How are you preparing for Christmas ?

[Jeff]

I'm sure we're all very busy right now doing those little jobs which will make the festive season run that bit smoother. This morning for instance I installed a broken doorbell for when the Jehovah Witnesses come round and this afternoon I'm busy peeling Brussels Sprouts to put in the freezer to save time on Friday. Some people don't like sprouts but I love 'em. The small ones are sweet and the big ones you can throw at relatives you don't like ! Mind you, they can cause flatulence, the sprouts that is, not the relatives !! Even my next door neighbour gave me an unexpected present. It made me feel quite guilty for throwing a bucket of water over her cat when it showed a close interest in my fishpond !!

Merry Xmas all !!

[grant]

Hi Jeff and all

Well, I spent a happy hour at my local ASDA this morning to stock up with a few essentials. Needless to say, the place was heaving - even parking was a pain. When I arrived inside the store (with one of the few remaining intact trollies) it was even worse! People and trollies everywhere whilst the staff vainly tried to keep the shelves stocked. My first stop was for vegetables, so, it seemed, was everyone elses. Got an onion and a couple of nice parsnips but I couldn't get at the carrotts or the placky bags.

Now we're at an impasse. I'm blocking the parsnips with my trolly and the lady who wants my space is blocking my way to the carrotts! It could have been very frustrating but with a bit of communication we helped each other out and went on our way. This happened several times and, instead of leaving in a foul mood, I actually returned to the car park feeling pretty good. I even complimented the lady in the car park who had had the presence of mind to take one of the "space here" signs and was helping people park their cars.

Fortunately, that's all my shopping done until the New Year! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Best wishes
Grant

[martindn]

Well, despite having one of the largest retail parks around only a mile from home, I avoid it like the plague at this time of year. But I have a better solution, I shop from work in Rugby, where the shops are much less populated. There is a new ASDA in the town centre that seems almost empty compared to my local one, but Rugby has its problems, there are things you can't get like Winter Magic and a decent pork pie. But I've heard that Leicester City Centre is less crowded this year, so I might try that!

I had a wonderful nights carol singing around the houses last night, with a group from church. This is a tradition that goes back to well before I was born, followed by leek and potato soup you can stand your spoon up in!!! Lovely. I thought we sounded quite good (sometimes). All this helps set us up for Christmas.

Martin D

[Dean McCarten]

Here's mine:

a) Catch up on Sleep
b) Unpack Cases
c) Check All Presents are wrapped & All Christmas Messages are sent.
d) Finish reports and photos for HWI
e) Survive Work Tomorrow
f) Enjoy Christmas & My Time Off Work

Merry Christmas Everyone!

[Steve H]

Dec 23, 2009 17:07:49 GMT martindn said:

I wvoid it lik the plage Martin D

Hi Martin,

Had you had a little tipple when you typed this out - I think so well I have finished for this year at work now, returning on the 4th January, I have completed most of the food shopping and almost all the presents are brought and wrapped. Tomorrow I will go into Ipswich, have a coffee, read the papers and then savor the Christmas spirit in the hustle and bustle of a large town centre on Christmas Eve.

Carolyne my wife is working all day so in the afternoon I will return home full of Christmas Spirit and watch a good film I'm Spartacus whilst the leg of pork cooks slowly in the oven (I love cold pork on Boxing Day!) later in the evening we will go to midnight mass in Woodbridge.

Well thats my preparation and plans, but may I take this opportunity to wish all my HWI friends, colleagues and acquaintances a very Happy Christmas.

Steve H

[martindn]

Well, Sue has yet another shopping list for me in Rugby tomorrow. When will it end? I shall escape from work at lunchtime, the company have given us all the afternoon off!

Then tomorrow evening, there is Hayley on TV. I hope to watch most of it before I depart for our midnight communion service. Sue will be working all night of course, as usual on Christmas Eve these days, to give her colleagues with young children a break.

So Christmas Day starts whenever Sue gets up. But I will be at church in the morning anyway!

Martin D

[pjrcorreia]

I have to work tomorrow until lunchtime, then I will be on my way to spend Christmas with relatives.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL HWI FRIENDS!

Greetings from Portugal,
Paulo Correia

[grant]

Hello all

I will be spending Christmas Day with a very good friend and his aunt who is currently at home in Huddersfield. We are driving up there tomorrow morning to fetch her so I'm hoping the weather will hold. We've had more snow tonight, although it's clear at the moment. - Don't fancy spending Christmas day on the M1 or M62!!

Best wishes
Grant

[david]

Hi all,

Different Christmas for me this year as it's the first time I'm not staying with close family, my parents and brothers, but I'll be spending Christmas day with some distant relatives of mine who live down in Frankston which is a municipality (or suburb) of Melbourne about an hour or so on the train from where I stay. So I'll be with family of sorts!

Happy Christmas everyone from down under!! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

David

[Ross]

i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif Merry Christmas and a happy new year to everyone i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

On Christmas morning I will be travelling to my parents country house near Ashburton (1 hour South of Christchurch). Most of my siblings and their families gather here sometime during the day. We have a traditional Christmas lunch with Turkey etc, and Christmas pudding. Since it will be hot tomorrow after lunch I will sit under the Cherry tree eating cherries, strawberries etc and a few low alcohol beers. For dinner we have cold meats and salads and more puddings. Then I have to head back to Christchurch as I have work on Boxing day (boo hoo).

[comet]

we have a seperate time line in Ireland

One full Christmas dinner over , full turkey and all the trimmings,
followed by a generous Irish Coffeeeeeeeeeeeee

which contains Irish Whisky and a generous dollop of fresh cream on top,

My elderly parents were here and my mother mentioned a singer she had seen on TV recently,
Turned out to be Rhydian. so I put the album on (Not much demand O For Tuna at Christmas )

Kind of difficult listening to The Living Years when your parents are so near the terminus. I was familiar with this song first from Mike and the Mechanics in 1989 but it has become more relevant now

Happy Christmas EVERYONE.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..........

D-R-I-N-K.....Father TED DRINK............

now watching Happy Feet on telly.........

[comet]

Dec 23, 2009 14:50:15 GMT Jeff said:

I'm sure we're all very busy right now doing those little jobs which will make the festive season run that bit smoother. This morning for instance I installed a broken doorbell for when the Jehovah Witnesses come round and this afternoon I'm busy peeling Brussels Sprouts to put in the freezer to save time on Friday. Some people don't like sprouts but I love 'em. The small ones are sweet and the big ones you can throw at relatives you don't like ! Mind you, they can cause flatulence, the sprouts that is, not the relatives !! Even my next door neighbour gave me an unexpected present. It made me feel quite guilty for throwing a bucket of water over her cat when it showed a close interest in my fishpond !!

Merry Xmas all !!

You would want to go a lot lower to offend me with Jokes

We've had the Vikings The Normans, Cromwell, The Famine, Terrorists,,

love the doorbell one,
we just run a wire straight from the mains to the door knocker .. Just blows them away, every time

But seriously some of the kindest most generous people I have ever met are Jehovah's Witnesses,
They are good honest hard working people, I would trust them with my life and all my possessions.
They are actively trying to do the right thing not just on Sundays...But every day..

Oh ! and BTW they wouldn't let me join for various reasons
So I joined here instead....