Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

[Shop66]

Merry Christmas shoppers!

 

[Glamourkitty]

Nadolig Llawen from Wales,

 

[Silver Fox]

I have had enjoyable Christmases when I used to go off to the sun and meet new and old friends, other times when I was hospital hoping my Father was going to pull through, on Christmas Eve when my Mother & I joined the Nurses in the hospital singing carols Dad looked and waved at us, he was back! Best Christmas ever.
So many others, good, bad and very bad but we come through it is just makes us what we are.Good luck cyber friends!

 

[Dame Fondacox]

Merry Chirstmas everyone and here's to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022.

 

[Loveinamist]

Very Best Wishes Everybody, Lots of Love

 

[Bigbean]

Nadolig Llawen from Wales,

And Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr from the Western Highlands…..here’s hoping 2022 will be more ‘normal’ than the past 2 years although I suspect our normal will never be the same again. I’m just recovering from Covid but having had my vaccinations (and very recently the booster) I’ve fortunately only had cold-like systems

 

[boffy]

Merry Chirstmas everyone and here's to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022.

And remember you won't be prosperous if you spend all your money with QVC

 

[ERICS MUM]

I was feeling sorry for myself earlier, stewing over little things family and a neighbour have said which upset me. Now I’ve read these lovely posts and you’ve made me cry !

Sometimes I feel like running away from home, age 66 and with the cat under one arm but I know my depression would travel with me ! I need to sort myself out in 2022 !

Anyway Season’s Greetings to you all. You are all lovely people in unique ways and this is my ‘go-to’ forum for a bit of fun

 

[Brissles]

EM I was at my lowest ebb 3 weeks ago. A tricky gall bladder removal at 73 rendered me f......g useless ! I desperately tried to think there were others worse off - but difficult to do when you're in the midst of despair yourself. Leaving hospital my brother was able to stay for 2 days to help me, but after that I was on my own, so my days were slowly walking little dog up the road then collapsing on the sofa with Netflix for company. Yes, I am getting better every day, but feeling wiped out, exhausted and knackered just about covers it.

Its the realisation that our older bodies simply cannot bounce back from a trauma like they did 40 years ago, so its just going with the flow. Yes I've had many weeping sessions on my own, I have good local friends and neighbours who offer help, but its only ourselves that can get us out of our malaise. Sadly with depression you can't 'pull yourself together' at the click of a finger, so do the best you can for you EM. My little dog Maiko is in need of a good trim, and is currently like a real life Charlie Bear, so my comfort place is cuddling her, and God I feel so much better. Love to you and Eric.

 

[User 23988]

Merry Christmas to everyone on the QVC forum.
Bah Humbug to all the QVC tat sellers,still shamelessly pushing Qurio at every opportunity.

 

[Silver Fox]

Brissles keep going we sometimes do forget we are getting older but you will pull through and with the help of your little dog.I am on my own, no family or siblings and yes it does hit home sometimes then I hear of someone with family problems and think well maybe it is not so bad!I had some experiences last year, just say not the best and when I felt things were getting me down I just thought of my parents and if they could come back just for a few minutes and see where I was & how life had turned out for me how pleased they would be.So I kept going for them, there are two ways, down or up and the first is not an option.I have to say however I fortunately have not encountered that real depression where people cannot pick themselves up.Hope you are feeling better soon xx

 

[Huggles]

Merry Christmas to all, no matter how big or small your celebrations are, enjoy every second. Life is good for most of us and I always thank my lucky stars I have family and friends to share my life with. We are blessed if we do. However, I am working on Christmas Day (NHS never closes) and will be with people who are severely ill. Makes me count even my blessings even more.
Peace and love

 

[Twilight]

I was feeling sorry for myself earlier, stewing over little things family and a neighbour have said which upset me. Now I’ve read these lovely posts and you’ve made me cry !

Sometimes I feel like running away from home, age 66 and with the cat under one arm but I know my depression would travel with me ! I need to sort myself out in 2022 !

Anyway Season’s Greetings to you all. You are all lovely people in unique ways and this is my ‘go-to’ forum for a bit of fun

I was delighted when I read that you & Tilly had found each other. Our home, & Sox's, is always open to you should you want to run away. As for sorting yourself out, there are plenty who are nowhere near as sorted as you EM xXx

 

[boffy]

EM I was at my lowest ebb 3 weeks ago. A tricky gall bladder removal at 73 rendered me f......g useless ! I desperately tried to think there were others worse off - but difficult to do when you're in the midst of despair yourself. Leaving hospital my brother was able to stay for 2 days to help me, but after that I was on my own, so my days were slowly walking little dog up the road then collapsing on the sofa with Netflix for company. Yes, I am getting better every day, but feeling wiped out, exhausted and knackered just about covers it.

Its the realisation that our older bodies simply cannot bounce back from a trauma like they did 40 years ago, so its just going with the flow. Yes I've had many weeping sessions on my own, I have good local friends and neighbours who offer help, but its only ourselves that can get us out of our malaise. Sadly with depression you can't 'pull yourself together' at the click of a finger, so do the best you can for you EM. My little dog Maiko is in need of a good trim, and is currently like a real life Charlie Bear, so my comfort place is cuddling her, and God I feel so much better. Love to you and Eric.

Sorry to hear about your op and ongoing loneliness and your op. It's more common than you think hun. Big big gentle hugs Brissles

 

[maymorganlondon]

This forum is the best!!! I think we all struggle at times, and particularly through this endless pandemic time life has been very hard for many of us who live alone.
I have mainly worked from home too.
I am still decluttering so adding pets into the mix isn't, yet, a possibility.
I use Skype and FaceTime with some of the people I care about, but can't see.
I put my camera on for some of my work meetings so we can interact a bit more on a human level.
I am currently helping a friend get out to shop... but that's about it.
I am also quietly preparing for the worst this Christmas... I may still end up having a repeat of last year's solo Christmas, and I know it's the norm for many.
It doesn't really help to remind yourself that others may be having it worse than you. Our lows are still valid, as relative to our lives they are lows. I do try to visit that low space rather than move in permanently, though! Not permitting yourself to acknowledge or feel that lowness and that includes loneliness and depression is unhealthy... but I try to find light as well as shade.
Sending and receiving Christmas cards is a bright spot.
I will be putting up decorations at the weekend too. Lots of twinkling lights! I know I find it cheerful to look at once they are all up.
Sending you all love.

 

[ERICS MUM]

I was delighted when I read that you & Tilly had found each other. Our home, & Sox's, is always open to you should you want to run away. As for sorting yourself out, there are plenty who are nowhere near as sorted as you EM xXx

What a lovely post, thank you. Tilly has settled in so well and is now very affectionate which I love in a cat.

I feel so guilty having depression when really there’s nothing wrong in my life compared to the horrific illnesses and other issues many people have to deal with.

 

[llloyd]

I know I’ve posted this before, a good friend sent it to me, just accepting it’s there is a very big step to recovery.

 

[Twilight]

What a lovely post, thank you. Tilly has settled in so well and is now very affectionate which I love in a cat.

I feel so guilty having depression when really there’s nothing wrong in my life compared to the horrific illnesses and other issues many people have to deal with.

Please don't feel guilty, there are many different types of & reasons for depression &, as others have commented, being told to look on the bright side, think of others, pull yourself together & a zillion other things don't work. I'm a live in the moment person, believe that happiness is an absolute & that we should aim to be contented, not smug but at peace with our self. Every day I write down anything nice that's happened or something I've seen that's beautiful & put the note in a jar, on NYE I empty it out, read them & see which month was 'the best'. Most relate to nature, one of today's has been about watching a blackbird balancing on bouncing yew branches while eating the berries. I've experienced awful unhappiness, losing our first baby, my parents dying only months apart & my brother in law's horrendous illness, however, I can't say that I've never been depressed. What I do get are claustrophobic panic attacks & the overwhelming urge to get out of somewhere, an absolute nightmare when one happens on a plane. Be kind to yourself.

 

[catzrcool]

Merry Christmas to everyone, hope we all have a healthy and happy new year. Take care folks. xxx

 

[stratobuddy]

Happy Christmas to everyone from Torchbuddy - - - EDIT- - - I'd forgotten my name

I am hoping to go to OH's next week, if not locked down.

Just got some Covid tests as I have cold-like symptoms, which could now be an indication of omicron apparently. But I won't take a test until I am about to go to OH.

If I take a test now, and it is positive, I will have to isolate BY LAW until after xmas, not even allowed outside the door. But I've had the symptoms for over a week, so hopefully just a cold, but if it is covid, a test should be clear by next week. Obviously, I would not visit OH if positive.

By the way, re turkeygate (I bought turkey slices for xmas day, but OH wasn't pleased) so she's ordered a fresh turkey crown from her local butchers (and now they are back in stock at Lidl!!). I ate 12 of the turkey slices myself and they were delicious.

BTW the tests are a real pain to get now. You used to just ask the pharmacy for them, now you have to go online and go through lots of palaver (including them texting and emailing you codes you have to type in) to get a long complicated code, which you have to take to the pharmacy to collect a test. There are none available to order by post.