P&O Cruisers - What are things like where YOU are?

[Angel57]

10 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thanks Sandra we were all very close and all our late parents are sadly missed.

Graham.

Every year I put up the last Christmas card my Mum gave me before her death.....

Christmas does remind one of all those fabulous times spent with loved ones now sadly gone.

 

With regards to Christmas cards, I still send them but the list has been trimmed a bit.

I love to receive cards from school friends, cruise friends etc etc as it is often the only time of the year I hear from them and their news (altho no one has much to tell this year).
And it may sound rather sad but I so enjoy trying to work out who sent me the card from the handwriting on the envelope.......

 

The price of sending them is outrageous. I remember many years ago the Post Office brought out a Christmas stamp which I believe was 12p......

[Adawn47]

35 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Quite right Harry, there should be room for everyone. 
 

My coping mechanism is to understand what’s going on around me, and to have facts and figures to hand.  I also enjoy other people opinions on what is going on - whether I personally agree with them or not.

 

As I was involved in yesterday’s conversation ( and that’s what it was) I now feel abashed that I might have ‘driven people away’, and as a result don’t really feel like posting today.🤷‍♀️
 

 

I also have enjoyed good discussions on here about everything and I agree we have a wide variety of interesting topics. I have to admit that the sometimes heated conversations, not yours, as you are one of the polite posters, have begun to chip away at my positive side and thought it would be better if I withdrew for a while.  I guess I'm just too sensitive at the moment. It's no-ones fault but mine and I'd hate for you to think I was blaming anyone for my demeanor. Keep posting  Dermotsgirl and I'll keep reading them🙂

Avril

[Dermotsgirl]

50 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Precisely. Couldn’t agree more. Please continue to post - your posts are always polite, reasoned and informative, adding to the fund of information.

 

Room for all of us, all topics, provided it stays polite, which it always does. 👍

 

45 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I agreed totally with your posts yesterday and think you are a great poster and friend.

Graham.

Thanks to both.❤️

[P&O SUE]

31 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

The post lady has just delivered our first Christmas card this year, my school friend Barbara has obviously decided to get ahead of the rest of us  lol.

 
I have one friend who is always the first every year - normally drops on my mat December 1st! The way the post is this year I should get mine done early. Not sure I’ll be writing ‘have a lovely time’ on them though!!

[P&O SUE]

1 minute ago, Adawn47 said:

I also have enjoyed good discussions on here about everything and I agree we have a wide variety of interesting topics. I have to admit that the sometimes heated conversations, not yours, as you are one of the polite posters, have begun to chip away at my positive side and thought it would be better if I withdrew for a while.  I guess I'm just too sensitive at the moment. It's no-ones fault but mine and I'd hate for you to think I was blaming anyone for my demeanor. Keep posting  Dermotsgirl and I'll keep reading them🙂

Avril

 
Yes I’ve stayed away a bit lately Avril, keep smiling lovely lady 😊

[Presto2]

Morning everyone from a miserable, damp, wet and gloomy Stoke on Trent 😞 Looks like yet another lockdown Saturday for us, so off to look at the cruise line offers for cruises we probably wont do, but it keeps me entertained for an hour or so. We have been looking at land holidays too for 2022 as the TUI brochure is out and we have a deposit on a holiday for Aug 2021 that we are not feeling too comfortable about. We had booked that with Hays Travel to give them some custom so if we change it or cancel we will probably book with them to try and 'help out'.

All this talk about Christmas is frightening - we had our first Christmas card on Thursday from someone who thought it may take a month to get here. Took 2 days. Have to say, that is unusual at the minute as the post around here is terrible. Over half term we posted 2 letters in Buxton (those were the days when we could venture out). It took them 2 days to get a) to Longton and b) to Dudley. A friend posted a card the same day in Longton and it took 9 days to go to a house about 2 miles away. Have no idea what is going on.

Re cooking .... mmmmmmm .... I am ok with the Christmas dinner but not really done any other cooking for years. When we met I promised Mr Presto that I would bake some mince pies at Christmas. Now I never said which Christmas and 26 yrs later he is still waiting !!!!!!! Perhaps if we have to self isolate this year may be the year ..... if I can remember what to do 😉

Anyway, off to look at other threads now - see some of you there 🙂

[grapau27]

9 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

Every year I put up the last Christmas card my Mum gave me before her death.....

Christmas does remind one of all those fabulous times spent with loved ones now sadly gone.

 

With regards to Christmas cards, I still send them but the list has been trimmed a bit.

I love to receive cards from school friends, cruise friends etc etc as it is often the only time of the year I hear from them and their news (altho no one has much to tell this year).
And it may sound rather sad but I so enjoy trying to work out who sent me the card from the handwriting on the envelope.......

 

The price of sending them is outrageous. I remember many years ago the Post Office brought out a Christmas stamp which I believe was 12p......

Lovely post Gill.

Pauline does the same with her late mam's cards.

Graham.

[majortom10]

12 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Absolutely no problem with discussion about anything , I enjoy taking part, but unfortunately it does occasionally become condescending and righteous. 

Obviously some don't see this and think it is fair game to make others feel  uncomfortable, stupid or ignorant... 

Andy 

Very well said and unfortunately the minority ruin it for the majority. 

[Presto2]

11 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

 
I have one friend who is always the first every year - normally drops on my mat December 1st! The way the post is this year I should get mine done early. Not sure I’ll be writing ‘have a lovely time’ on them though!!

Makes me feel guilty for writing 'and best wishes for a wonderful New Year 2020' last year ! That didn't work very well so this year it will be 'and bets wishes for a better New Year 2021' as that has more chance !

[Adawn47]

55 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

I completely agree that there is room for us all and for a broad range of topics.

 

I do however think that from time to time there are posts which are just plain nasty and posters whose one intent is to stir up trouble. I don’t agree that it is always polite. There are some really sarcastic and superior comments made, thankfully a minority.
 

I have no problems with genuine debate on any subject.

 

 

Precisely Eglesbrech. You've nailed it in one 👍

Avril

[grapau27]

12 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

I also have enjoyed good discussions on here about everything and I agree we have a wide variety of interesting topics. I have to admit that the sometimes heated conversations, not yours, as you are one of the polite posters, have begun to chip away at my positive side and thought it would be better if I withdrew for a while.  I guess I'm just too sensitive at the moment. It's no-ones fault but mine and I'd hate for you to think I was blaming anyone for my demeanor. Keep posting  Dermotsgirl and I'll keep reading them🙂

Avril

Stay positive Avril.

After thinking about Pauline the next thing I did when in hospital recovering from my heart attack and more recently with Covid19 was to click on P&O UK cc site on my mobile to chat to everyone.

Ignore the trolls the nice people make our boards worth participating in.

Graham.

[grapau27]

18 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

 

Thanks to both.❤️

👍X.

[Dermotsgirl]

1 minute ago, Adawn47 said:

I also have enjoyed good discussions on here about everything and I agree we have a wide variety of interesting topics. I have to admit that the sometimes heated conversations, not yours, as you are one of the polite posters, have begun to chip away at my positive side and thought it would be better if I withdrew for a while.  I guess I'm just too sensitive at the moment. It's no-ones fault but mine and I'd hate for you to think I was blaming anyone for my demeanor. Keep posting  Dermotsgirl and I'll keep reading them🙂

Avril

Thanks Avril, that has reassured me.

 

I think lockdown affects us all - we’ve got more time on our hands, and it probably makes us think about things more deeply than normal.

 

I felt that I coped with lockdown 1 quite well. There was a sense that we were all in it together, and the weather was good - it helped me to keep a positive frame of mind. I was able to do lots of walking in the local area, and appreciated the natural world around me.

 

However, this time found, it’s more difficult. The country is more fragmented, and the late autumn/early winter weather has been dull around here. I was expecting to go into tier 3 - but, even so, when it was confirmed, it didn’t feel good - I think we are going to be in this tier for a long time, and I worry for all the local businesses that I use, it must be so tough for them.

 

Although I like to keep up to date with information, I think it’s possible to consume too much news, especially when the news is bad. I’m trying to step away from too much news for a while, and read more, and do more puzzles. I think this might help me
 

we will endure and come out the other side of this - but it might be a slog on some days 

 

 

[AnnieC]

48 minutes ago, Purdey16 said:

Graham  I don’t celebrate Christmas or birthdays because of my religion, but that brought a tear to my eye , what a lovely thing for Pauline to do every year for you and your lovely late mum 

sandra 

I agree, Sandra, sniff. Well done Graham and Pauline.

 

My lovely Mother died two and a half years ago and I have a delightful photo of her, taken at one of the girls' weddings, in the sitting room. Each Christmas we put a Santa hat on it so that she can join in with us, as she always did when she was alive. 

 

Another sniff...

[Dermotsgirl]

19 minutes ago, P&O SUE said:

 
I have one friend who is always the first every year - normally drops on my mat December 1st! The way the post is this year I should get mine done early. Not sure I’ll be writing ‘have a lovely time’ on them though!!

Yes, good point - I’ll be careful what I say in my cards this year.

 

I bought my cards in the sales after Christmas last year and got my husband’s card from Funky Pigeon. 
 

I will make a start on my cards this weekend, with a view to posting them by the end of the week. The post is very dodgy round here at the moment.

 

I’ll pop neighbour’s cards through their door, but everything else will have to go through the post. 

[Adawn47]

59 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Apricots dipped in chocolate / apricots chopped fine bound in chocolate

Dates stuffed with golden marzipan/ marzipan with almonds or walnuts on top

 

Those are a definite for me to try. 😋 

Avril

[AnnieC]

3 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

Those are a definite for me to try. 😋 

Avril

Don't know if you remember kindly giving me your scone recipe, Avril? Well, it's going to be tested at Christmas. I shall report back.🤞

 

 

[indiana123]

11 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

Thanks Avril, that has reassured me.

 

I think lockdown affects us all - we’ve got more time on our hands, and it probably makes us think about things more deeply than normal.

 

I felt that I coped with lockdown 1 quite well. There was a sense that we were all in it together, and the weather was good - it helped me to keep a positive frame of mind. I was able to do lots of walking in the local area, and appreciated the natural world around me.

 

However, this time found, it’s more difficult. The country is more fragmented, and the late autumn/early winter weather has been dull around here. I was expecting to go into tier 3 - but, even so, when it was confirmed, it didn’t feel good - I think we are going to be in this tier for a long time, and I worry for all the local businesses that I use, it must be so tough for them.

 

Although I like to keep up to date with information, I think it’s possible to consume too much news, especially when the news is bad. I’m trying to step away from too much news for a while, and read more, and do more puzzles. I think this might help me
 

we will endure and come out the other side of this - but it might be a slog on some days 

 

 

Wow... I could have written that... word for word it is exactly how I feel.  I was absolutely fine in the first lockdown.  

Perhaps its because we live in the same area... or could be long lost cousins!!!!😀

 

[Harry Peterson]

34 minutes ago, purplesea said:

A couple of friends have said they are not doing Christmas cards this year and giving the money to charity instead.

That's what we had in mind - it does make more sense, but as always the concern is offending people you've always sent cards to.

 

I suspect card sending is very much age related.  Rather like watching traditional TV programmes, as against user-generated stuff.  Or my Radio Times, programmes (not shows!) ringed in advance to set the Humax to record to hard drive.

[grapau27]

9 minutes ago, AnnieC said:

I agree, Sandra, sniff. Well done Graham and Pauline.

 

My lovely Mother died two and a half years ago and I have a delightful photo of her, taken at one of the girls' weddings, in the sitting room. Each Christmas we put a Santa hat on it so that she can join in with us, as she always did when she was alive. 

 

Another sniff...

Pauline has seen a few amazing mediums who said things that was impossible to guess.

I'm sure your dear mam is with you all the time Annie.

Graham.

[Dermotsgirl]

2 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

Wow... I could have written that... word for word it is exactly how I feel.  I was absolutely fine in the first lockdown.  

Perhaps its because we live in the same area... or could be long lost cousins!!!!😀

 

If you have Essex, Berkshire or Scotland in your family tree we could be related! 
 

I spoke to my friend the other day on the phone. She’s still out there in the working world, but said that most people are finding it tougher going this time. 
 

 

[AnnieC]

1 minute ago, grapau27 said:

Pauline has seen a few amazing mediums who said things that was impossible to guess.

I'm sure your dear mam is with you all the time Annie.

Graham.

She is, Graham. A terrific Mum and I was very lucky - she died aged 94 and three quarters, so I was very lucky to have her for as long as I did.

[ann141]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Here’s a little question for those who still send Christmas cards, particularly those who post their own round the neighbourhood.

 

We’ve always hand delivered all the cards we send to friends in our village - getting on for a hundred. £65 for 100 cards to Royal Mail is a fair chunk!

 

This year that’s probably illegal in Tier 3.  So we’re looking a little more carefully at the list this year. Sticking a card through 100 letter boxes involves little more than a walk. Spending £65 for someone with a Yorkshire background takes a little more thought.

 

Should we bite the bullet and hand £65 to Royal Mail, or be a little more ‘selective’ this year? Probably the latter.

 

Anyone else going through a similar though process? Or maybe I’m just too tight fisted.........🤔

 

 

I have decided that because I have more free time at the moment and because I have not seen many friends for months that I will be sending more Christmas cards than usual and writing notes in each card(thats my aim)Normally I don't exchange cards with people I see regularly.I will also be hand delivering a lot of them (for the exercise!) However I have bought 48 stamps this morning for over £30!!

I have to confess that although I have made my christmas cards I will be relying on M and S for christmas dinner including ready prepared roast pots, sprouts christmas pud and even custard!

[AnnieC]

8 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

Wow... I could have written that... word for word it is exactly how I feel.  I was absolutely fine in the first lockdown.  

Perhaps its because we live in the same area... or could be long lost cousins!!!!😀

 

As could I. Bit up and down this time, last time was fine. 

[Dermotsgirl]

6 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

That's what we had in mind - it does make more sense, but as always the concern is offending people you've always sent cards to.

 

I suspect card sending is very much age related.  Rather like watching traditional TV programmes, as against user-generated stuff.  Or my Radio Times, programmes (not shows!) ringed in advance to set the Humax to record to hard drive.

Ringing programmes in the TV magazine is one of those ye olde Christmas traditions. Over the years, I’ve found that there’s less and less that I want to watch.

 

This year I will make a point of watching Call The Midwife and All Creatures Great and Small. Not sure yet if there’s much else that will be ‘must see’.  Fortunately, we have Netflix and have just signed up to Amazon Prime, so we’ll have plenty of other things to watch