Spring has sprung...let's Countdown to Christmas 2024 (Thread 2)

[NoWordForFluffy]

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For the forgetful of thinking AKA me tomorrow, repeating the countdown!

There’s loads of Christmas Markets “where is a good one” threads on here , most of them say the UK ones are samey overpriced tat and direct the dear reader to Belgium or Germany.

A couple of years ago DH and I went to Bath Christmas Market with an overnight stay and a trip to Oxford. Couch travel ,local pick up.
There was no parking available in Bath, massive queues to any available parking and the Park and Ride.
Coaches were allowed to drop off and pick up in the park .
It was nice to wander round. , very busy and I think the last weekend of it - this was early December. I think the local shops want their streets back .

This year we ( DH , DD and me) are going to Amsterdam and Bruges and after that I will be done with Christmas markets. They always look so nice , cup of hot chocolate, craft gift stalls, music, the smell of chestnuts, maybe snow.
In reality , they are busy , overpriced , things you don’t want or need.
But an experience 😄

Coach travel. Didn’t take the couch

Comfy way of travelling though!

Bruges looks amazing. I hope everyone has watched In Bruges!

Bruge is beautiful. I went in January a few years ago with DH - it was still full of fairy lights from Christmas and was vvvv cold but the markets had gone. Absolutely amazing. I'd highly recommend the tour at the Half Moon Brewery - not for the faint hearted as you blithely travel up the various levels but have to come down a ladder backwards at one point. The free pint in front of a roaring fireplace was worth it though.

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It's going to be below 100 before we know it!

The Christmas board really starts to heat up once the kids go back to school (yes, I know they're back in Scotland - and maybe NI / Leics - already) as autumn kicks in and the supermarkets release their food offerings. I love it when it starts to get busy! You still get the 'I don't think about Christmas until 24 December' knobheads around though!

I had to put my cross stitch lamp on at 20:07 last night! Definitely autumnal. 🍂

I can understand not thinking about Christmas until December but I'd never heard of leaving the wrapping until after the kids have finally gone to bed on Christmas Eve before I joined MN. Surely that's the time for drinking wine and eating your body weight in crisps?

I can't imagine that. How do you plan anything with only 24 days' notice?! I'm very much a planner though!

Morning all.

DH sent me a Facebook event for a local Christmas market this morning so I have put that in my diary :) He knows me well!

Have spent the morning packing for our family holiday to Croatia. I am a massive overpacker so will have more than we will use.

I've had a lovely time with the family - you were right Fluffy though, there was nothing "whizzy" about the bloody M6!!

Hope you're managing some chill out time Why.

Happy Holiday Hoping.

So in BIG news (drum roll please).. I've just soaked my fruit ready for Christmas cake baking in a few weeks.

Have done some more packing this morning for my return to Belgium, then realised I'd forgotten to buy a few things so out to get those and have a swim in the sea before finishing laundry and packing. Planning to make a couple of shepherd's pies for DH (freezer) and we'll BBq tonight. DD kindly said she'd drive me to the airport tomorrow.

How lovely to have a swim in the sea Biddy, and safe journey back to Belgium.

Oh another vote here for Bruges - absolutel beautiful place and I imagine the christmas markets will be lovely.

Ooh, cake fruit!

Weirdly, I was just contemplating my Christmas pudding fruit requirement in the shower! 🤣

Safe journey, Biddy!

I was thinking about Christmas things to put on my list while I had my MRI. That gave me plenty of time to think.

Happy holiday @Hopingforno2in2024 and safe travels @BiddyPop

We’ve taken the DC swimming this morning and to see the new minion film - which I really enjoyed too.

DH and I were discussing Christmas plans this morning - he said he wants to do less things, and some days go and see Christmas lights and then back home for playing. I just need to decide whether to go to MIL and FIL for lunch or not. MIL aims for an average meal but is so well prepared that she’s barely in the kitchen. But there will be no yorkshires (I know technically not with turkey, but we love them here), maybe only one veg etc. It’s never a luxurious meal, but it also never interferes with the day. Whereas I like multiple veg, lots of potatoes and sausages, whereas there is never anything left at MIL. But I think she likes to host. But DH will say do what I would like, so it’ll be up to me 🤶🏻

I ordered the wooden advent calendar for DC3. I forgot that I already had a plan for DC9 - to do beanie baby jingles. They were miniature beanie babies from when I was little, that have a ribbon to hang up. They can hang on their tree. I’ve bought a few from eBay, and will do something small on the other days too. No way will they fit into my (yet unused) drawer advent calendar. I wonder if we’ll ever use that!!

I lie there willing myself not to buzz to be let out when I'm having one! Well done on turning your thoughts to Christmas.

It was only the last what was possibly five minutes I was starting to really want to get out Fluffy.

Obviously the music wasn't working either. Typical.

I feel like this thread is somewhat psychic. I've been gone 2 days and we're all talking about Belgium which is somewhere DH and I are going in the next week or so 😳
It's a shame we're not going in winter but glad we're crossing it off the list as I've never been. I think we're doing Ghent and Bruges.

jennifer similar conversations are happening here about Christmas Day. DH is usually the chef and he goes all out - but he wants to go to FILs which is fine but nowhere near as good as DHs dinner.

biddy how old is your DD now? I remember you being on the thread years ago talking about her doing guides etc and it doesn't feel right to hear you mention her driving now!

Fluffy I agree, planning is part of the process (and one of my favourite parts too).

Are MRI's as bad as everyone says why? I've only had 1 but I was so ill (and on super duper painkillers) at the time that I barely remember.

Looking forward to using the decorations I bought while we were away last Christmas (I bought a wooden painted Christmas tree with some hooks on and a set of mini mini baubles and a set of Christmas Russian dolls with a Santa, tree and snowman in it

I definitely couldn't have stayed in without music! 😬😩

My last MRI had no music and it was awful. Previous ones with music have been much more tolerable.

I can cope with them with diazepam quite well now thankfully, but I still hate them, it doesn't help that I'm overweight so feel very squished in there.

Meeces. I have to say I didn't find it quite as horrific as I thought I would. I was in one of the mobile scanners which are smaller than ones based in hospital and my head was pinned but suspect that was because it was a spine and pelvis scan and so I could not move. It was manageable. After an hour I really had reached my limit but then it finished.

@MinnieDog I had lorazepam but it didn't kick in till it finished and I needed a snooze when I got home.

The only one I've had was when I was hospitalised with pancreatitis but before they had diagnosed me.
I'd been in for a few days and was on morphine so could barely keep my eyes open.
I vaguely remember them explaining I was having one, remember it being small and loud then next thing, I was back in a hospital bed.
Similar stories for having a line put in my neck, a feeding tube put in and having CT scans. Can barely remember anything (which I presume is a blessing) 😳

I've spent a nice hour working on my penguin card. Doesn't look like anything yet but I'm sure it won't take long

Absolutely not feeling up for work in the morning though!

What is it about our local hospital and no music in an MRI why? I've had one and DD2 has had one and neither of us had music.

I'm fully stocked with dried fruit - my knit and natter group is held in a local library that gets donations of dried fruit from a local supplier and visitors can make a donation and take what they want. I'm away next month and will start my cake once I'm back.

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I don’t think I’ve had an MRI , might’ve had one done, I know I had CT Scans done in UK and Turkey . I was so unwell in Turkey they could’ve put me through a mincer and I don’t think I’d have cared .

DH and I spent the day in Rome , it was very busy as it’s a National Holiday here and so hot I was just a greasy little puddle on the floor .
Massive queues for everything too from churches to restaurants

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I am an hour ahead of you hence posting at 23.11 , for me it was gone midnight 😊

Ahhhhh. I did think you were keen!

Rome doesn't sound appealing, 70, I have to say!