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Fireworks, bonfires and long winters' eves will herald the Rat Smacketeers' BFPs this month and we are Brooking No Argument!

944 replies

Shrieklette · 27/10/2012 11:32

Welcome to our new humble abode for the next six weeks or so, Brookers!

Here's hoping this fred will be as lucky as sparks' and scarlett's [hgrin]

OP posts:
SantasLittleControlGeek · 29/11/2012 18:58

Ladies I am so impressed, in the last three days we have managed to double the number of posts on this thread! Go us Grin

Ok, so as promised, here is how to Have A Very Merry Pagan Christmas Geek-style.

Pagans celebrate eight festivals a year, arranged in what is known as 'the wheel of the year'. These fall at approximately equal intervals, about 6 weeks apart, the biggest of which is Samhain, 31st October (aka Hallowe'en to the rest of the world). Then there are just six weeks to go until Yule, which lands on 21st December.

What is Yule all about? It is no coincidence that Yule lands on the shortest day of the year. It is all about celebrating the end of winter's rule and the inevitable turning of the year towards spring. Pagan mythology tells us that this is the time of year that the Moon Goddess gives birth to the Sun God's son, who will in a few short months become the Sun God himself, impregnate her with his own son, and the cycle continues.

Celebration therefore revolves around the rebirth of light, warmth and hope.

We celebrate by decorating the house in 'natural' ways - think victoriana: pine boughs, holly sprigs, ivy trails etc. We also have a 'forest' rather than a christmas tree - three trees we have 'gained' over the years, that tend to look better together than individually. These are decorated in the normal way - tinsel, lights, baubels, but topped with a star or a moon.

Aware that we are not out of the woods yet, we make bird feeders and decorate local trees with them. We pamper our pets because we don't have any farm animals - traditionally, the animals would have been well fed at this time as even though the nights will start to get shorter, the worst of the weather is usually still ahead of us. We stock our own larders/cupboards/freezers, and bulk-make food that can be kept for when we are having lazy days, or for when certain foods are out of season. Sprouts and leeks are our favourite for this, as we enjoy eating them throughout the year.

On the 21st itself we have a lovely meal with the best quality ingredients we can get/afford, with an eye to high quality animal welfare and environmental policies so that we are helping to sustain the earth as the wheel turns. Real ale, or better still homebrew, is an absolute must! Each year I like to make sloe vodka for the following year too so there is the Daily Shaking Of The Bottle ritual Grin

I have a little altar that I decorate with wintery type things - pinecones, pretty leaves, holly and mistletoe. I normally spend a few minutes there on the 21st, just reflecting on things and thinking about what I can start to 'wake up', that I can concentrate on and grow in over the coming months.

Usually we save exchanging cards and presents for the 25th (when we normally eat beans on toast or something equally excitingly normal) because these aren't part of our celebrations, they are just something we were both brought up to do at this time of year.

So that's it, nothing majorly exciting, and not even that different to most christmases just on a different day.

SweetieSnowball · 29/11/2012 18:53

Evening brookers,

face lovelly to see you, and not long until the big day. It will fly by, so exciting.

olives nice to see you too, and try not to over do it at work. I can only imagine how tired you are these days.

keep loving the festive name, suits you Mrs and geek like yours too I was missing the geekiness of the FFS nn.

Am back from our appointment, it has been a grueller, how can I be so tired? Anyway we are on the list for matching with a donor. They were worried about my short light AFs so I have to do a mock cycle to make sure I respond to the drugs to thicken my womb lining ready for transfer. We both had all our physical characteristics listed and ranked to determine how important these are matched for us.

The only question is what to do about having a dedicated donor so we get all the eggs produced or sharing the eggs either between us and another couple or us and the donor going through IVF themselves. if we share it is unlikely we will get enough to freeze any additional embryos, but could have 2 embies put back with the chance of twins. If we want a chance of a genetic match sibling, at a later date, we would need to use a dedicated donor. The cost is double for a dedicated donor and of course there is a very real risk it couldnt work at all so I am just not sure what to do. Come on ladies what are your thoughts?

GreenOlives · 29/11/2012 17:52

Of course keep I could never be offended by fellow brookers - we all know the heartache that lies behind the TTC process! Xx

MissLToeishavingsantasbabyboo · 29/11/2012 17:28

Hey Geek I will have a tea/non alcoholic cocktail/really thick hot chocolate any time :) and big well done on the weight loss!

Face good to see you, now get changed into your Christmas costume ....... go on! Grin

I feel like an actual human today, finally back at the gym after 2 weeks off, and Mr boo might just let me have my tree up this weekend Grin

cartoonface · 29/11/2012 16:28

yup the weddings 22nd dec.
sorry everyone i sorta skimmed back but took absolutly nothing in Blush

cartoonface · 29/11/2012 16:26

wedding plans going well, pretty much all ready actually. seating plan pretty much done, i just need to type up my wishing tree poem, make a post box and sort out putting my ceremony music on to cd.
i shall be ovulating around the time of the wedding so we are going for that. the count down is on im really excited (is that weird!)
hmmm need to think of a new xmas name.

WinterSolstice · 29/11/2012 16:23

Face how are the wedding plans now? It's pretty soon right? Are you now allowed to start ttc now too?

Olives that sounds like a new thread title to me, in a similar vain to Sparke's what not to say to someone who's taken a while to get pg!

keepJinglingThoseBells · 29/11/2012 16:20

Good on you olives saying something! Hope you know we were joking...

Hi face how are wedding plans? Look forward to having you TTC with us v shortly!

Night all

GreenOlives · 29/11/2012 16:03

Shock I am quite organised with money but that is a whole new level - im in awe geek! Good on you!
I know my TTC planning was really not good for Xmas off work was it?? Hmm And Id like to point out that in real life helpful people have pointed that fact out to me - and I managed to compose myself well enough to not kill them Grin The current favourite is people asking why I "left it so long" before having DC2! Still telling them about the 2 miscarriages, 1 ectopic and 1 CP tends to make them shut up quick smart and maybe think twice before they open their mouths next time Grin

cartoonface · 29/11/2012 15:59

its Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

SantasLittleControlGeek · 29/11/2012 15:13

thank you beedle and keep you are both so sweet, and I will be very happy to have virtual coffees any time with you, mat leave or not! Can't wait for us to have synchronised mat leave though, that would be such a brooking coup - the second tripe whammy girls!

solstice no, I've not posted about my pagan plans yet, I'll try to do that this evening as I'll probably have fewer interruptions at home than here.

WinterSolstice · 29/11/2012 15:05

coming right up Geek Brew

Waves to Olives & Cups too!!

SantasLittleControlGeek · 29/11/2012 15:01

ooh yes please then solstice, I love a good thick hot chocolate so strong you can stand a spoon up in it (quite literally!) Brew Grin

BeedlesPineNeedles · 29/11/2012 15:01

I think you're lovely too geek, and I'd have tea with you when we're both yummy mummies (if I wasn't so far away). and I like the new name and keeps too

WinterSolstice · 29/11/2012 15:01

Have I missed your Pagan festive plans by the way Geek? I kinda skim read the pages full of smileys!

keepJinglingThoseBells · 29/11/2012 15:01

Nope,

WinterSolstice · 29/11/2012 15:00

It's just plain hot chocolate but it's a lot thicker!

SantasLittleControlGeek · 29/11/2012 14:58

whohoo keep fab new name, and check out those pins!!!

solstice what's a spanish hot chocolate?

WinterSolstice · 29/11/2012 14:56

That is a great name Geek & Keep well done!

Right anyone for spanish hot chocolate?

keepJinglingThoseBells · 29/11/2012 14:53
SantasLittleControlGeek · 29/11/2012 14:47

keep you found me a fab new christmas name! thank you Grin Grin Grin And yes, they should put a stop to any wage levels that prevent you from getting tax credits. Pesky employers!

solstice yes, I tried being self-employed once and it drove me scatty because I couldn't plan income, there was no security and I was just plain rubbish at imposing my own timetables I am definitely employee material!

keepitgoing · 29/11/2012 14:45

Virtual coffees with us, then, while we're all on mat leave.

You are LOVELY!!

PS nice one on the weight loss!!

WinterSolstice · 29/11/2012 14:40

OMG you really are filling this thread up!!!! I've forgotten what was said 10 pages ago now!

Impressive Geek I think I'm more in Keeps camp that you may think my life hell!

FFSMaryDidntEvenNeedSexToGetPg · 29/11/2012 14:40

beedle languages are very much not my forte, I really take my hat off to you not just living there but working in swedish and even having training courses in swedish!

keep I've always been tight had a tight rein on my finances, but when we moved house last October I stepped it up a gear, knowing that we would be progressing with the doctors about our TTC issues and pulling out all the stops so to speak. I really couldn't function if I wasn't able to plan years months in advance, and I really envy people who can, and who are so relaxed about it, and everything falls into place with barely a wrinkled brow.

Oh - and baby clothes, cot, car seat savings will commence in 7 months when I have finished saving to cover the shortfall in income during mat leave. I will also be going cheap and practical wherever possible. Early mat clothes will consist of the clothes I have boxed up over the past year as I have lost 3 stone so have gone down from a 16 (18 in some clothes) to a 10/12. After that, I'm hoping to get by with a small number of mix and match stretchy stuff but have a personal 'allowance' each month to cover things like that.

I don't think there will be make coffees with other yummy mummies, I have AS and am not great at making/keeping up with friends Sad

Oh crikey, written down like that I really do sound quite insane...

keepitgoing · 29/11/2012 14:33

santaslittlecontrolGeek

:-)