete.
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🙂 crack on with those cards Pete! Cheers!
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Thanks! tc
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I’m putting the tree up on Sunday. Last year I was poorly and spent most of Christmas Day in bed. I think Christmas lunch was a slice of toast and a cup of tea, We’ll see what this year has in store.
I hope you’re feeling a bit better.
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Thanks April. Hope you have a better one this year.
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Preach!!! (I think that’s the correct term!)
On the camera motivation thingy..I have been the same. I’m not a fan of the cold in the first place, but our weather has just been in the blurgh category. I (fortunately) haven’t been ill, and hope you feel better soon, but I was wandering around Newcastle yesterday..and everything was just sooo dull. I commented to my friend with me that (for street photography) our City is basically grey!
Sorry to hijack your blog with my own moans! Lol
Soon be Jan with Spring on its way!
Have a great Christmas on your own terms!
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Haha thanks John 🙂
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It seems everybody has been getting sick or some kind of ailment! I was wondering where your posts have been!😊 I just love your pics of your tree and ornaments! Very beautiful. I have a confession to make I have 3 Kids and my tree is not up yet. #epicfail But your post has mad me giggle and also has enlightened me to get in the christmas spirit and hunt for that darn tree in the shed so the kids will be happy.
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can’t beat a good tree with lots of lights, magic!
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Oh and you Phil have a great holiday season the way you guys want to and I hope you feel better real soon! Sending my prayers and positive vibes your way!😍🎄🎁
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Thanks hun, Phil’s got it too now so we are hacking and coughing in perfect harmony. 🙄
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Again…beautiful shots…lovely and rich…I am a major bahhumbugger (ooer missus) but you know your Christmas sounds GREAT!nice and stress free and just how you like it. For me, being single I am expected at my parents and no matter how I’ve tried to train them they still insist on all the stuff that makes it stressful, all the presents no one wants or can afford and its always awful and no one enjoys it…so I avoid it like the plague now. If I was able to stay in my own house guilt free I’d have a Christmas like yours…and WHEN did everyone start putting up their trees on the 1st?Saw that all over Facebook. We used to put ours upon the 19th. We’ll be putting them up in July before you know it!Mind you theres no trees in my house..though I put some tinsel on a tomato plant one year 😀 (get well soon!)
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I’ve done ‘family’ christmases in my previous life so completely understand! I’m quite happy with a tree, a dinner, some vino delecto, cool music, a good movie, and some boinking if I’m not too stuffed 😂😂😂
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Have one for me… (I think… 😀 😀 )
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I’m trying to walk a fine line between crazy/over-the-top and doing the bare minimum. So far, it seems to be working out well (except for that darn elf. He’s a pain).
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Balance in everything is the right way! 😂 dip the elf in catnip that’ll sort him.
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If nothing else, perhaps it will cause Schooner to tear him limb from limb and save us some trouble.
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We live in hope 😊
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You make it sound perfect 🙂 Enjoy xx
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Thanks Eddy, I will!
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I’m with you on this one– I don’t create a lot of holiday expectations and stress for myself. It’s great! I end up enjoying the holidays without any stress! Nick and I don’t really do presents either. Instead we do what we want, when we want! 😉 Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
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Thought I’d be the only one! Cheers Laura, you have a good one too!
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