One. ‘Christmas might be cancelled’. We’ll be doomed to Zoom. Generously giving out extra minutes whether we like it or not. Which we don’t, because it’s boring when you can’t all talk at once.
Two ‘Christmas is coming’. Doomed to racing about wondering what the fuck to do about obtaining Christmas presents or special food, the sort that is different from what you always eat. Or anxiously predicting who will forget to be extra nice ‘because it’s Christmas’.
Three. What to do with the holly. Thinking ‘that’s going to look nice round about Christmas time’ or ‘let’s fashion wreaths and sell them on ebay’. Google says that Holly isn’t a decoration, it’s what birds like best. We’re so busy we don’t even see the berries, but the poor song thrush does. Through the window in our front room.
Inspired, I made baby holly trees. Next year the garden is going to be stuffed with free bird food.
Holly is for birds and we all know not to give dogs for Christmas (even though a puppy sounds like the most ideal present if you ask me). The list of ‘what isn’t just for Christmas’ goes on. I found more.
Good will to others. Can go beyond taking unwanted presents to the recycling, extra charity donations or whatever else we do to appease the Christmas guilt.
Our community centre is mobilising a small army to ensure that everybody gets to eat. I signed up for collecting surplus food and the next day we were importantly racing across Dartmoor to pick up free vegetables. At the collection point, people from all over Devon gathered to pick up whatever was there and exchange notes. Somebody loaded our car with bananas while we listened rumours about the empty cruise ships, and why that meant there might be a warehouse of cruise food going spare next. It was exciting feel part of a gang that might be legally raiding warehouses next.
We proudly delivered a lot of bananas back to the community centre where other volunteers had to work out what to do about them. Luckily the village store cupboard had room, so that is where they ended up. I went there later on, took the rotting ones and force fed myself to avoid waste.
Volunteering is a great option if you have the time. Everybody says thank you, it’s good for self esteem and you can do it all year round.
And when you drive past the cruise ships you look at them with a kind of ownership. They too are part of the community all of a sudden.
Twinkly Lights. Last week we had the pumpkin trail in this village, there were lights everywhere and the streets were full of families and excitement. No we didn’t win first prize and yes there are bitter feelings about that. Look at the photos below and scroll back to my photo from last week and make your own mind up. But the point is that winter lights cheer everybody up, for months. Let’s put them from now until spring. Meet me back here next week for the next instalment on that.
Chickens. Theoretically a non laying chicken is destined for the pot, especially at Christmas.
Beyond this garden, with its holly trees great and small, they got Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. Oh let the merry organs play.
After a long and sleepless week, it feels like all our Christmases came at once.
you made me laugh and gave me hope… thank you
Yay. Glad you laughed. As long as we have laughter we have hope. This must be a famous quote from somebody.
Thank you for cheering me up again, Jo. This afternoon I’ve been watching 2 thrushes in my garden
eating holly berries and that’s made me smile too.