The Christmas market and the lights in Brighton are lovely. I am not religious but I love a few carols especially from the Salvation Army outside Brighton’s shopping centre. ‘The Sally Army are always there when there is a disaster in the world’ my old granddad used to say… so they got my collection money.
We don’t always get together at Christmas. I like to think my children can do their own thing without feeling guilty, and sometimes they do!
When it is Christmas together it’s more of a shared arrangement with homemade presents! For anyone not creative or materials would be too dear, or they are just miles too lazy, we have a pact… it’s off to the pound shop!
It was brilliant last year, Robin made bird stations with fat balls and decorations on coat hangers Paul was into hand -tooling leather, so I got a brilliant purse! One of the grandchildren made my Alan a stool and another turned up with a brilliant home-made Christmas cake. Admittedly I failed with hand crochet scarves. So I gave up and gave them all one of my pen and ink ‘masterpieces’ with frames from the charity shop and one or two other bits and bobs!
I never learn! So it was out with the crochet again this year, with the same huge ball of thick thick wool that I had acquired last year, but this time intent crochet wastepaper bins! Ummm…no way.. it all took far too long..I managed one!
So not strickly for reasons of laziness. it was off to the pound shop this afternoon with a friend. O.K it does take a while to access what might fit each personality for a pound! But there’s plenty of choice, hair things, toiletries computer lights, torches, diy, things for pets, pretty socks, phone cases, paper lanterns that glow in the dark, fun money boxes and decent diaries etc. (don’t worry no one in my family actually reads this blog so the presents will still be a surprise)
Making ‘a pact’ to keep Christmas under wraps means there is nothing on anyone’s credit card, loads to unwrap, fun and with some thought, no real rubbish that ends up in the bin! Naturally the parents buy the children something they really want, but they have it at home in the morning!
Our dinner will be a joint effort too, one bringing starters, the other the pudding, I get the turkey and we all share in the buying the wine.
Not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s either no TV, or just one programme that we vote for, the losers can chat in the kitchen, play cards or go for a walk… and we can always catch up of favourites on BBC i player later.
Instead of TV we’ll probably chat, get out guitars, sing a few songs This year a couple of friends are coming along but they have been warned.!!
However grand or humble your Christmas, I hope you have a very happy time! I think happiness really comes from keeping your own counsel, avoiding fraught situations, cheerful memories, a state of mind! If however you are on your own, you may like a previous post about being on your own on Sundays and Christmas alone?
Of course this is all what I hope will happen, there could be a snowdrift, bad news, a major row over a turkey leg!
‘Don’t tell the devil too much of your mind’ my mother used to say (which means don’t tell what you hope will happen) So I’ll shut up… and pray he hasn’t been listening!
Ann Perrin 
Absolutely agree with this. Keeping it all simple is the way to go. Have a brilliant Christmas Ann! M and Bx
Wonderful evocation of what Christmas should be about, the people and not the presents — but I did laugh out loud when I discovered that Robin built the bird table. Think next year everyone should buy/make some name appropriate…. Have a very good Christmas Ann