Hot Chocolate Anyone ?

Sounding worse than the grinch @Determined, not having a go at you, thinking of our shed and how Mr D dumps things anywhere and then lines up the mowers and wheelbarrow with streamlined precision, our shed a work in process too despite the recent effort made.

Sounds like a day off mowing might be desirable Bro.

Have chickens roasting for the visitors we are expecting for tea. We don't own a BBQ.

@Former-Member we have no family with us either, they all live interstate. Our visitors tonight are 4 older dudes that live on their own; we've had them over Christmas eve the last few years. They talk a lot and generally eat a lot. Tomorrow we too are going to friends for lunch, others with no family about.

Yes @Former-Member, my husbands family are all over in the West, around Perth. We live in NSW, roughly two thirds of the way up the coast. All my family live 7 hours drive South. Stepkids, one lot 6 hours North and the other is 6 hours South of here. Its a while since we saw any of the grandkids because of hubbys illness.

Our neighbours who we will be spending Christmas with this year also have no family nearby. They have daughters and grandchildren who work and live overseas in USA. There are 3 other people we know locally who are coming too, all either divorced or widowed gentlemen. So it will be nice in that all are able to spend christmas with someone, rather than spending it alone. Good on you for taking in your visitors this evening, a lovely very thoughtful thing to do. The spirit of Christmas is alive and well, thanks to the likes of you.

Sherry

Parents on both sides won't see us for Christmas. Hubby's are a couple of hours away, mine are most of a day's travel by the time you work in rest stops.
One year my sister and I traveled up to see our parents, while Hubby took the "kids" down to spend a couple of days with his parents. That nearly broke me. It's not something I could do again.

So Christmas is us plus sister plus offspring. While we're all together, we put through the "Happy Christmas" phonecalls to the parents.

Yes same here @Smc.

A phone call to my family, who are all spending christmas together. One well timed call will allow me to talk to each of them - Mum, Dad, Brother, Sister and 2 nephews. And same with hubbys family in WA - they all gather at one place and again one well time phone call means we can talk to all in one go.

Sherry

@Smc, @Former-Member, @Former-Member, @Determined

will be having christmas morning tea with my mum

and then go to my SIL and MIL 30 kms away for lunch with 5 of us

and then D1 and niece and family coming there for dinner

S1, S2 and S3 can`t come up , too far too travel

and 2 other SIL`s and family are not coming this year

@Former-Member @Smc we find it much easier to have time with others in the same boat as us than joining in with a family and feeling like a square peg in a round hole.

very true @Former-Member, @Former-Member, @Smc

mr shaz`s family are soo quiet , and I am always in the bad books

my family are loud and will tell you what you should do -- mr shaz does not want to see them

christmas at my aunty`s is big , mum is going there for lunch , i feel torn as I have not seen them for a while

I call 'em the outlaws @Shaz51 Mr D's family just so different.