A beekeepers christmas day

[Nannysbees]

What's everyone up to on Christmas day? Do you have family around? Do you prefer a quiet day? Turkey for lunch or not? Out walking or in be the fire?
We have the world and his wife up and have done for 39 years of being married!!!!!! Never not had a turkey in all those years. Don't see much daylight as most of the day is in the kitchen, saying that wouldn't have it any other way. This year three octogenarian parents, us, our two grown up children and their other halves as well as our three grandchildren 6 and 4 and 5 months, going to be a fun day. What are my fellow beeks up to?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Christmas eve I'm having dinner the same as last year, basically come Christmas day 5he children eat there weight in crap come to sit down for Christmas Dinner and they waste it, it makes Christmas day alot less stressful and relaxing. I feel for you

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In normal times (and now that I've finished on the boats, so no more Christmases at sea) I wouldn't get much sleep - up until near midnight, calling in with friends and family, and tending the old chapel fire for the one day a year it now gets used - the pre dawn Plygain ( from the Latin word pullicantio, meaning 'when the **** crows at dawn) which I organise, unfortunately due to the murrain and the impossibility of safe social distancing in a building as 'unique' as the old Bethel I've had to cancel again. So an 0430 wake up, drive to the chapel to open the burial ground gates ( no car park so everyone drives through, with the first to arrive getting to stop at the chapel gates, it's a circular route so the track carries on to re-enter the lane a hundred yards below the burial ground entrance), then I sit for half an hour's quiet reflection with but one candle and the fire for company until the first arrivals turn up a little before six, when I say first arrivals, the old start time for the service was near 0500 not 0630 and even now in the still of the night I have heard footsteps and shuffling outside as if people were gathering in the 'old' burial ground around about the original start time
Then it would be back home for breakfast, and as SWMBO has insisted that she cooks the dinner now that I'm home every Christmas (and which she does at her parents' house to save her father the hard slog up the hill to Brynmair) it's another quick zip around family before putting the vehicle away for the day and a brisk walk down to the club to meet father in law to give him the opportunity, on one day of the year to put his hand in his pocket and stand a round.
Then it's the short walk from the club, past my sister's for a belated 2pm Christmas dinner with the outlaws and the dowager - Swmbo's grandmother.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Zoom call with daughter in Berlin. Stan has five grandchildren so we’ll zoom them and watch the screams and squeals as they show grandad what insane amounts of money their parents spent on them. I’ll do a stint for Macmillan, Christmas can be a difficult time for many. Then it’s a quick visit to a housebound neighbour and I’ll take a turn round the fields with the dog before and after a late lunch, throw another log on the fire and curl up with a good book.
Might take a peek in here but that’s the one day it’s quiet.

 

[Finman]

During these Corona times we do not keep family parties. I have diabetes 2 and I am in the worst risk group.

Yesterday we drew a son's boat from the sea to land. Boat harbour got in one night 10 mm ice cover. Next 2 weeks - 7 C temps as forecast. So, some connections.

The picture towards Helsinki centre. The biggest building on left is a hospital, where the most Helsinki people have born.

 

[pargyle]

For all of our married life the whole family have come to us ... I cook .. so Christmas morning is usually the preparation and cooking of Christmas dinner ... usually accompanied by as much Croft Original as I can consume and still remain capable of cooking. We used to have a lot of ageing parents and relatives but sadly they have now passed on so it's just us, our children and grandchildren - whether they all make it for Christmas day this year is in some doubt after Covid and the last two years so it may be Zooms again and virtual Christmas day .... I missed the house full for the last two years so I live in hope but two of the children and grandchildren are scattered around the country so it remains to be seen.

 

[Murox]

Helping others to enjoy their christmases has consumed most of both my own and my wife's working lives; now we enjoy a quieter festive season. We had been hoping to perhaps meet up with some of our continental relatives this year; we'll see.

 

[Finman]

9 years ago my family was on Teneriffas, and we got very cold weather period. Temps dropped near -20C. The same boat was in the sea at the end of November. The sea got very quickly a thick ice cover . In couple of days 30 mm and after a month 300 mm.

One month later, on the second Cristmas day the weather was windy and temp. +2C. We sawed the boat loose with chain saw. Aluminium boat has 30 cm thick ice cover fixed to boat bottom. We winched the boat partly onto doc. The bottom warmed so much, that the ice cover dropped off from bottom.

Second Cristmas day, and we had a huge job with that boat. We said, that never again, but yesterday it was near to happen again.

 

[Nannysbees]

For all of our married life the whole family have come to us ... I cook .. so Christmas morning is usually the preparation and cooking of Christmas dinner ... usually accompanied by as much Croft Original as I can consume and still remain capable of cooking. We used to have a lot of ageing parents and relatives but sadly they have now passed on so it's just us, our children and grandchildren - whether they all make it for Christmas day this year is in some doubt after Covid and the last two years so it may be Zooms again and virtual Christmas day .... I missed the house full for the last two years so I live in hope but two of the children and grandchildren are scattered around the country so it remains to be seen.

Fingers crossed your family can make it

 

[Bluebell1985]

I'm working Xmas day all the way through to the 2nd. Getting home after long days and putting my feet up will be the plan.

 

[StephenT]

Polish Xmas Eve (Wigilia) at my mother in law‘s over the road followed by me cooking an English version on Xmas Day. My parents will head up the road from Windsor and hopefully my sister in law + partner and 4 kids will be able to make it over from Brussels otherwise it will be a bit on the quiet side.

 

[Brian Bush]

Tend to have a quiet day. Usually the 90+ yr old in-laws are our only guests. We are down to one in-law now. A couple of years ago we had some friends from the village who had a late mix up over Christmas day. They thought they were going to their sons. Daughter-in-law informed them a few days before Christmas that they were only invited for Boxing Day.
We invited them round and had one of the best Christmas days I can remember. I am hoping they are available this year. Otherwise it is a 91 yr old mother-in-law and a veggie wife to keep me company with the turkey. I hope she takes my hints about a good bottle of malt from Santa.

 

[Moobee]

At the moment it's me and the OH with big bird and all the trimmings, followed by Boxing day at ours with cold cuts etc and a load of friends.
We've been known to have waifs and strays at ours (mainly those we heard would be on their own) and have also had some of our best Christmases with friends over the years but our besties are with their families this time.

 

[Finman]

It seems that you do not mind about Corona in the UK.

 

[pargyle]

It seems that you do not mind about Corona in the UK.

I think in some cases you are right.

It's one of the reasons why I don't have a lot of confidence that I will get to see my children and grandchildren at Xmas again this year. We have a grandson in the North of England who is now nearly 18 months old and we have seen him once so far. It would have been twice but his mother and father caught Covid in the summer when we were heading to Scotland for a wedding and our planned visit had to be cancelled. Covid has so much to answer for over the last couple of years and we are facing a potentially more serious variant now which is already here. Worrying times and some people are not taking it seriously,

 

[Nannysbees]

I think in some cases you are right.

It's one of the reasons why I don't have a lot of confidence that I will get to see my children and grandchildren at Xmas again this year. We have a grandson in the North of England who is now nearly 18 months old and we have seen him once so far. It would have been twice but his mother and father caught Covid in the summer when we were heading to Scotland for a wedding and our planned visit had to be cancelled. Covid has so much to answer for over the last couple of years and we are facing a potentially more serious variant now which is already here. Worrying times and some people are not taking it seriously,

Scary isn't it, my son has just finished isolation after having it, we had to cancel his babys christening and now my daughters 6 year old has it so they have just gone into isolation, christening delayed until December, in the lap of the gods if it goes ahead, church and reception limited numbers

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It seems that you do not mind about Corona in the UK.

I think in some cases you are right.

been fielding calls for the last few days from people who want the Christmas day service to go ahead, but it's definitely not going to happen now. Last year we all stayed at home which was weird seeing as we are all less than a mile apart, still not convinced anything will happen this year even though the outlaws have been very sensible, they are in a 'bubble with the brother in law as they help out with caring for his youngest and his partner has acted all along as if there is no pandemic so we've steered well clear, with my compromised immune system I can't afford to take any risks.

 

[Bluebell1985]

It seems that you do not mind about Corona in the UK.

I'm forced into public contact due to my job. As such I avoid contact with my vulnerable family members. I do lateral flow tests weekly as a minimum and certainly before see any family. I absolutely dread bringing the virus home but can't not go to work.

I've tested positive twice and felt terrible both times. Double vaccinated and can't wait for the booster.

 

[Finman]

Sorry .... many of you have had more contact to Covid than I can imagine...

 

[pargyle]

Sorry .... many of you have had more contact to Covid than I can imagine...

Yes ... and it's not over yet. Hunker down over there in Finland - you don't want to catch it. Have you had your vaccinations ?