Christmas as usual

I presume it keeps, Calli. I normally make my own but Tesco's own is only 5% alcohol and I don't want to be plastered by lunchtime.

Does mulled wine keep?

I have a bottle from last year and another from the year before.
(yes, I do know it's odd but I bought too much a couple of years ago and last year felt too ill to drink any.

DH's radiotherapy rules absolutely no farty foods so sprouts are off the menu. Boo Hoo! I adore them.

No fizz either so Buck's no fizz? I think a glass of mulled wine will be preferable.

Christmas is definitely not 'normal' here but it will be fun all the same. When is it considered OK to break open the chocs? I've been very restrained!

Hope your DH is well enough to be home for Christmas M0nica.

Our original Christmas meal now cancelled, on to plan B.

Christmas semi-normal.

House decorated, food and wine ordered.

But catering for just 2 of us, whereas anything up to about 10 or 11 (can’t really cope with more than that) is normal.

All meeting up out doors onBoxing Day, which is again semi-normal as it is usually just the dog owners and anyone else who fancies coming along. Picnic in the open air - definitely not normal.

But we will enjoy ourselves regardless.

Commiserations to your husband monica and wish him a speedy recovery.

I think the one thing we can be sure won’t be happening is Christmas as usual this year - sorry OP.

We don't see our family every year so this year will just be one of those. Catering for two - quite pleasant.

Sorry Nansnet and bubbles

I’m with you Norstat, my bubbles will be from glass to nose.
Just the two of us for this year but tree and lights up. Family Christmas party in July.
I do hope your husband is well and home for Christmas with you Monica.

Nortsat ?

Lucca asked, "Have the bubble rules changed?"

Well, my bubble rules are staying the same as always ... Keeping plenty of them in the fridge!

Christmas day won't be quite the same this year, without our family visiting, due to travel restrictions. But we will still be getting together with our son's in laws (as always), and I know we'll have a lovely time ... especially with a good stock of bubbles!

Only difference this year is meeting family in a park instead of indoors on 23rd, working Christmas Morning then home to cook dinner ... a turkey crown etc for just four of us.

Decorations up as usual, large real tree, and I have got some candle lights for it this year which look lovely. We have two cribs, green foliage found mirror and up the stairs, with lights woven in. Family of Konstmide penguins, snowman and reindeer outside with two lit trees and coloured lanterns round the windows, coloured lights on the mini tree by the front door, and large glass lanterns with candles in front of the door. I love Christmas decorations!

We will have two DSs and their families as permitted. Doing all the usual cooking and present buying. I need this touch of normality and all the work involved to stay sane.

Normally everyone available is at DS for Christmas dinner. This year it will be very different. Youngest ds3 will come to us for dinner bringing his garlicky creamy sprouts. I will do 3 rib eye steaks with potatoes of some sort probably roasties and also roast carrots. A trifle as usual but no choices of puddings. Gravy or a pepper sauce.
On Boxing Day we will go to ds1 and family for a turkey buffet. They live 10 minutes distance. We will stay 3 or 4 hours. That will be the sum total of our mixing over the 5 days easement.

Thank you Jane !

Lucca the rules about bubbles changed in December 2.
This is from the BBC website:
“The government says it will be expanding the eligibility of support bubbles from 2 December to help families with very young children or people with continuous care needs, meaning households can form a support bubble with another household, if at least one of them has:
a child under 1 (regardless of how many other adults are in the household)
a child under 5 with a disability that requires continuous care (regardless of how many other adults are in the household)
a single adult carer (living with any additional adults in the household that have a disability and need continuous care)”

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/health-52637354

Lucca your are right on bubbles outside of the Christmas 5 days, over that 5 days you can have a separate bubble of two other groups, up to 6 I believe, that group is fixed for that period and exclusive. I think I’ve got it right, happy to be corrected.

Have the bubble rules changed ? Is it no longer single person + other household ? I keep reading posts saying “we” are in a bubble....

M0nica good decision.
There will only be the two of us, but we’ve put up decorations and the tree. We will have turkey and all the usual trimmings, champagne and Christmas crackers.

I think it’s really important to make the effort and ensure it’s special and fun.

Urms ... have you not got your sprouts on yet? Never mind putting your tree up ... get your sprouts on, woman !

I’m hoping Gtr. Manchester goes down to Tier 2 as well annsixty as we have a table booked (months ago) for Christmas Day. We haven’t bought or ordered any food yet if it’s not allowed!

Perhaps tomorrow I’d better put these on a low light ...

Quiet Christmas as per usual, although we will probably have to miss going to church.

I have just heard on BBC news that although the decision about tiers will be made today, it will not be announced until tomorrow. Why?
Sorry this is a slight diversion but the only thing I have planned is lunch out on Christmas Day with my GD.

No meeting up with family or friends.
I have felt safer in the one restaurant I have been in than most people say they have felt in shops.
I have not been in a shop since the beginning of March.
The booking we have had since October will not be possible unless we go into tier 2.
Our numbers in Stockport have been consistently low but we get lumped in with Manchester.
With days to go to get shopping in if we can’t go out I feel very unhappy.
My GD will have to shop on Saturday.
Rant over now.

Different for us this year, still the same combined family as every year, with the addition of a young friend who has been unable to go home so is going to be with us instead.
She has just moved into a small apartment nearby and DGS is very excited.
It will be lovely to have a young person around, she comes for Sunday lunch every week but this will be special.
I am only allowed one person to visit plus family or I would invite more of the young people who are not home for Christmas.

Best wishes to your DH Monica I hope you have him home soon.
Normal Christmas here too, we are lucky to be in a bubble with DD2 & DSiL as DGD is less than a year old, the Christmas tree is lit up & other decorations in place.
But a little sad that we can’t share Christmas with our dear friends as we usually do.

We'll be missing my daughter and her family, but it's nothing to do with Covid it's because she's a carer and is working. We're having a Christmas party , mainly because well have enough food to feed the street, with them on the 27th, shes working the next day.