Keeping up appearances.......

HappyNow

Right, off to help my parents de-clutter ready for their move now. It should happen mid-January. I could really do without Christmas this year (not really, I love it!)

Seasidegal58

Hope the de-cluttering went well and your mum and dad didn't find it too hard letting go of things. My mum find it very difficult when we were moving her from house she had lived in for years with my dad and us to a retirement flat. However once she was there she loved it and wished she had done it sooner!

HappyNow

It went OK-ish, thanks SSG. My mum, entirely off her own bat, has hired a skip. On the face of it that's sensible as there's a LOT of crap. But psychologically it was very hard for them to see their possessions of many years being literally thrown into a skip. My sister and I ended up keeping things back, supposedly in the 'charity shop' pile, that in reality we know a charity shop won't want. That stuff will end up being taken in cars to the tip, while the skip sits half-empty! Ah well.........

Honey_Bear

I think that's the kindest thing a person can do in the circumstances. How thoughtful of you, and how brave of her to hire the skip. It's all a bit heart-breaking, isn't it? My brothers and I found ourselves sifting through our own letters to our parents (boarding school) and drawings from 50+ years in the past in amongst all the [STRIKE]detritus[/STRIKE][STRIKE][/STRIKE] treasure they'd collected - and there was a lot.

joeyjimbles

Sorry have been MIA, I have been reading but its been snatches here and there and haven't had time to post. Nothing exciting just the joy of being mostly self-employed and then someone handing me some additional regular work as well - I'm not going to turn it down but its a juggling act with the other stuff, the boys being on holiday and OH away for most of the day/evening. At least I'm not bored, I suppose.
Hope the clearing out isn't too hard on your mum (or you), its a time for reflection I suppose and I hope there are more good memories in there too.
Right must go and do the Christmas wreath - finally - been meaning to get round to it for days - many many days.

Dolphin1

Hi HappyNow et al!

Haven't got time to read back at the moment but just wanted to pop in to say...

Have a fantastic Christmas & New Year everyone!!!

:xmassign:

Will catch up when I get chance!

HappyNow

Hope everyone has had a lovely Christmas and not eaten themselves silly like I have.

It's all been good here. The family were all round, the cooking went well and everyone seemed to like their presents even though I kept within budget. There's now an obscene amount of chocolate and alcohol in the house to test my willpower. I'm unlikely to resist

Honey_Bear

You'll be pleased to hear then that all calories consumed between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day are magicked away by Santa's Elves that get desperately bored after Christmas morning and need something to do or they get up to mischief. So, scoff away - you'll be keeping me company too, so that would be a friendly thing to do, wouldn't it. Win:win.

joeyjimbles

What fabulous news about the magic of Christmas calories - not liking chocolate or spirits does mean that I can keep away from some of the calorific offerings, but pringles, champagne and christmas pudding with rum sauce, lovely cheeses and at least seconds of sausagemeat stuffing and roast potatoes more than make up for it. Whoever invented Paprika, and Pigs in Blankets Pringles is a very bad person - I know they are just salt and flavourings but they are addictive.
Have been for a long walk today and dispatched most of the turkey to the freezer, made stock from the carcass and watched at least two films that were pure drivel - very productive I'd call it.
Hope you're all having a lovely Christmas in whichever way you choose to observer or ignore.

HappyNow

Honey_Bear wrote: »

You'll be pleased to hear then that all calories consumed between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day are magicked away by Santa's Elves.

I did not know that. Excellent news, thanks for sharing. But now I'm curious as to why my jeans feel so tight?

joeyjimbles wrote: »

not liking chocolate or spirits does mean that I can keep away from some of the calorific offerings,

Lucky, lucky you not liking chocolate. I'm generally not so bothered about spirits, but every Christmas Mr H knows he has to buy me a bottle of Pernod or there would be major sulking. I drink it within a fortnight, but then I don't have any more until the next Christmas.