Wishing all forum members and moderators a Merry Christmas

@Change123, @mrkotter, @plasmo , @Bridgetjones, @Whim, @Princessmolly, @Nikolai, @Dark_Olena, @Flower88, @Ffm48,

Thank you Teej. We also wish you a great Christmas and good things for the year ahead!

To all the new and recent members. I started trying to write you all down but it became overwhelming. I hope you've had a peaceful day

To @NikNik, @CherryBomb and all the moderators.

Merry Christmas to all the Members, Community Guides and to the Mods. Thank you for all the support and wishes that have been passed around this Christmas season. Hope you all had a very enjoyable day.

What beautiful Christmas cards for everyone @Former-Member ..... 🤗💕

You're a gem ❣

Everyone around here has turned into over-fed slugs .... got the jig-saw puzzle under way with D3. She's playing Christmas carols on her phone. D2 is just sitting here taking in the music and watching with the jigsaw puzzle. The light is only coming from lamps, so it's a bit of a struggle, and the puzzle is small, otherwise she's good with puzzles too.

S2 is on games on his iPad. There's nothing of interest on local TV. WH is zonked, so he hasn't wanted to get involved in trying to sort out connecting his notebook to the TV to play a movie that way, and everything S2 has attempted requires WH's authorisation which he's too zonked to want to bother with .... :face_with_rolling_eyes: ... but y'know what ? It's okay. WH is munching his choc-treat-sh/t .... sorry .... owl poo ... and the rest of them are just chillin' ..... MIL is long gone to bed in her room .... I'm in the bathroom posting to you and avoiding the sights, smells and sounds of the choc-sh/t issue .... 😊👍🏼

After fasting from meat for weeks we managed to find a Greek taverna open today and had lunch mid afternoon, after coffee with sweets late morning, after breakfast a couple of hours before that .... feel like a bear ahead of winter hibernation .... lol .... WH has been buying sweets for the rooms here but I can't face eating any .... it's over-supply .... part of his condition .... but I am finding I can appreciate just looking at them anyway. It's culinary craftsmanship, and it's native to the culture.

I took an evening photo from our window this afternoon ....

Peaceful, isn't it ?

Skyped with D1 earlier this evening. That was nice. Her new husband had gone to bed. They had travelled south where they are with her in-laws today, so they were knocked out, but she kept herself awake to chat with us .... not WH tho .... jogging was more important of course, and he had spoken with her earlier on the phone so considered that box ticked ....

S2 called at the end of his day to wish us a Merry Christmas .... but DIL was "upstairs" when I asked to speak with her .... can see that she is only making an effort for her family .... but you can't make people what you want, you can only choose how you respond to them, and hope they will respond in kind ... eventually ....

I called my dad too. He had booked a lunch in a local hotel and taken my (difficult) sister .... just the two of them .... something really "out there" for him. I left a Merry Christmas for DS with him .... chickened out of calling her. She never calls me, and the convo lasts 2 seconds .... and I figure I'm juggling enough that I am too tired to make that effort as well. Rellies here are keeping MIL occupied at the meal-tables, so that's not much of an issue at the moment either.

Hi @Former-Member if you're around .... hope you have settled a bit now.

Better start winding down, but I will keep one eye on the iPad as I change for bed and clean up ....

Love n hugs .... ❤️💕

Hi @Former-Member

You were abused by an alcoholic - yes - I understand that - I can never understand why some men feel the need to do that - and it is harder to get away than people who have not been in a bad situation to understand

My ex did some hitting - but both times had legal reprecussions - the second one leading immediately to a separation and then divorce - but harder to deal with was a different abuse - his silence and sulking - and his failure to understand and support me when our son died - and for years my anger increased and I would leave for a while and run out of money and return

But all the time I was preparing for a time when I would leave forever - and I did - but it was hard

Also - I have learned that after breaking up with an abusive person is the most dangerous time for an abused woman - and also my ex bf never abused me - he started stalking me after we broke up - so yes - I am taking a long time to say "I get it"

It's the day after Christmas now - and all the ho ho ho has passed for this year - let's hop today is better and the coming year also

All the best

Dec