h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Princess! *bows*

J'au! Welcome back!

*short pause*

Is the donut stall open?

For the seasonal tree
A silver fouled anchor with twinkly sparkly embellishments.

We're experiencing our third caroling group so far this season. Tonight it's kids, who filed into my room uninvited and sang four verses of "Up On the Rooftop" more or less together -- the very youngest ones acted as drones. The second batch of singers had a crack tambourinist. The first lot, well, I christened them the Badly Singers. Never before had Silent Night been sung in so many keys!

I've been away the past few days, immersed in nostalgia as my sensei has been scanning and posting old pics on his facebook page. You know how something completely fades from your memory, and then a picture brings it back in all five senses? Well, that.

Matina, how about some eggnog with brandy?

Was it bad, uncomfortable? Or something pleasing? I am sure they all tried hard to please you.

As I get older I try to understand young people who really want to help. I know it can be hard when you can not just leave. Please believe that I try to understand the frustration you must face every day. I wish I could make it all better.

I try to just enjoy the festivities of the season, but sometimes it can be hard

I will just go for the brandy - hold the eggnog

F S

I'm not sure I've ever had egg-nog. Not sure I want to try it either

When it comes to enjoying the festivities, I'm very much at both ends of the scale. One the one hand, it's nice to see. But on the other hand, I absolutely hate the way people go mad and crowd around everywhere.

I think generally I'm the sort of person who prefers things more quiet and peaceful.

I'll substitute advocaat for egg-nog if that's OK. I'm hoping the bottle I bought last Christmas will still be OK for my snowballs this year.

We have a proper Christmas tree for the first time *ever* - I'm not sure what came over me but it caused a lot of excitement.



Is this the right time for me to say that, by and large, I hate children's singing? I appreciate the sentiment - spreading the joy of Christmas - but I'd rather experience it while wearing ear plugs, so I can just enjoy the sweet faces without having to listen to the noise.

Mol

I've hung some bells on the lower branches to aid navigation in the dark. I hope no one minds. If you hear ringing you have either collided with the tree or me.

No, no. Let them the little children sing lest they instead pick up a violin.

I see this is the perfect place to mention I've just come back from my son's Nativity, where he played that most important of characters, Second Elf. You'll be pleased to know they had all the old traditional carols, 'Away in a Manger', 'Little Donkey' and, erm, 'Let it Go' and 'Popcorn' (instrumental).

<BB<

Matina, three fingers of Bourbon please. You can raid the cabinet in my room for it. Two ice cubes. Keep them coming....

It's been a year.

Lil, were I in your place I would bar the door and offer violence if carolers were coming in. I don't like xmas music in the first place, and poorly performed xmas music would drive me insane.

Apparently 'Let it go' is the most-used song in this year's UK nativity plays. Don't get me started on Christmas shows. I don't mind a proper nativity with readings and carols and one kid dressed up as a donkey. But that's rarely what you get ...

Mol

On the home made blackberry wine this evening A punchy little number with a subtle overtone of hedgerow and prickles.

I've not seen a kids nativity play in a long time, so whenever I hear of these weird one (there was aliens in one recently on the news) I wonder what on earth (or off it) they think they're doing

At the school my kids go to, the Year R children do a fairly traditional Nativity, with the Year 1 children doing something a little different and the Year 2 children doing a Nativity which involves Father Christmas and his Elf visiting first a modern family followed by the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus is born - fortunately they're invisible so they don't interfere with the arrival of shepherds, kings etc, but it is unusual to see a Nativity stable scene with kids dressed as camels, sheep, cow, a little donkey and nine reindeer (one with a red nose).

I still don't get why Nativities don't let parents take photos of their kids at the Nativity, but then publish the pictures in the local newspaper for the world and his wife to see.

<BB<

You can't take photos?!

I'm guessing that's for two reasons, the first put in as a stop to people like my dad who'd be standing up all the time to get a better shot, and blocking everyone else's view, especially as there'd now be lots of people there doing that with their phones, and secondly to save the kids the embarrassment of the photos when they're grown up.

I can't remember ever having done a nativity play at school, I don't think it's such a common hting to do here.
What we did was singing at an old peoples' home each year when I was between 10 and 13. We also brought cookies (homemade, one bag for each person). The old people at least made the impression of liking it.

We have a real tree, like every year. I bought a few new pieces of decoration, but the designs seem to get less pretty by the year. I have no idea why. At least I could expand on my collection of glass birds.

Pastey, regarding taking pictures of an event like this, the most annoying trend is idiots using an iPad or other tablet to take pictures. Not only do they stand in front of other people, they are using one of the worst platforms for photography ever!

Oh yeah, the gifts! The Badly Singers had kids with them, and from one child I received a Christmas tree ornament made of felt. The tambourine bunch stayed politely in the hall, but the children's chorale also gave me a gift. It took a minute to unwrap the glittery tissue from around the toilet roll core, but once I'd breached the exterior I discovered a Christmas tree ornament.

I don't know what it's supposed to be. Two little plastic eyes, the kind with loose pupils, have been glued to a small sleigh bell out of which sprout two pipe cleaner appendages. It might be a reindeer. Or a Christmas spider.

*places both gift ornaments on Bruce*

Hand made cards and ornaments are the best ....even if they are a bit shite.

All my posted cards were handmade this year - mainly so I could stick printed greetings inside each one, thus saving myself hours of writing. I wrote a personal message on every newsletter but I don't enjoy writing the 'to ...' and 'love from ...' bits in the cards, particularly as I *always* get at least one wrong (I have two names. It's complicated.)

Lots of our tree decorations were made by the children when they were at pre-school and Brownies. Most of the rest were chosen before the children had learnt the meaning of the word 'tasteful' - there are a couple of glass ballerinas and Nod and Sic always used to quote a line from 'Barbie in The Nutcracker' when they put them on the tree.

Since 2012 I've bought a tree decoration whenever we go on holiday so there are lots of memories on our branches

Mol