Pass the mince pies- Christmas Chat Thread Part Deux

DvB

Just checking on the kids there who are in bed with school ahead of them tomorrow, had a look out the window and our street which has been lit up fantastically for the last month has not a single Christmas light left up. That's easily the earliest they've all been down, we've usually a couple that leave them up for at least another few days. I think the fact the 6th landed on a Sunday has encouraged most to use the day off to get them taken down.

Loughc

DvB wrote: »

Just checking on the kids there who are in bed with school ahead of them tomorrow, had a look out the window and our street which has been lit up fantastically for the last month has not a single Christmas light left up. That's easily the earliest they've all been down, we've usually a couple that leave them up for at least another few days. I think the fact the 6th landed on a Sunday has encouraged most to use the day off to get them taken down.

Surprisingly I’ve counted 7 houses that I can see from my drive way all still light up. It’s so comforting to see!

DvB

Agree. I know we take ours down early but I like seeing others keeping theirs up when we're out and about. Was a bit disappointed to see the whole street back to normal.

Loughc

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjo-sOTjdrfAhUMQxUIHXnVD-8QzPwBegQIARAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pretty52.com%2Flife%2Flife-news-keeping-your-christmas-lights-up-is-good-for-your-mental-health-20190103&psig=AOvVaw1aQzjNZFjck22TBRfd-Wan&ust=1546896632481895

I think we all knew this anyway

freshpopcorn

I had a dream that I became a burglar and I used break into people's houses and put up there decorations during the year!

iguana

In the next 45 minutes or so my outside lights will switch off and I'll go unplug the timer switches. Then it's all over for at least 320 nights.

I also had to disappoint S big time today. I told him the Christmas decorations would be coming down while he's in school. And he said that was ok as then the Easter ones would be going up. He wasn't too impressed when I laughed and told him it would be nearly 100 days before they go up and that life just doesn't go from one festival to the next. It was only later that I realised that we've gone from Halloween, to his birthday to Christmas with only a few days in between. We've been in a near permanent state of celebration for close to 3 months!

To make matters worse, my next date of note on the calendar is his vaccination next week!:eek:

Posy

Oh no, poor S. Although he might as well learn the bitter truth about January sooner than later! :pac:

Most of the houses around my way were still decorated when I was walking my dog around dusk-time yesterday. I really took the time to savour them, knowing this was it.


Also, I want to know more about these Easter decorations.

Loughc

Posy wrote: »

Most of the houses around my way were still decorated when I was walking my dog around dusk-time yesterday. I really took the time to savour them, knowing this was it.

I did my savour walk last Wednesday. I wanted to get out tonight but I was too busy decluttering and batching cooking to get out. I love those walks amongst the lights. I need to do more of them this year.

freshpopcorn

I need to plug out the outside lights but I'm sort of scared!

CheerLouth

Took down our real tree on Saturday Was sad to see it go & it put up quite the fight while I was trying to get it out of the house so I think it was sad to leave us too :P I'm still finding pine needles in spite of sweeping, hoovering & then washing the floors.
Am feeling very tired today. Hope it is not the start of January blues. And more because our littlest Louth is a mama-cling-magnet & spent the entire weekend climbing on me, following me, crying at me, & saying "mammy" at least 400 times a minute! And when he wasn't doing that, himself and his sister were going hell for leather fighting

Heroditas

Took the tree down yesterday and the older child is back in school today. The younger one is back in creche.
Work is back to normal as well.
All done and dusted.
Time for me to click the "unsubscribe" button for this absolutely amazing thread and make my last post for a few months.
Thanks to everyone who really helped me enjoy the magic of Christmas even more than I usually do but sharing your experiences here. It's such a nice place for us Christmas fanatics/enthusiasts to meet.
Have a great 2019 everyone and, apart from dipping in and out, I'll see you all later in the year before fully immersing myself again around October!!

Loughc

Heroditas wrote: »

Took the tree down yesterday and the older child is back in school today. The younger one is back in creche.
Work is back to normal as well.
All done and dusted.
Time for me to click the "unsubscribe" button for this absolutely amazing thread and make my last post for a few months.
Thanks to everyone who really helped me enjoy the magic of Christmas even more than I usually do but sharing your experiences here. It's such a nice place for us Christmas fanatics/enthusiasts to meet.
Have a great 2019 everyone and, apart from dipping in and out, I'll see you all later in the year before fully immersing myself again around October!!

Thanks for all your contributions in 2018. Don’t stay away too long

Loughc

Graces7

Got soaked taking down my outside decorations, on the gate and on the big fuchsia part way down the drive where I put a huge white star trailing tinsel.. all so well secured and took some removing....

Inside so little and easily done... Candles and hyacinths in bloom now look and smell glorious.

DenMan

Took down the bags and boxes from the attic a few mins ago. We're taking the decorations down today. I'm going to miss the magic they give. On the plus side they'll be going back up later this year.

chuckles30

Was at my mothers for the weekend, so all my decs are fully intact. Would say there was a major clear out of decs over the weekend based on my drive back last night. As DvB said, I think the 6th being Sunday accelerated the process.

I'm not sure if I'll get much if anything taken down this evening, so I may be one of a very limited number of houses providing Christmas cheer in my village for an extra night.......or annoying people in equal measure.

I will probably get the stuff in the windows down tomorrow and maybe a few other bits on Wednesday & Thursday. Then Friday evening and Saturday will see full return to normal :-(

Loughc

chuckles30 wrote: »

I'm not sure if I'll get much if anything taken down this evening, so I may be one of a very limited number of houses providing Christmas cheer in my village for an extra night.

You're the village's hero!

I love seeing decorations up after Christmas.

DvB

Ah lads, this back to work lark is not all its cracked up to be. Feels like I was never off!

Though, it was nice to come back to a 30yo bottle of Jameson one of the clients left in for me last week while I was still off. Most unexpected but not complaining:)

OUTDOORLASS

Oh DvB...in the words of Mrs Brown..Thats Nice !!!

Starting to take down the decorations today..... I always aim to be a glass half full type of gal.....and after enjoying
a great Christmas season, its time to take them down..... Like a lot of ye..there will be lots of candles and soft
lighting for the next few weeks, and there is the added distraction of the new Spring programmes on d Telly...

Can I just thank LoughC and Posy for the various threads started leading upto Christmas....Sometimes you do
something not knowing the ripple effects it has. My mam is in the depts of Dementia and our visits to her are
quite grey....inso far as not much interaction with her. The various threads made me think of Christmas of old...as a
child... i.e Christmas tree...fake/real Real of course !! Presents wrapped or not, mad tinsel decorations on the
ceilings....the baking threads....favourite biscuits, best sweets.. The threads made me stop and think, and brought colour back into my memories..made me realise how hard both she and my dad worked to make Christmas so special to all in our house, and made me the mad Christmas elf that I have become. So thanks guys....now I have 2 Christmas trees that I have to make naked.....LOL.....xxx.

Loughc

OUTDOORLASS wrote: »

Can I just thank LoughC and Posy for the various threads started leading upto Christmas....Sometimes you do
something not knowing the ripple effects it has. My mam is in the depts of Dementia and our visits to her are
quite grey....inso far as not much interaction with her. The various threads made me think of Christmas of old...as a
child... i.e Christmas tree...fake/real Real of course !! Presents wrapped or not, mad tinsel decorations on the
ceilings....the baking threads....favourite biscuits, best sweets.. The threads made me stop and think, and brought colour back into my memories..made me realise how hard both she and my dad worked to make Christmas so special to all in our house, and made me the mad Christmas elf that I have become. So thanks guys....now I have 2 Christmas trees that I have to make naked.....LOL.....xxx.

Thank you OUTDOORLASS, you've brightened a very dreary Monday for me with this post.

I know exactly what you mean with how this forum evokes such strong memories, full of the good feels.

That's exactly how I felt when I first came across the Christmas forum and I was hooked.

otnomart

Survived first day back in work !
Walking past it this morning, the "most decorated house in the neighbourhood" (R) still had their decs up, a cheerful sight.
(Have got the feeling that they will wait till this week-end before taking them down, as they do not have a front garden and I saw them using a ladder on the footpath when they were putting them up - not a quick job).
Finished my pack of Santa paper napkins, still have a pack of Reindeer ones and will keep using them for a bit of January cheer.

freshpopcorn

It's strange the front of the house is so dull now I had to turn the outside light on for the first time in a month nearly!

Sundew

OUTDOORLASS wrote: »

Can I just thank LoughC and Posy for the various threads started leading upto Christmas....Sometimes you do
something not knowing the ripple effects it has. My mam is in the depts of Dementia and our visits to her are
quite grey....inso far as not much interaction with her. The various threads made me think of Christmas of old.

Totally agree that this forum was/is a tonic. My Dec was a lot brighter even though we had a sudden family death and other family crap to deal with!

Outdoorlass my Aunt has also got dementia and it has been a very sudden decline and I totally get what you are going through. This Aunt bought me a fantastic Toyworks dollhouse from the UK in the 70s when the toys in Ireland were either mega expensive or total crap.Everybody was very envious of it....I found it recently in the attic and very nearly sent it to the charity shop but might get it restored for my little one.Its funny how Christmas does bring back good memories . Good wishes to you and your family for 2019.

CrowdedHouse

The dying embers but - dessert was cheesecake with surplus Toblerone received over Christmas


Delish!!

Posy

Sundew wrote: »

I found it recently in the attic and very nearly sent it to the charity shop but might get it restored for my little one.

Oh you should, that would be lovely!

otnomart

Day Two back in work over !
Walking past it this morning, the "most decorated house in the neighbourhood" (R) very sadly had taken all their beautiful decorations down ! They only kept some windows stickers. What a disappointment !

kitten_k

The CHQ building and the surrounding area is all still lit up, it even still has its giant tree up! Couldn’t get a pic as was talking on the phone but if it’s still there tomorrow I will try get one.

Loughc

The further we get from Christmas but still so far away from it the more I miss it. This morning especially.

Cork Lass

I miss the Christmas lights, everything seems so bleak☹️

Jude13

I miss the "sure its Christmas" excuse for a pint of a bag of Haribo.