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

What I would do rather than Christmas cards is astonishing. I am banned (yes I heard, Hatstand) from the internet until every last Christmas card is written, addressed and stamped.

Shake.

Why not?

Well of course I spat on it. It doesn't count if you don't spit on it.

ing Hatstands.

You still send Christmas cards?

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And posted I presume!! I am once I get started on them. I sent 76 this year. I am at an age when the list grows shorter due to people departing this , but others seem to come along to fill the gap.

Perhaps I will eventually reach the age when I have to put up the last three years cards because no friends are still alive to send me any. I know several people who have outlived all their friends and family and are in their 90s. It must be something in the water

Just be grateful to have people to send cards to this year. Being friendless at Christmas is no fun.

Yes, I know there is a trend towards sending the money to charity instead and I am happy with that, but a lot of people, especially of the older generations really appreciate a card (& message).

Have you done them yet? Well you must have, mustn't you or you wouldn't be here would you

Websailor

ooOOOoOOOoo

Do you not send cards anymore, Hyp?

We overdo it here, that's why I put if off to the last minute. So many, you can't write messages in them all or you keep repeating the same thing, and it's impersonal. Another reason is the decision of when to stop sending them to ex-colleagues and recognise that you've lost touch... hate that.

You're right though, Websailor. And the real answer is to start early and do one or two an evening.

The day I do that'll be the day a squadron of pink elephants zip past the window.



At work we do messages in the staff newsletter for £1 to charity, and this year sent chickens and goats, (7 and 2 at the last count), to Africa in place of the office bran tub exchange of bath products.

Anyway, the cards all got done (and posted!) except the handful to take by hand to neighbours.

Happy Christmas or Seasons's Greetings, as you prefer, you lot .

Waz, I haven't sent Christmas cards for several years. I needed to simplify my holiday chores, and that's one of the things I eliminated.
I am clearly more of a Grinch than most of the folks on h2g2. I stopped putting lights on the house, also. And I do far less decorating inside than I used to. I used to work myself into a state of exhaustion every Christmas. It was very stressful for me. Finally I just said, "Enough. I'm not playing this game anymore."

Avoiding a state of exhaustion is very sensible. Especially at a time that's about peace and renewal, and re-centering yourself.

All I have in, or on, the house is the Christmas tree. I'm now off to finish dusting the living room so I can put it up.

We did our decorating in increments this year. We put up the lights on the outside of the house first. Next I decorated the bathroom with snowmen--I even have snowman curtains in there. The kitchen and dining area were next--the theme in there is Santa. Next we put up the Christmas village in the living room. It sits proudly atop its own mountain on the TV cabinet. There are the usual garlands, wreaths, candles and candle rings in the living room. The sunporch is the place of honor for the tree. Putting it out there has eased the congestion in the living room and allows us to spread out more. Our bedroom is the only room in the house void of Christmas decorations. There isn't any place in there to put them. I have a candle and candle wreath on the bedside table and that's it!

Well, you can only do so much decorating and then it gets to be a chore instead of fun. When it gets to that point, I stop.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, all.
Lady C.

Delivering cards round the village after dark was a bit magic - especially going in the gardens with lights in the trees, or sprays of lights in the flower beds. It was so silent - no traffic, nothing.

I put my tree by the window, so the lights show outside.

Up until about four years ago, my mother used to put the mosaic nativity scene that my sister and I made over 35 years ago on her living room wall. It was big - two foot high, waist up figures including shepherds, kings, angels. They were made of cut up squares from magazine pictures, stuck with flour and water paste to old newspaper. Each figure separate and hung against the wall from the ceiling with thread. If you looked closely you could recognise the Silk Cut ad, or see that the box the first king carried was made of tinned fruit and the angel N did is trimmed with strawberries.

We had such fun making them. It took three Christmasses to get the complete set. She still has them, but they need repairing every time they come out the box.

That sounds splendid, Waz. I love home made decorations.

I am looking forward to a pleasant day with my mom and my favorite cousins.