Lived Experience Forum

[Owlunar]

Gift-giving when you are short of money can be really difficult @Zoe7 - I know - I have been through that in the past though things are much easier for me now - and having people with birthdays at or around Christmas time is awkward too -it's my Gran's birthday today - I have to think for a minute - she's be 130 by now (I think) - but she managed to tell us often that when she was given a birthday present she was told it was her Christmas present as well and not to expect more - 

That would be horrible but it was a large family and they were pretty rock-bottom income-wise.

But if Toby gets dressed up I would love to see a photo - animals will not always comply to the spirit of the event - this I know - 

I have a Christmas story from that family - Porky and the Christmas dinner - well - it was Gran's story - not mine - so I don't know the truth of the matter but when the story telling starts I have one

Dec

[Zoe7]

@eth @Maggie @Former-Member I use to love christmas - especially when my grandparents were alive - would spend all day with them and the rest of the family would come for lunch. It was never the same after they passed away - we tried to continue the traditions on for several years but it was never even close to the same. this year I am determined to enjoy the day and think I am in a much better place to be around other people. I do have an out if I need it - being so close to home but I am sure I won't.

I can see I will probably be hanging out in the christmas lounge a bit over the holiday period though - even if it is just for company for those who are on their own this year or feel like they are... only too happy to spend time with my forum friends 

[Zoe7]

Would love to hear yoru story @Owlunar 

Toby doesn't get phased by being dressed up. I put little jumpers and jackets on him as a puppy so he got used to it. I never wanted him to be cold lol - he hs also been part of any christmas parade I have done so he has been dressed up there as well - he really doesn't care what I put on him - he is a good boy in that way. 

[Zoe7]

@eth I remember you testing out the pumkin bread a few weeks ago and it turned out well for you - hoping it is a hit at christmas too.

Mum's can get annoying at the best of times so telling her you may need timeout and that means her not pursuing you is a wise move - hoping she gives you the space you need when you need it.

[Owlunar]

Okay @Zoe7 - I will tell Gran's story about Porky and the Christmas Dinner

My grandparents were dirt poor and had a huge family - I guess there was no TV in the C19th - and one year the must have decided to give the kids a bang-up Christmas Dinner and got a piglet and it was hand-fed and all the available kids at the time gave Porky food no doubt was hard to manage with so many children

So Porky got big and fat and it was finally Christmas Day and the form of a feast was served and all the kids sat down to an unexpected wealth of food and the grace was said and knives and forks lifted

Then one of the kids clued up - "Where's Porky?" - and the light dawned upon all of them and the knives and forks went down - Porky was gone and they realised where he was

This must have been a disaster for my great-grandparents but the moral of the story is - don't give your Christmas Dinner a name

It sounds gloomy but in our family the story has been retold so often I don't know the truth of the matter but still - I am sure that a resourceful woman served the pork later as a different dish

Great start but guess what? This story has been told so often through the years I don't know if there is an ounce of truth in it

Dec

[Zoe7]

My Dad once brought home a baby lamb and told me it would be dinner @Owlunar - I never knew what happened to that lamb but I refused to eat any form of meat for a long time. I still have those moments where I cannot tolerate where the meat might have come from so won't eat it for ages. I know there is a circle of life here too but if I think about it at all it does stop me.

I would suspect that your story has some truth in it - especially considering from the time it came from - we used to have a lot of rabbit and wallaby in our household when we were younger as it was something my father could hunt for - now he would be the last person to do that to any animal - how much people can change over a course of their lifetime!

[eth]

@Zoe7 @Owlunar @Maggie @Former-Member @greenpea

We were in Greece for Christmas 1976 - mum, dad, us three kids and our grandmother.  (No, we're not Greek).  The tradition on Hydra, the island we were on, is that the family will order a lamb to be delivered, already dead, on Christmas eve.  Then early Christmas morning all the women parade their prepared lambs - with potato and lots of lemon and herbs - down to the bakery.  The bakery cooks everyone's lambs and there's another procession of women bringing them home in the middle of the day and people feast all afternoon and into the night.

My sister was 7.  All the live lambs, in sacks on many donkeys, went bleating past the place we were staying.  Mum told me to bring my sister inside and not let her see the poor lambs.  At which point my sister called back "it's alright mummy I don't know they're going to die"!!!

[Owlunar]

Hi @eth - it has been a long time - but here we are today

It could be an interesting Christmas - I read this AND MY MOTHER - mothers can be difficult - I don't have to worry about my parents now - and I have a toxic sister I would really rather not see - and so I don't know what my daughter will plan as she has just had a hysterectomy and whether I see my sil's kids and their kids will remain to be see

I agree with your statement - being alone but not lonely - except I do want to see my daughter on Christmas Day - it's all I insist upon - 

I do remember when Christmas Dinner at my parents' place was a big deal and when the oldest grandchildren were still to young to understand the jokes could get pretty spicy and there was a lot of laughter - and then - when we were older the kids grew up and they could get pretty spicy and I miss that but consider that "That which having been must always be" and enjoy my memories I guess

But whatever happens I am sure there will be free entertainment in the city if I choose to go but how much easier to find people on-line - 

I will have to find your Rave On Your Mother Eth - mine used to pick at every things about me she could - even her compliments had a barb in them - I guess we can't choose our family - luckily we can usually find someone in our family we can love - I have my daughter and grand-daughter and feel blessed

Dec

[Hope4me]

What a lovely idea @Zoe7;

When we were little, we'd have a day where the family would make hand-made decorations for the room and tree out of whatever we could find. We had large pine tree's across the road so pine-cones were first on the list.

Linked streamers was a fave of mine. We all competed to see how long we could make a chain in 20 min's.

Mum taught us how to make paper lanterns too. Mmm.. it was nice.

I love childhood stories. 

Merry Christmas shout-out to @AnxiousMe and @aficionado 🙂

[Maggie]

@eth Sad and funny at the same time. Glad I'm not Greek.