Our Christmas tree is up as are the other decorations.
This week is the start of festive events. I'm off to a concert by a local choir tomorrow morning and to a production of It's a Wonderful Life in the evening. I'm always worried when it comes to going to the theatre as my hearing is so crap. However I now have an external microphone that should help, and I know the story so well I should be able to fill in the gaps. Wednesday I have a council meeting that usually ends up with the Mayor inviting every one to her parlour for drinks, then on Thursday we're having a bit of a party with my lip reading class.
I will imagine I will have eaten rather a lot of mince pies by the end of the week.
My Neighbour M is currently putting up some festive white lights around his Ark, which reminds me that I've forgotten to look out for something for my Ark.
I'll need to visit Tesco later this week, so must remember to see what they have in the way of a Candle Bridge sort of thingy (which will go in my Wheelhouse). I keep meaning to have a look at their small wooden Nativity Scenes, one of which would fit nicely on my sideboard - my antique 1950s plastic crib is OK-ish, apart from missing one Shepherd...
My nativity scene is up sans baby Jesus. He is in a cup in the cupboard. One year, I lost him and found him at the last minute in the hall closet. After that, he is always placed in a coffee cup in the dining room.
U3a Art Group Christmas lunch today at an Italian. My first course was a mushroom soup which reminded me of a snatch of dialogue from Hancock's Half Hour. He's complaining about the gravy on the Sunday dinner.
Landlady: "It's just like your mother used to make"
Hancock: "Hers used to move about a bit".
The main was another Zuppa, this time seafood in a porridge of tomato.
@Graven Image I also have a baby Jesus hiding in a coffee cup. Apparently that's where he was prior to the incarnation. Who knew?
We have two nativity sets: one made of felt by my mother, and a teeny tiny porcelain one that I put in Advent Calendar one year. It's teeny tiny Jesus who's in the coffee cup. Felt Jesus is hiding among some books.
If we were here for Christmas, I'd get them out on Christmas Eve, but we're going away, so I'll do it shortly before we leave.
@Roseofsharon a lemon curd ring with raspberries sounds delicious.
@Nick Tamen if you eat fish you're pescetarian not vegetarian. Calling it vegetarianism makes it harder for vegetarians who don't want to be served fish! Or indeed even chicken, as my vegetarian mum regularly encountered in the 90s....
I am very fond of gammon (aka a raw but cured joint of ham that you take home and cook, unlike the ready-cooked/spiral cut hams in the US) at Christmas as leftovers stretch so far. Leftover Christmas cold cuts is my favourite Christmas food, far more than anything sweet. Well, cold cuts and CHEESE.
@Nick Tamen if you eat fish you're pescetarian not vegetarian. Calling it vegetarianism makes it harder for vegetarians who don't want to be served fish!
Yes, I know the difference. But in the US, or at least my part of it, that’s a difference typically not insisted upon, at least by vegetarians or pescatarians I’ve known. It’s more likely that if you say you’re vegetarian, you’ll be asked if you eat fish if that’s necessary to know.
My daughter calls herself a vegetarian, and I’m not going to tell her she’s wrong about that. (I’d likely get an eye-roll in response.)
When do you extricate him from the cup, and place him in the manger?
Some churches place the Bambino ceremonially in the crib during the first hymn at Midnight Mass...
He is placed by his mother when I return home from church on Christmas Eve. I am afraid he is dumped upside down into my hand from the cup, the only way to remove him, before I carry him to his mom.
I just got my (artificial) Christmas tree out from it's place behind the TV and set it up, and I put the Merry Christmas banner on my front door. And a couple of other paper decorations on the walls. I had a glass of eggnog and am listening to Christmas music.
My Neighbour F has placed on the bows of his Ark (an old coasting steamer) a splendid Xmas decoration, which (I'm told) lights up at night.
It consists of 2-feet high letters reading HO-HO-HO (Hs are red, Os are white) and seems to me to encapsulate (in a delightful and amusing way) the sheer silliness of the (hopefully) enjoyable end-of-this year/beginning-of-next-year season...
FatherInCharge's risible persistence in calling it CHRISTmass is beginning to get irritating.
I put my tree up today, the earliest ever, as we used to wait until well after Mr P’s birthday ( on 10th) or even wait until the end of term.
My birthday cards will remain up until the weekend, whereas in the past they would have been taken down today to make way for his.
I realise that most of my tree decorations date from the time when my grandchildren were small, whilst a few were throw-outs from various events. Maybe I’ll look for some new ones in the post-Christmas sales.
The crib scene is much older and is actually a mish-mash of several sets of varying sizes, all part of its charm.
It consists of 2-feet high letters reading HO-HO-HO
That reminds me of a decoration that shows up every Christmas in the front garden of a nice home in the genteel part of town. However, depending on if you're going north or south, HO-HO-HO can become OH-OH-OH!
FatherInCharge's risible persistence in calling it CHRISTmass is beginning to get irritating.
You could suggest that he uses the Old English word cristesmæsse
I suppose that's what he's sort of trying to say, but it doesn't really work...
Meanwhile, Neighbour F's big red-and-white HO-HO-HO lights, along with strings of smaller lights, are all blazing the jolly Yuletide message over Arkland.
Actually, they look spectacularly cheerful IYSWIM, and good for chasing away the Darkness of this time of the dying year.
Just iced the two Christmas cakes (one for sending to one of the leverets). Not sure why this is fixed as my special contribution to the preparations, as I'm not noticeably expert at it. Maybe men just need to be awarded a useful function, otherwise humankind might as well go straight for parthenogenesis and be done with it.
Strung up two sets of outside lights on the back deck today. Debating whether to put a third set up in front still. Neighbors can all see our back lights. Very few pass in front. Just the way the house is. As I was putting up the longest one, I remembered how it would take 3 25 foot strings when I first did it thirty years ago. Now I was able to by one 64 foot set, and still had enough lights left over. Also the amount of energy used is about 64% less
That sounds lovely @NicoleMR and I love the sound of your cake decorating @March Hare . Cheery husband has also done some Christmas lights @Gramps49, but I think he might add a few more if it's cool at the weekend.
I now have the Advent candles out and have packed up the family photos from the sideboard and whatnot. The whatnot holds a display of Father Christmases and the sideboard is covered with angels. I have a string of 3 to hang around the top of the mirror and then that is finished. The radio which sits on the sidetable has been put away and I have a selection of Russ figurines bought when Cheery son was sick. Some of them we used to cheer him up in his hospital room, but they look lovely on the table. Gingerbread men peeking out of a teapot house and some Santas and snowmen carol singing, riding a Chrismas train and standing by a letterbox make for a very wintry scene. I have some felt Christmas puddings sitting on the treadle of my Nanna's old sewing machine and the cat moved those today as they were in his way getting to the sunny spot in the window, An advent calendar sits on top of the small bookcase in the lounge and on top of the meatsafe in the kitchen is a small display of wooden things with an angel hanging on the wall above them. I am almost done!!
No decorations chez S: there is one small (20 cm tall) silver wire Xmas tree which I’ll put out on the 23rd before heading down south for a few days. Cakes & puddings all delivered or posted bar 1 to my brother who will receive his next week. No idea whether eating in or out on Xmas Day.
It consists of 2-feet high letters reading HO-HO-HO
That reminds me of a decoration that shows up every Christmas in the front garden of a nice home in the genteel part of town. However, depending on if you're going north or south, HO-HO-HO can become OH-OH-OH!
Sounds as though its not just Santa who comes just once a year...
I went out for a long walk by the river yesterday, to a hawthorn bush that supports a lot of mistletoe. All the other mistletoe in the area is either hanging over the river or too high up a tree to reach. This year, the river is very swollen, and it wasn't really safe to slide down the bank to the bush. Fortunately, another bush further along the path has also now got mistletoe on it, and I could collect my sprig from there. On the way back, I collected some ivy, and I already had some holly from next door's tree. Together they make quite a lovely display.
I never have a tree, so this is it for Christmas foliage.
It consists of 2-feet high letters reading HO-HO-HO
That reminds me of a decoration that shows up every Christmas in the front garden of a nice home in the genteel part of town. However, depending on if you're going north or south, HO-HO-HO can become OH-OH-OH!
Sounds as though its not just Santa who comes just once a year...
More Crimbo lights have appeared in Arkland this evening - two large white snowflakes (each about 2 metres across) on a vessel some way away from me.
Neighbour F's HO-HO-HO lights are working well, although the first O is slightly on the wonk, so to speak. The cheerful effect is not, however, spoiled thereby.
I don't go out at Nights nowadays, so I have no idea of what (if any) lights are appearing in the village which lieth nigh unto Arkland.
A cultural jolt yesterday. Our 30 year old neighbour mentioned that she'd never sent a Christmas card in her life. Our own Christmas card factory is working at full capacity.
It consists of 2-feet high letters reading HO-HO-HO
That reminds me of a decoration that shows up every Christmas in the front garden of a nice home in the genteel part of town. However, depending on if you're going north or south, HO-HO-HO can become OH-OH-OH!
Sounds as though its not just Santa who comes just once a year...
Medium-sized tree in the lounge room, small tree on top of a large pot on the front verandah, both artificial, bedecked with lights and decorations. The main arch of the verandah supports a large-sized rope of multicoloured stars while attached to the railing below is a large Christmas bauble-shaped decoration with the words Merry Christmas across the middle. The colours of the lights in the two displays match well. We also have a flashing snowflake, but not nearly as big as those in Arkland, while the door wreath is illuminated with tiny white lights.
Our street is very boring in terms of Christmas displays, so we and the neighbour to our left try to add some cheer. I'm glad our grandchildren are of an age to assist as we would be struggling otherwise.
The houses near the school are festooned with bright lights and gaudy Santas. Only one house in my road is brightly lit.
My lights are indoors only and restricted to Christmas tree and an advent bridge.
Total festive decor finished, which is to say a poinsettia and a pitcher stuck with twigs, pine cones and seed heads sprayed gold, on the sitting room hearth.
We are having prizes for the best Christmas lights in our mobile home park. I am just not joining in this year. Not enough energy to string lights. I do have a swag on my mailbox, and a decorated front porch with greenery and a wooden Santa.
Unless I get invited somewhere, Christmas food will likely be nearly identical to Thanksgiving food for me. Although I would like to get back into Daddy Vern’s tradition of having roast beef at Christmas.
Oh, and I will, of course make latkes for Hanukkah this year. I got an LED menorah (again, because of the cats) and I want to put out my “mensch on the bench.” From Facebook Marketplace I found two other characters from the same people, Ask Bubbe (you squeeze her hand, and she gives you comments that a humorously stereotypical Jewish grandmother might say) and the mitzvah moose, whose antlers are a menorah that you can light up.
Unless I get invited somewhere, Christmas food will likely be nearly identical to Thanksgiving food for me. Although I would like to get back into Daddy Vern’s tradition of having roast beef at Christmas.
Wish you could come over. We will likely have several old friends over. Mrs. Gramps has a Turkey breast for the feast. Not exactly my favorite.
Christmas has started properly. We are having the neighbours round for drinks this evening and I have made mince pies. To me nothing smells of Christmas nostalgia quite so much as a jar of mincemeat. Also we presently have the Salvation Army downstairs playing brass band Christmas music, which feels most festive (I live in a tower block above a large shopping centre).
I posted a final Christmas card today, in the little box which is situated on the hill leading up out of Arkland. Daily collection time is 9am Mondays to Fridays, and 7am on Saturdays.
Our friendly local postie arrived in her van to empty it, just as I got back into the car at 120pm...she tells me that they (Royal Mail) are very understaffed and overworked, with lots of people off with depression or physical illness.
Once upon a time, Royal Mail used to employ lots of extra staff and vehicles (including small buses or coaches!) at this time of year, to cope with the increased seasonal traffic. Yet another indication that we are in the End Times™.
The houses on my council estate started putting the outdoor decorations up the last week in November and it’s now looking quite festive.
However, today the dreaded day has come when the house adjacent has put up the bright neon pink penguin decoration in their front window. It is at least 2 foot tall and last year it was on constantly lit up until at least late January. It is in my field of view from the sofa and is hideous.
I live across from our community clubhouse. This year, for the first time, they put up flashing light holiday decor. So all evening, the lights are flashing in front of my living room windows. I do not like this, but I also do not like sitting in a room with the drapes closed. Sigh, only a few weeks of this.
I posted a final Christmas card today, in the little box which is situated on the hill leading up out of Arkland. Daily collection time is 9am Mondays to Fridays, and 7am on Saturdays.
Our friendly local postie arrived in her van to empty it, just as I got back into the car at 120pm...she tells me that they (Royal Mail) are very understaffed and overworked, with lots of people off with depression or physical illness.
Once upon a time, Royal Mail used to employ lots of extra staff and vehicles (including small buses or coaches!) at this time of year, to cope with the increased seasonal traffic. Yet another indication that we are in the End Times™.
You are very organised. I posted my first two Christmas cards today because they need to get on their way, and am determined to write the rest over the weekend. We don't send many but it's always a chore; and always my chore :rolleyes: . I'm also determined to get our decorations up this weekend. I do feel very behind with everything. Every year I vow I'll be more organised and ahead of time "next year" and it never happens.
That's sad about the posties; back in the day it seemed they were always cheery and enjoyed their jobs. I expect Postman Pat encouraged that perception.
I live across from our community clubhouse. This year, for the first time, they put up flashing light holiday decor. So all evening, the lights are flashing in front of my living room windows. I do not like this, but I also do not like sitting in a room with the drapes closed. Sigh, only a few weeks of this.
Have you ever raised the issue with the clubhouse? Seems to me it is something that should be addressed. Around here such a display could draw a suit, though I know you would be loath to do that. Nevertheless, a kind word might resolve the issue for you.
Our local postman is lovely, he stopped his van to take a letter he saw I was carrying the other day. I posted a couple of cards yesterday and more today. I am really annoyed as one friend sent a change of address card in the summer with her new address. Did I keep the card or write down the address? No of course I didn't!
I am feeling very fat from having ate too many festive foods this week, not to mention more alcohol than usual.
I live across from our community clubhouse. This year, for the first time, they put up flashing light holiday decor. So all evening, the lights are flashing in front of my living room windows. I do not like this, but I also do not like sitting in a room with the drapes closed. Sigh, only a few weeks of this.
Have you ever raised the issue with the clubhouse? Seems to me it is something that should be addressed. Around here such a display could draw a suit, though I know you would be loath to do that. Nevertheless, a kind word might resolve the issue for you.
Yes, good idea. People often don't realise that flashing lights cause discomfort to others.
@Heavenlyannie - you don't like the Pink Penguin Of Festivus? Is Outrage!
The pink penguin is not Christmassy, it doesn’t even have a Santa hat. It is neon pink with orange feet and beak, 2 feet high and shining bright until the early hours. https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-neon-penguin-light-pink/p113395881
That picture is in daylight and doesn’t do it justice! It is a bright neon Barbie pink when lit up in the dark.
Went out for a quick walk this morning and was delighted to see a couple of the street trees had red net bows around them, they looked great! Cheery husband reminded me that we have some oversize baubles and we will hopefully hang those from our street tree to add to the festivities.
Our Christmas tree has not made it down from the ceiling as yet, hopefully later today or tomorrow. The wreath is stored in the same bag, so I'll be able to hang that on the door when we have ourselves organised.
I've just finished the last of the online Christmas shopping. I do feel a bit sad as the item I was looking for was out of stock in a local toyshop, and I do like to do some spending to support local businesses. Alas, no luck with that. I am glad to have all the presents finished though and next week I can concentrate on the cards going out and posting the Christmas cake.
Tomorrow we are having morning tea with friends at their place and we are really looking forward to that. They have a new garden and it will be great to see what they have been doing as well as having a good old catch up!
The tree (a real one, 7 feet) is up and the Moravian star is glowing. We're not sure what to do about about the rest of the decorations, because the three orphan kittens we are caring for have gone delirious, happy to have been given a new climbing toy for their first Christmas.
Comments
This week is the start of festive events. I'm off to a concert by a local choir tomorrow morning and to a production of It's a Wonderful Life in the evening. I'm always worried when it comes to going to the theatre as my hearing is so crap. However I now have an external microphone that should help, and I know the story so well I should be able to fill in the gaps. Wednesday I have a council meeting that usually ends up with the Mayor inviting every one to her parlour for drinks, then on Thursday we're having a bit of a party with my lip reading class.
I will imagine I will have eaten rather a lot of mince pies by the end of the week.
I'll need to visit Tesco later this week, so must remember to see what they have in the way of a Candle Bridge sort of thingy (which will go in my Wheelhouse). I keep meaning to have a look at their small wooden Nativity Scenes, one of which would fit nicely on my sideboard - my antique 1950s plastic crib is OK-ish, apart from missing one Shepherd...
Some churches place the Bambino ceremonially in the crib during the first hymn at Midnight Mass...
Landlady: "It's just like your mother used to make"
Hancock: "Hers used to move about a bit".
The main was another Zuppa, this time seafood in a porridge of tomato.
All very tasty, just very thick.
We have two nativity sets: one made of felt by my mother, and a teeny tiny porcelain one that I put in Advent Calendar one year. It's teeny tiny Jesus who's in the coffee cup. Felt Jesus is hiding among some books.
If we were here for Christmas, I'd get them out on Christmas Eve, but we're going away, so I'll do it shortly before we leave.
@Nick Tamen if you eat fish you're pescetarian not vegetarian. Calling it vegetarianism makes it harder for vegetarians who don't want to be served fish! Or indeed even chicken, as my vegetarian mum regularly encountered in the 90s....
I am very fond of gammon (aka a raw but cured joint of ham that you take home and cook, unlike the ready-cooked/spiral cut hams in the US) at Christmas as leftovers stretch so far. Leftover Christmas cold cuts is my favourite Christmas food, far more than anything sweet. Well, cold cuts and CHEESE.
My daughter calls herself a vegetarian, and I’m not going to tell her she’s wrong about that. (I’d likely get an eye-roll in response.)
He is placed by his mother when I return home from church on Christmas Eve. I am afraid he is dumped upside down into my hand from the cup, the only way to remove him, before I carry him to his mom.
It consists of 2-feet high letters reading HO-HO-HO (Hs are red, Os are white) and seems to me to encapsulate (in a delightful and amusing way) the sheer silliness of the (hopefully) enjoyable end-of-this year/beginning-of-next-year season...
FatherInCharge's risible persistence in calling it CHRISTmass is beginning to get irritating.
My birthday cards will remain up until the weekend, whereas in the past they would have been taken down today to make way for his.
I realise that most of my tree decorations date from the time when my grandchildren were small, whilst a few were throw-outs from various events. Maybe I’ll look for some new ones in the post-Christmas sales.
The crib scene is much older and is actually a mish-mash of several sets of varying sizes, all part of its charm.
That reminds me of a decoration that shows up every Christmas in the front garden of a nice home in the genteel part of town. However, depending on if you're going north or south, HO-HO-HO can become OH-OH-OH!
I suppose that's what he's sort of trying to say, but it doesn't really work...
Meanwhile, Neighbour F's big red-and-white HO-HO-HO lights, along with strings of smaller lights, are all blazing the jolly Yuletide message over Arkland.
Actually, they look spectacularly cheerful IYSWIM, and good for chasing away the Darkness of this time of the dying year.
I now have the Advent candles out and have packed up the family photos from the sideboard and whatnot. The whatnot holds a display of Father Christmases and the sideboard is covered with angels. I have a string of 3 to hang around the top of the mirror and then that is finished. The radio which sits on the sidetable has been put away and I have a selection of Russ figurines bought when Cheery son was sick. Some of them we used to cheer him up in his hospital room, but they look lovely on the table. Gingerbread men peeking out of a teapot house and some Santas and snowmen carol singing, riding a Chrismas train and standing by a letterbox make for a very wintry scene. I have some felt Christmas puddings sitting on the treadle of my Nanna's old sewing machine and the cat moved those today as they were in his way getting to the sunny spot in the window, An advent calendar sits on top of the small bookcase in the lounge and on top of the meatsafe in the kitchen is a small display of wooden things with an angel hanging on the wall above them. I am almost done!!
Sounds as though its not just Santa who comes just once a year...
I never have a tree, so this is it for Christmas foliage.
This man should be keel-hauled.
More Crimbo lights have appeared in Arkland this evening - two large white snowflakes (each about 2 metres across) on a vessel some way away from me.
Neighbour F's HO-HO-HO lights are working well, although the first O is slightly on the wonk, so to speak. The cheerful effect is not, however, spoiled thereby.
I don't go out at Nights nowadays, so I have no idea of what (if any) lights are appearing in the village which lieth nigh unto Arkland.
Decided against lighting the front of the house. I would have to put in some eyehooks along part of the eves. Above my pay grade now.
My work here is done.
Our street is very boring in terms of Christmas displays, so we and the neighbour to our left try to add some cheer. I'm glad our grandchildren are of an age to assist as we would be struggling otherwise.
My lights are indoors only and restricted to Christmas tree and an advent bridge.
Less is more...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mensch_on_a_Bench
Wish you could come over. We will likely have several old friends over. Mrs. Gramps has a Turkey breast for the feast. Not exactly my favorite.
Our friendly local postie arrived in her van to empty it, just as I got back into the car at 120pm...she tells me that they (Royal Mail) are very understaffed and overworked, with lots of people off with depression or physical illness.
Once upon a time, Royal Mail used to employ lots of extra staff and vehicles (including small buses or coaches!) at this time of year, to cope with the increased seasonal traffic. Yet another indication that we are in the End Times™.
However, today the dreaded day has come when the house adjacent has put up the bright neon pink penguin decoration in their front window. It is at least 2 foot tall and last year it was on constantly lit up until at least late January. It is in my field of view from the sofa and is hideous.
That's sad about the posties; back in the day it seemed they were always cheery and enjoyed their jobs. I expect Postman Pat encouraged that perception.
Have you ever raised the issue with the clubhouse? Seems to me it is something that should be addressed. Around here such a display could draw a suit, though I know you would be loath to do that. Nevertheless, a kind word might resolve the issue for you.
I am feeling very fat from having ate too many festive foods this week, not to mention more alcohol than usual.
Yes, good idea. People often don't realise that flashing lights cause discomfort to others.
@Heavenlyannie - you don't like the Pink Penguin Of Festivus? Is Outrage!
https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-neon-penguin-light-pink/p113395881
That picture is in daylight and doesn’t do it justice! It is a bright neon Barbie pink when lit up in the dark.
Our Christmas tree has not made it down from the ceiling as yet, hopefully later today or tomorrow. The wreath is stored in the same bag, so I'll be able to hang that on the door when we have ourselves organised.
I've just finished the last of the online Christmas shopping. I do feel a bit sad as the item I was looking for was out of stock in a local toyshop, and I do like to do some spending to support local businesses. Alas, no luck with that. I am glad to have all the presents finished though and next week I can concentrate on the cards going out and posting the Christmas cake.
Tomorrow we are having morning tea with friends at their place and we are really looking forward to that. They have a new garden and it will be great to see what they have been doing as well as having a good old catch up!