Christmas 2025

Christmas officially started for me yesterday. Finished work at 2pm and straight out for food and drinks. Not back until 6 January, so a nice break.

Good job too as plenty on. Golf today. Poker night tomorrow. Panto on Sunday, an extended family night in the pub on Monday. Golf away day on Tuesday. Christmas Eve afternoon in the local followed by our traditional family night. Christmas Day we’re at my Mam’s for lunch and the in laws on the evening. Boxing Day is a boys beano at the football. Then hopefully a couple of days off it… Plenty of food, drink, friends and family. Love it.
 
This week last year I decided to buy myself a present.
Having always loved books, libraries, book shops, reading, I saw a lovely hardback version of War and Peace. I held it, fondled it and said to myself "Take the challenge" and bought it.
NY resolution - read it in 2025.
I'm sat here tonight halfway through my Jack Reacher book and decide that my NY resolution is - read it in 2026. Each time I've browsed it I realise the challenge.
Last night I watched a, I have to say, very good YTube clip on "How to read WP" and I think the first thing I need is a notebook.
At least I've saved a few bob on this year's treat! 🙄
That’s the way to do it. Not read War and Peace but couple of years back had a Tolstoy choice…W&P or Anna Karenina. I choose the latter. At 880 pages it’s a long read, and the different names the same characters have according to context is confusing at times and difficult to keep track of - I kept having to check list of characters…but I stuck at it and got totally engrossed - it was with a sadness I read the last page and closed the book.

So it will be with W&P…but perseverance will be rewarded…I am certain.
 
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Christmas officially started for me yesterday. Finished work at 2pm and straight out for food and drinks. Not back until 6 January, so a nice break.

Good job too as plenty on. Golf today. Poker night tomorrow. Panto on Sunday, an extended family night in the pub on Monday. Golf away day on Tuesday. Christmas Eve afternoon in the local followed by our traditional family night. Christmas Day we’re at my Mam’s for lunch and the in laws on the evening. Boxing Day is a boys beano at the football. Then hopefully a couple of days off it… Plenty of food, drink, friends and family. Love it.


What? You’re not going home till 6th Jan? Now that’s some bender!
 
Just got around to reading this thread. So interesting to hear all the different plans people have and their different takes on what makes it special to them. 👍

Also, sad to read of anyone who is not looking forward to it for their own reasons. To anyone who that is the case for, I hope you get through it ok.

Re presents. Wife and I don’t bother buying for each other any more. It’s not a bah humbug thing. Just that for us it’s all about the kids and we have enough to do sorting them out. It’s just another stress for each of us, so a few years back we mutually agreed we aren’t bothered. We’re at the point in our lives when if either of us need or want anything (within reason) we just buy it, whatever time of year it is!

She’s amazing at sorting out all the buying of presents. I lend a bit of a hand with the wrapping, but I take charge of the food and drink, both in the lead up to and on the day.

Getting the big food shop at some point soon, I don’t exactly know when! 😬 But I’m expecting delivery of an online shop containing the alcohol tonight. So will spend an enjoyable time loading up the drinks fridge and ensuring everything is in a good order with labels facing the right way! 🤣

I said this on last years Christmas thread, but is there anything more aesthetically pleasing than a fully stocked and well ordered drinks fridge in the run up to Christmas?!

Might post a picture of mine when it’s done. I invite everyone to do the same and engage in some critiquing of each others fridge-loading anbilities and drink-choices!
 
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