'supporting each other through really tough times'

missrlr

Soft Stuff - not out of turn at all. It is the plan, and at the moment NOTHING is off limits if it pays enough .... Finally stopped leaking , pretty sure it's dehydration more than anything else!

GreyQueen

A woman I know was taken to task by her adult offsprings for stressing about Chrimble on their account. I think the term was Fer gossake Mum we can buy it all readymade!

And so they did, even to yorkies and roasties. Pal said it was a revelation..........:rotfl:The world still turns. She hasn't been defrocked from maternal sainthood and ceremoniously throttled with her own apron strings.

I used to make the family Crissie cake from about aged 10 (Mrs Beeton's Number 1 cake recipe if memory serves). It'll be the one at Mum's with all the smudges on the page.

But I digress. One year something happened with the gas and we had that bliddy cake in the overn from early afternoon until about midnight before it finally cooked. Never baked one again and the world still turns.

Ahem. I once purchased a cake from a cake stall, personalised it with some authentically-amateurish glace icing and passed it off to a pal AS MY OWN.

They never twigged and we're still friends after 20 years. It's amazing what you can get away with if you but try.

And family chrissies have been a lot more fun since we admitted we prefer beef to poultry and just have a really nice roast.

I'm all for slacking off; it's technically a holiday after all. And a savvy woman said if you want to impress small children at Christmas, don't do an elabourate meal, just bring stuff to table with lit sparklers on it.

Better stock up on those about now, in case the word gets out and there's none left at Xmas. I had sparklers for the first time in my forties and am still childishly-happy with them.

Pooky

The year that Father Christmas clubbed together with us parents and brought DDs a games console beginning with W was the first Christmas that dinner wasn't served on time...or on the right day.

I always prep everything the day before and the meat gets cooked then too so it's pretty straightforward on the day..........if you don't get so engrossed in playing silly games and forget to put the food in the oven that is.

DD1 piped up at one stage and said "is dinner nearly ready, I'm so hungry" and the moment of realisation dawned....oven on? Yes, food prepped? Yes......food in oven? Bum!

We had toast.

And had Christmas dinner on boxing day instead.

maryb

Unixgirl I know EXACTLY what you mean about someone being too sweet. Huge generalisation here but I have found that women who talk in a very girlish unnaturally high pitched voice are usually pure poison and no-one realises until they have managed to produce utter chaos and recriminations all round. There must be a male equivalent but I haven't twigged what the giveaway signs are. But I've never known it to be wrong when my radar has gone off even when others all seem to think the person in question is so lovely, such a team player, really dedicated etc etc

danetastic

Not sure how to break it to my family re Christmas . They seem to think that if I spend it on my own it's a bad thing .
Last year they insisted that I spend it at my sisters BUT I couldn't take dogs and was on edge cos I hated leaving them . This year ( if I'm not working ) I want to be at home with pooches . However having the rest of the family here is not an option as they are scared of the big man ( Dane) and own a dog that goes for others. Any suggestions on how I tell them

On another note I have decided to go vegan . Finding it a challenge tho can anyone recommend a good cookbook?

Was back at drs yesterday and have been signed off work for week due to chest infection ( had it three weeks now ) and been given another course of antibiotics . Getting REALLY fed up of feeling yuk and not having puff to do much . If I try end up with coughing fit and get exhausted so easily!

Oh goodness black dog is back too ( own fault as feel better stop happy pills and he comes back to stay) so back on happy pills .....

Sorry post is so negative . My problems seem so insignificant when I see what others are having to cope with . Hugs to those that need them , positive job vibes too

DT

mama67

Its taken me all night to catch up having missed coming on the thread for a couple of days.

Hugs to all who need them.

DH has signed on again today.
It is so demoralising for him looking for jobs, as any job on NMW once we take away any extra benefits and then the cost of actually getting to the job plus having to initially purchase a second vehicle we are worse off than him being on benefits, something is not right there.

I have had my Tosco vouchers through and have doubled most up to buy frozen food to make the money we do have coming in each week go that little bit further. Struck lucky as some things we eat were also on bogof so got double value there.

At least we have a full oil tank and 1 tonne of coal purchased in the summer, so can stay warm.

Anyways onwards and upwards as they say.

missrlr

Danetastic, just say you are working irrespective ..... Then if you don't it was changed, had a lovely time doing x y z .....

Possession

Danetastic, at risk of me sounding very repetitive, have a look at Pinterest, lots of vegan food ideas on there.
http://pinterest.com/search/boards/?q=vegan

I would just tell the truth about Christmas. But then I have 2 sets of very reasonable family so what do I know?!

fuddle

Will I be kicked out the OS toughie club if I admit that I don't cook our Christmas dinner? I don't (insert blush smiley but on my phone and cannat be faffed) I've not admitted this before but DH is a far superior cook than I am. I feel like I'm swearing lol

MrsCD

Ha ha fuddle. If only the rest of us had a DH who would cook Christmas dinner :rotfl:I would love it! You are one very lucky lady!