[P-E]

So it's just around the corner...........is everyone ready for it and what you up to over the Christmas holidays?

As for me I will be off to my parents xmas eve staying with them for three nights and spending some quality time with my sister and her family

I know it's been mentioned in another thread but I would like to wish all the Pixalo Crew & Members old and new a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[Dave]

Cheers Ian

Only just got around to ordering all my pressies on the net today....talk about leaving it to last minute to get them delivered

Your 3 days sound like a good time to practice with the 50mm f/1.8 for some family shots indoors

[P-E]

Yes could be the 50mm or maybe the 35mm.........although I have two nieces they hate having their pictures taken and storm off with the face on (I love it ).

[stepheno]

Merry Chrimble to all - and as P-E says, go visit family, someone will be grateful

[Angela]

eugh Christmas. I am so not in the mood for it this year! We're spending Christmas Day and Boxing Day with OH's family, different venues each day so I'm going to be spending my time driving around. Planning to start Christmas shopping tomorrow and pray everything gets to where it has to go in time. Did I mention I wasn't in the mood!?

[cotter]

6 of the family at girlfriend and mine for Christmas day and 12 on Boxing day

Think (well know) I'm getting a wee Canon nifty fifty 1.8 from santa so should have some fun with that.

Really looking forward to the whole thing

I wish everyone "all the best" and hope everyone has a wonderful time

Be good, Cotter

[Gary Bagshawe]

Merry christmas to all, and I wish you all the very best, I will be working over christmas
Driving doctors around to all the poorly people, christmas eve overnight till 8.00am christmas day and then boxing day as well.
Well it does keep me out of the pub I guess!!!!!

[Rob Barron]

I have to admit that because of my personal faith, Christmas is a fantastic time of the year for me. My wife and I always go to town on it and ensure it is memorable.... without going into debt! Where do we get the idea the only way to celebrate is if we spend the next 9 months paying for it!!!

Most prezzies are bought and wrapped, few more to be got this week. We are going to Tesco's at midnight tonight to get our main food provisions in (apart from meat which is mostly already bought) so the cupboards will have groaning hinges come the end of that.

Christmas day will be: Morning, off to church where there is always the most wonderful atmosphere with all the kids eager to show us what they got for Christmas. The service ends with mince pies and hot drinks before we head home. The turkey will already be on slow cooking (NEVER cook a turkey fast, you'll lose all the flavour!) so we'll get back and do the rest of dinner preps. Roasties will be a high priority.... please promise me you won't use those disgusting frozen jobbies from the supermarket, they do not taste anything like freshly cooked crunchy roasties :o)

My son will be here with his girlfriend and we have another couple coming round for dinner as well. All 6 will enjoy a full-blown dinner at about 3 o'clock, starting with our traditional Christingle ceremony.... so a good excuse not to watch the Queen's speech on telly <g> We'll relax and enjoy the company of family and friends for the afternoon, play a game, have a drink, lots of fun chat. Late evening my son et al will head off to their homes and my wife and I will snuggle up in front of a good film.

Boxing Day: lots of friends from church and others all meet up at Sandbanks to go for a lovely stroll along the promenade and back and then into Jazzies where they do the BEST hot chocolate on planet Earth! Then my wife and I will head off into the Dorset countryside to find some photo opportunities :o)

Christmas is wonderful but I must add I have also had entire Christmas holidays where I haven't seen another human being except on the telly and it is AWFUL so please don't forget there are probably people living right near you who would so love just an hour in the company of others. Maybe an invite to lunch? Or how about a mince-pie and coffee? It will just be an hour in your day but will be THE hour that person will remember of the whole day :o)

Cheers,
Rob

[Charlotte]

Christmas for me will be a family affair too.

This year, however, will be extra special, with a family reunion with my Dad, brother + sister. I haven't seen my brother for over 20 years + am sooooo looking forward to seeing him Also it'll be the 1st time that we have all been together in 30 years!! Definitely cause for celebration this year

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas

[P-E]

Extra special Christmas for you then Charlotte .......even though I am looking forward to Christmas with my family there is always an extra feeling of sadness in the fact that I have a 17 year old daughter I haven't had contact with since she was a baby (long story)

Enjoy your special reunion

[Markulous]

Up to Peak District for Christmas and then across to Mid Wales for New Year!

Happy Christmas to all!

[Steve]

We are having a quiet family Christmas here (the first one in our new home) and then a mad New Year out with friends

Its been a while since I lloked forward to it as much as I am doing this year

Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year to all. Stay safe this festive season

[Matt F]

Will be our first Xmas in our new house and as the lounge has 10ft ceilings we have bought a tree to suit!

Bit of a rush on though as that very same room is being decorated and I haven’t yet fitted new skirting boards following some damp proofing. I’m also filling in the walls where I have chased the wires for the home cinema system into the plaster. Been getting home (nasty commute back from Manchester) and then painting/filling/sanding until 11:00pm. I’ll collapse come Xmas day.

It will look great when it’s done mind you and I figure that even if I don’t get to paint the skirts it won’t stop us from using the room – which we desperately want to as it is bigger than the other two receptions and it has an open fire (which was going well the last couple of nights.

Mother-in-law is just finishing off the new curtains (bless her) and I need to whack the new poles up too.

On top of that the new AGA was fitted on Monday and it will be responsible for roasting up the goose on Xmas day, and of course the roasters cooked in the fat of the same animal – top tip that, even if you are having turkey, roast the spuds in goose fat!

We will also be having a rather fine chicken and a large ham is to be roasted on Boxing Day. So that’s the food taken care of. On the wine front, I’ve yet to sort the white but I have a couple of nice reds lined up for the big day – a 15 year old Faustino Rioja Gran Reserve and a newer Chateau Neuf De Pap. Incidentally, Sainsburys have a nice 1999 Gran Reserve Rioja reduced to £7.99 and the above mentioned Chateau Neuf was seriously discounted in Tescos – I think it was down to £6.99.

Matt.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by Matt F

..... On the wine front, I’ve yet to sort the white but I have a couple of nice reds lined up for the big day – a 15 year old Faustino Rioja Gran Reserve and a newer Chateau Neuf De Pap. Incidentally, Sainsburys have a nice 1999 Gran Reserve Rioja reduced to £7.99 and the above mentioned Chateau Neuf was seriously discounted in Tescos – I think it was down to £6.99.

Matt.

You wouldn't believe Matt was a lager/bitter top (dash of lemonade) guy for years , would you