It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

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oldtractor

I have x**s under control. its taken many years,but we have got there. it begins early,months befoe,let everyone know you will not be sending cards or giving presents. then stick to your guns,relatives and some friends will give cards and /or presents. do not return to favour. some will sulk. thye'll come round,eventually,no need to be concerned. some will heave a sigh of relief and be grateful they dont have to get you something. this is great. next,the house. i decorate with a few bits of holly from the garden and some sticks sprayed silver and a bit of ribbon. i make a hm wreath for the door. xmas dinner is a roast and xmas pud. just sunday lunch really. other than that its feet up and enjoy the day with my dh and grown up sons. when they were little we has a tree and gave them presents,but they knew that that was all. its such a semce of releaf at not having to get into the commercial mode and frantic buy etc etc etc.

Charis

jediteacher wrote: »

This year I am hiring the village hall for the grand sum of £25 and doing my own catering. I will not expect people to pay for coming (although they will pay their own petrol cost;)) and she'll love it.

Maybe I'm just being a miserable moo.

Sorry rant over.

My littlies are all grown up now, but I wouldn't have been happy with having to take them to parties where I was expected to foot the bill for the birthday child's lavish party and provide a present as well. If parents want a lavish party, they should be prepared to pay for it themselves. Well done for having the courage to speak out.

mancbird

Hello,

Just stepping out of lurkerdom to say thank you to you all for your inspiring and often very funny posts. I love the team spirit on this thread, times are tough but reading this thread makes me feel like we are all in it together

I'm currently on maternity leave (baby is due in 6 weeks) so am desperately wanting to be OS so we can afford for me to stay home with baby

I'm another vampire and werewolf fan love Sookie Stackhouse (definitely team Eric!), Twilight, Kelley Armstrong etc so good to know I've found some other fans here!

Anyway, best go and finish clearing out the nursery so OH can get on with painting it

I will pop in again later

Mancbird xxx

GreyQueen

elona wrote: »

Don't tell anyone but I read Kafka.:o Had to do it for A level English years ago - read the Metamorphisis then read some of his others. Ploughed through the stories but they left me feeling a bit disorientated .

I love the vampire, werewolwes etc books as well especially Keri Arthur, Christine Feehan, Charlaine Harris and Kelley Armstrong. Read Bram Stoker when I was about 14 (not saying how many years ago) and got a taste for fantasy.

Ooohhhhhh, my kinda literature! Regular imbiber of all those except Feenan; haven't got into those ones yet.

I got hooked on fantasy fiction about 35 years ago and have been an avid reader ever since then. I read a lot of non-fiction, too, and have a fascination with household management/ decluttering books which I blame on an early exposure to The Dairy Book of Home Management.

I've seldom enjoyed things which could be described as literature which I attribute to being forced to dismantle books and plays line-by-line for Eng Lit at school. To me, it's the difference between admiring a butterfly in flight and pulling it apart to see how it works.

Have always been a wee bit cracked, but it does help to let in the light..........


I like thrillers too; J A Jance. C J Box, the Rebus novels.......good job I live near the Central Library so I can get my fix easily.....

The weather is disgusting today; constant rain and the humidity is horrible and my lively and funny colleagues are all feeling a bit blahh. Shall chill out at home tonight reading as was up and down with defrosting the fridge until nearly 10 pm last night.

BTW, does anyone know why my fridge goes KLONK! several times an hour? Doesn't sound healthy, is it likely to be terminal?

jackel

Thankyou Oldtractor - we did the same years ago - thought we were the only ones. No presents no cards no fuss. Christmas is Great !

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rachbc

short_bird wrote: »

Can crafty people mention the :xmassmile word as they'll need support from us when making all their stock?

Then again, they've probably already done it over the summer:D

PS. Team Bill till season 4, now it's Team Eric.

team Eric here too - swooooon

GreyQueen

kittie wrote: »

I just started some ethiopian honey wine (wild book ) and mixed 750 ml honey with 3 litres of water and it is standing in a bucket with a t towel on top. I am expecting some reaction to start happening in a few days and at that point I will put the lid on with a bubbler that goes through a grommet. Then I`ll leave it a few weeks and voila I get wine. I have to stir it several times until it starts showing signs of fermenting as it should capture wild yeasts from the air. If it works then this should be a lovely drink as the weather gets cooler and also for colds and chills. Lol my kitchen looks wierd now as I have crocks, jars and bottles bubbling away. All I need now is my open fire and cauldron says she cackling away

Kittie, do you need an adoptive daughter? I can offer myself; one careful owner, late-forties, mostly-housetrained. I have a healthy appetite for food and am partial to the odd glass or three.

Will do chores in return for food.;)

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