Topic: It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

[redimp]

And the really good bit about Christmas is that we will have passed the Winter Solstice and it will start getting light for longer (eventually), but we can all start planning what we are going to grow next year ;D

valmarg

Oooh - I just fell out my chair.  That is pretty much what I would have typed :o

Not a Christmassy person as I am not a Christian and I live by the seasonal cycle - I will be wassailling my apple trees on the 21st of December.  I do have children though (and I am a primary school teacher) so Christmas is unavoidable to a large extent so a fair amount of grinning, bearing and enjoying has to be done to keep everybody else happy.  My kids will get Solstice presents though - and they know why.

[Froglegs]

Snapped the head off my small onion hoe yesterday,  :'((so as it's raining today in Notts and cannot get on the garden, :( i thought I'd go and have a look round my local Garden center and treat myself to a new one.It was like walking into Santa's bloody grotto, :o the whole place had been taken over(and kids and big kids who have set off them stupid toys what sing Xmas songs when you squeeze them. >:() by Xmas decorations, and anything to do with gardening had been stuck in a corner out the way. :(. I may have said this before(If i have tuff I'm saying it again) but i wish Xmas was every 4 years like the Olympics and not have to put up with this madness every 12 months.

 BAH HUBUG!!! >:( >:( >:( >:(

[OllieC]

You could've gone into Santa's grotto & asked for a hoe hoe hoe froglegs!

Seasons greetings to all!

[SamLouise]

Sam, Have made a note to send Mary and Ron a couple of packets of indigestion tablets ;D (Only kidding)

Can you throw an extra packet in for me please?

Love 'em both (Christmas & New Year) for different reasons.

After years of getting all dressed up at the crack of dawn and trudging to relatives (in-laws), thereby postponing my own Christmas till Boxing Day, I finally decided enough was enough (a divorce helped), and that from now on I'd spend it in my own home. Have done so ever since. Now, it's FAB!

I purposely don't get dressed! (I wear my special Christmas pyjamas - no pics - you're not ready) The coffee table is heaving with a selection of confectionery (and the TV remote) and the sofa is mine,  MINE, I TELL YOU, MYYEEEEENN! The kitchen is visited twice - the first to put the dinner on, the second to dish it up. All visitors are welcome, provided my few simple house rules are observed: NO dressing up - shoes must be removed, feet put up, crackers pulled, jokes told, hats worn... and plates licked clean (yes, including the sprouts - they're home grown, after all).

Don't get me wrong - I love all the sparkle of Christmas. I'm a tinsel junkie (I was a magpie in a previous life) and ... yes, there is a tree under all those decorations... but I want to enjoy the day, under no obligation, no pressure, and not ending up just feeling relieved it's all over.

Boxing Day I'm back in action, but don't call round and don't invite me out - I'll be working in the garden. Bliss!

New Year is actually the more important of the two dates for me. A time for reflection on the year past, preparation for the year to come, the promise of new beginnings - and HOPE for better things to come!

(like a greater germination rate of parsnip seeds, for instance)

 ;D

^^ Perfick  :) (I too have Christmas PJs, LOL!)

How nice is that i might give it up altogether after this year.

I heard that  :o

[twinkletoes]

Frogslegs - be very careful what you wish for.  The Olympics may only happen every four years but they last for weeks!   ;D  ;D 
Twinkletoes

[ACE]

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze201j5/countdown.htm

[honeybee]

The build up will be spent here.

http://www.nunsmere.co.uk/

Goodness how will i cope  ;D   ;)
Well its special celebrations that just have to be celebrated :) and my treat for the love of my life, and once i return to my own mansions on Christmas eve, well the good news is that I am off work...hurrrah  ;D
Will be spending time with my loved ones, most of which will be spent in my favourite place 'the kitchen'and yes I AM serious :), having sneaky sips of champers as I put together wonderful meals and keep everyone glowing and happy ;D

Cant wait  ;D

[powerspade]

Candle light service in Church  the week before, carole singers, the smell of dinner cooking, and a glass of home made elderberry wine after Christmas lunch, Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh bliss

[ACE]

Well it ain't long to wait now and most of the shops are decked out, every other advert on the telly is for xmas presents all the cr@ppy music is being advertised. Even personal products are getting in on the act.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tampax have just announced that they replacing the little bit of white string with a length of tinsel !!


But its only for the Christmas Period  ;)

[angle shades]

 ;D ;D/ shades x

[Pumper]

...
I will be wassailling my apple trees on the 21st of December. 
...

Pumper's lesson time  -  Wassailing apple tress is actually good for them   8)

Although the word "wassail" originated from the Saxon words to greet, the act of wassailing an apple tree has slightly different origins.

Traditionally, when wassailing the tree, it would get smartly walloped with sticks, causing damage to the bark and the surface of the wood underneath. As the tree healed itself, this would actually strengthen it, and it would produce more fruit the next year.

Not a lot of people know that  :D

[cornykev]

Sam as you have a few spare seats for xmas, I suppose my invite will be in the post.  :-*   ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D                                ;D ;D ;D@ Ace.  ;D ;D ;D

[calendula]

"will we have a white christmas, what's the weather outside like, is it snowing?"

"no, just a little reindeer"

 ;D

[valmarg]

Only four weeks today to the Winter Solstice/shortest day.

valmarg

[Jeannine]

Well, the Christmas mood sort of hit me today when I went shopping for class Christmas trees for school to replace the ones lost in the floods. I thought the girl in the shop was going to pass out when I said I needed 1 very  very big one, 2 fairly big ones , two very small ones and 11 about 3 feet tall, plus lights and decorations for same.

HO HO HO. XX Jeannine

[Tohellwithweeds]

And the really good bit about Christmas is that we will have passed the Winter Solstice and it will start getting light for longer (eventually), but we can all start planning what we are going to grow next year ;D

valmarg

Oooh - I just fell out my chair.  That is pretty much what I would have typed :o

Not a Christmassy person as I am not a Christian and I live by the seasonal cycle - I will be wassailling my apple trees on the 21st of December.  I do have children though (and I am a primary school teacher) so Christmas is unavoidable to a large extent so a fair amount of grinning, bearing and enjoying has to be done to keep everybody else happy.  My kids will get Solstice presents though - and they know why.

 hi to you red clanger just noticed the lincoln imp are you near lincoln or do you support lincoln city fc?  i live in lincoln!! :)

[manicscousers]

Only four weeks today to the Winter Solstice/shortest day.

valmarg

go oh, can try planting the shallots then , providing the ground's okay by then  ;D

[redimp]

And the really good bit about Christmas is that we will have passed the Winter Solstice and it will start getting light for longer (eventually), but we can all start planning what we are going to grow next year ;D

valmarg

Oooh - I just fell out my chair.  That is pretty much what I would have typed :o

Not a Christmassy person as I am not a Christian and I live by the seasonal cycle - I will be wassailling my apple trees on the 21st of December.  I do have children though (and I am a primary school teacher) so Christmas is unavoidable to a large extent so a fair amount of grinning, bearing and enjoying has to be done to keep everybody else happy.  My kids will get Solstice presents though - and they know why.

 hi to you red clanger just noticed the lincoln imp are you near lincoln or do you support lincoln city fc?  i live in lincoln!! :)

Both - live in Lincoln and am a regular at the Bank - Theatre of Nightmares ;D  Whereabouts is your plot? (if you have one)

[ellkebe]

OH and I decided when we got together (sooo many years age!) that we would cordon off Christmas Eve, Day and Boxing Day just for us - family and friends were told those 3 days were a no go zone  :) 
Over time we fell into our own traditions - the two I like best are that presents are opened Christmas Day in the evening, not the morning, and that on Boxing Day we travel about an hour and a half to somewhere on the coast (varies from year to year) and go for a long walk by the sea.   
It's worked well for our son too - gets him away from computer/TV/new toys etc  :)  Plus the wait for presents to the evening keeps the Christmassy anticipation through Christmas Day - and teaches him to wait! - then Boxing Day, he gets dragged away from what he only just got  ;D - so he still appreciates his presents a whole 2 days after getting them (which I judge from friends' comments isn't always the case!)
Then we do the family and friends thing over New Years.

[RosieMcPosie]

i'm all tingly!! the 1st of dec tomorrow!!!!!!!!!