Ch*****as

Gazebos without the sides are the answer along with cosy jacket and boots!

Katek

Couldn’t the school/church arrange an outdoor Christingle service callistemon? Could be quite magical with candles (could use the little battery ones) and a choir of children.

They may do, Katek. There is a large green in front of the church.
I suppose it is weather dependent.

Sitting next to the boss? Double whammy!

People start planning what to wear in October, and I always end up sitting between the boss, and the most drunk colleague in the party.

me too! Eventually, I stopped giving the weak excuses as to why I wouldn't be going. The dreaded email with the attached "Christmas Festive Lunch Menu" that you had to choose from in October and still remember your choices on 20th December. I just kept deleting them until they stopped asking!

Yes, and I end up so angry at the idea of going that I don't even care if it's believable, in the end.

Have you ever feined illness/prior engagement/clash with OHs birthday/urgent last minute family crisis/pounding migraine attack (even though you've never had a migraine in your life) MissAdventure?

It's worse when you have to go on them.
I loathe works doos!

There is one other thing that will change this Christmas , and for the better: NO DREADED OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTIES!! I dread them! Hundreds of pissed up revellers wearing Father Christmas hats, crammed into pubs and restaurants than can't really cope with catering for vast numbers and the food is mediocre/inedible. And then the obligatory pub crawl.... which is even worse to bear when you're tee total! Every cloud has a silver lining.....

Couldn’t the school/church arrange an outdoor Christingle service callistemon? Could be quite magical with candles (could use the little battery ones) and a choir of children.

And, what is a wild piss up?
Something I vaguely remember from my student days when I helped other poor souls stagger home because I was the one who didn't drink.

I think one of the things I'll really miss will be the Christingle service, when the lights go out in the church, the candles are lit in the oranges and the children sing a Christingle hymn.

I keep saying this but

There can be no mention of Ch*****as until after our local street fair in November and that has been cancelled so it throws the whole of the other thing into doubt.

And, what is a wild piss up?

Awwww lovely black and white cat. You are Postman Pat Katek busted!

Who has "wild piss-ups" as part of Christmas?
All those good folk who stumble from pub to church for Midnight Mass! You can smell the alcohol in the atmosphere and it's not the communion wine.

I have par-boiled baby parsnips and frozen them ?

I too have a birthday coming up in November, Dh’s is at beginning of December. dd2’s is a week before Christmas and ds’ is 4 days after. All very exciting! Season always starts early for me with panto planning/rehearsal, village Christmas lights etc. Can’t leave it until 1st December unfortunately!

Black and white cat lives with me jane10!

Happy birthday anyway yggdrasil, whether you have it or not. ?

Puzzled: In October, that word offends ME, which ie why my post

Wheniwasyourage

Well, however many you're cooking for, I hope you all have your sprouts on by now, or it will be too late to get them properly cooked. Time doesn't stand still, you know!

You can't say "Christmas" You might offend someone!

Katek's village sounds lovely. Like Greendale. Does your postman have a black and white cat by any chance?

Katek - you certainly have got it all planned out! I like the idea of having something in the village every day in December.

Same as always here, SIL works until midnight or later Christmas eve, DD, DGS and I, and SIL if home in time will have our Christmas dinner, Belgian style.
Next morning DGS and DD will come downstairs open the pressies here, then Lunch and upstairs to open pressies there.
Give SIL a chance to get some sleep.
A quiet family day, not sure yet what will happen on the 6th of December, St Nicolas day.