Today starts my countdown to Christmas

HATE Christmas. I got burgled 3 years ago and they hacked into my cards on 10 December, and the bank refused to refund the cash. In 2013 my dad passed away, so I utterly loathe it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=01BcaggibDw One of my very best christmas songs

Grandyma I'm sorry for your loss.
Thats the reason I'm ramping up Christmas this year ,between the 10th and 20th of last December we lost 3 people one was my much loved MIL.Christmas was cancelled ,MIL's funeral was on the 20th and we had two after that to attend before the year end both close friends.Then another two in January.I'll be glad to see the back of 2022

knspol I'm so sorry.

We've lit the second candle. That's all really apart from lights in the garden. It's a bit early for us to be bothered.

Our GC and GGC have been over several times to bake and ice gingerbread people I suppose mostly to eat cookies and watch Christmas shows.

Have always had a lovely tree and lots of decorations but not this year. It will be my first `Christmas since the death of my dear husband and I just cannot face it all. I will send some cards but even that is a daunting task writing just one name instead of the usual two that's been the norm for the past 50+years and there are several people who don't live locally that I will have to tell about what's happened. Dreading it all.

Last weekend we put the tree and the decorations up. Finished the Christmas shopping. I was planning the food for Xmas day, we’re hosting it this year. On Monday morning a close relative died. This week has spent helping to plan a funeral & a wake and support my bereaved uncle. Ain’t life strange.

I love my corny Advent calendar!

DGS and DGD came yesterday to do my tree. DGS puts all the parts together and disentangles the lights, and DGD festoons it with baubles and tinsel. Today, I have the stepladder in from the garage to hang a few bits and pieces. The cards have been sitting on the table for a week now, but might get down to it today! Also, must write a gift shopping list, instead of buying isolated items as and when. DGD and I made the Christmas cakes a couple of months ago, and yesterday, we spread some festive spirit on them - literally.

My gran and my mother always said that Urms’ ‘it’s as far away now as it’ll ever be’, about everything ‘over’. I still really miss my mum too and she’s been gone 26 years, but especially miss her at Christmas.

I just can’t get going with Christmas. I have the Presents to wrap, haven’t got the foggiest about cards as I usually have some left over from last year and then just buy a few more but this year well….. we will see. That’s it I am afraid, just don’t seem to be in the mood this year.

The Advent wreath came out last Sunday and the second candle will be lit today. The rest of the decorations will start to go up from next weekend.
I posted all the cards which require posting on Friday, much earlier than normal for me, but with all the postal strikes, I thought that I better had. I’ve cut down on the number I send, too, so it wasn’t too costly.
I may start some gift wrapping later today.

My 2 teenage grandchildren came to stay overnight and they were excited to set up my tree and nativity crib. I enjoyed sitting back and watching them do it. We enjoyed chatting about the tree ornaments and decorations some of which they made as small children and even a few made by their Mum.

SillyNanny321 hope your Christmas Day with family lifts your spirits for you💐

The Post office are recommending you post all hristmas cards a week early. Second class on the 12 and First on the 15th so definitely need to get cracking on the countdown to Christmas.

Still have Christmas notes (not of the round robin variety!) to write, and trees (real so too early) to put up - other decs up already. A few presents wrapped but, hopefully, most bought. Mince made for the pies (might try yours next year Urm) other traditional things in the freezer.
My favourite Christmas song is It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas by Dean Martin - reminds me of my parents …

Carpets just about dry now, so I’ll be hoovering and putting everything straight again. And polishing silver and brass - inc. a big brass and copper covered chest, so that’s a big job - it only ever gets done pre Christmas, so the smell of Brasso has come to feel Christmassy to me!
I hope that’ll cheer me up a bit - I might play some carols, too - since something very upsetting happened earlier. 😥

Might also make the first mince pies. Usually do them on the 1st, but was otherwise engaged. Dh will be very happy!

My daughter and 2 grand daughter's came down yesterday and put up my tree and decorated the porch windows. That's all the decorating done. I really need to get Christmas card list done and the Christmas knitting finished.

We have made a start on cards, presents (nearly done), menu planning and cooking. But no decorations till next week and that's a week early, as we our having Family Christmas on 18th as they will all be here for our Golden Wedding party on 17th.

Do not decorate for Christmas as cannot see the point being on my own most of the time now! Will see Family for a few hours Christmas day but then the rest is just alone like my life now. Lost two friends this year & 5 neighbours so not very Christmassy feel now! Maybe better next year if I am still alive!

I have done little packages for advent. I have even sent one off and got a lovely voice message from my 2 eldest DGDs "Senk Yoo Nanna" Even the little one (3) made an effort to speak English.

Will be seeing the others today and will give them theirs. They contain things for the kids, colouring books on a Christmassy theme, games, quiz for the parents, little kits of Christmas decorations to make, recipes for mince pies, shortbread etc.

I have no idea who will be here nor when over the Christmas week so I can only vaguely plan some menues. Have got the 25th sorted, though, at least.

Have just presented DH with the Christmas card list to amend and adjust and note who he will be contacting by e mail. (That will be most of the family and friends here in Germany as they don't have a tradition of sending cards here.)

We don't really bother with presents except for the youngest. They are usually boisterously running around as they don't see each other very often and aren't too interested in stopping to unwrap presents, so we just wrap up a few small things for them. Now they can read, they can decipher the gift tags and distribute the parcels.

I asked at the butcher's yesterday if they have their Christmas order form yet and when is the last day to order. If you want game or poultry it's usually very early in December, for pork and beef it might be about 10;days before. But they haven't had feedback from their suppliers yet, she said, and until they know what they can offer they can't print the information. I might end up just getting two chickens from the supermarket in the end. I did that last year and it went down very well.

Oh, dear, nearly 11 o’clock - too much GN and word puzzles in the paper - still haven’t started my blitz - but I really am going to get going now.

Opened Day 1 and 2 on my Advent Calendar, kindly provided by a daughter. Posted all my cards and went to an exercise class yesterday to which the Trainer played Christmas music. As we have a big Birthday for a Family member next week and a celebration, the house won't be decorated until after that. Although my DIY Christmas wreath is being collected to-day so I shall have to fit making that into the busy next few days. It's beginning to look a lot like chaos but I love it.

We got all the Christmas decorations down from the loft last week and dumped it all in the spare room!! It's still there now!! Except for the Christmassy Front door mat which went down today.
Tomorrow we will sort out the outside tree lights for the Christmas Tree in the front garden but that will go in the new year as it's getting too big now.
The reason for the delay is that our eldest grand-daughter (who is 18 now) has always decorated our tree and the two other grand-daughters have said they want to help this year too!! So it's just sorting a time to get everyone together - none of the boys are bothered!! lol!!

PaddyAnne, I love Sarah McLachlan! Such a lovely voice.

I just sent out my one parcel to DD and family, so that's always my first chore. I do feel bit ahead of the game now.

I tend not to put Christmas music on at home, since we are bombarded with it everywhere else we go! I put it on the stereo on Christmas day only.