You have plans for ...

[Flo]

a one day seasonal celebration be it the solstice or the 25th? How self sufficient will it be? Or are you being forced to take part in frivolities that don't interest you?

[Green Aura]

We have a village bonfire for the solstice (weather permitting). Nothing fancy just a chat and a few drinks.

Christmas will be different this year, without my mother. For years we made an effort for our daughter, then for my elderly mother. This year we've donated the tree to a charity shop and I may stay in my pyjamas.

I'm afraid very little of the food will be home grown but all it will be prepared from scratch. And no turkey!

[ina]

No celebration - what's there to celebrate?

[doofaloofa]

We'll have a full on Christmas dinner with family

We'll be in the upstairs of the extension, but not in the down stairs so I sort of succeded

Looking forward to the r&r

[tosca]

We don't 'celebrate' exactly, we are very low-key here. But my sister has just moved over and they will be coming over for a meal. We have bought pork (don't raise our own due to only the OH eating meat, just excess cockerels) but most of the rest will be either home grown or home made (bread, sponge for trifle)

Home grown...carrots, red cabbage and sprouts, potatoes, all the herbs and onions for bread sauce and stuffing, home made apple chutney. Raspberries for trifle, milk and eggs from our goat and chooks. Baked cheesecake, ricotta from the goat, eggs from the chooks, blackcurrants from the garden and bottled.

A gallon of rakia and two of red wine comes from the neighbours. It might be too much as we don't drink much

[Flo]

Can't say I'm sure yet. I'm one side of the river and the family is the other. With one back road from them washed away in the floods and the river bridge closed again two days after re-opening after over running renovation (someone didn't take the scaffolding down and it may have damaged the structure, tis a Victorian metal bridge after all), there certainly won't be door to door visits.

We shall see what happens. If it's stay at home, that's fine. I'm with Ina that there's nothing to celebrate - well other than the days starting minute by minute to get longer. I'm certainly not one for carol services, village pantomimes and Xmas parties.

[doofaloofa]

Oh yes you are!

[Flo]

Oh no I'm not ....

[ina]

Oh no I'm not ....

[doofaloofa]

It's behind you!

[Flo]

It better hadn't be as I hate things behind me. I opted out of going to the chat group on Thursday morning as they were going to sing carols.

[doofaloofa]

Bah humbug!

[ina]

Bah humbug!

Ah well - you are entitled to your view... I really don't think I've anything to celebrate. I'll be sitting at home, in a bloody cold house, on my own. At least I've now been asked to work a few hours (early morning) on Monday - one chance to warm up. Library is closed, so I can't even go there. Can't wait til it's all over...

[Flo]

Have been there ina - it's boring innit.

[tosca]

Been there too, always working so I wouldn't be home alone in a damp mobile home...but after a ten years was lucky to find a wonderful man, totally unexpected, and now we are warm and happy in our small world. Who would have thought?

But we don't do much here over the 'festive' period because that's how it is here and it suits us fine.