Are you all ready for Christmas?

[Ruby Slippers]

I have all the presents but no food as yet, so there will now be frantic comings and goings to the supermarket! Although we will be on our own for Christmas Day, on Boxing Day we will be entertaining the family, so that takes a bit of organisation. Still, at least it's only once a year! How about the rest of you? What are your Christmas plans?

[bigken]

Getting there slowly on the present front. No need for a big food shop for us as there is only the 2 off us at home for Christmas dinner ( might even go out yet )

[Mad Dilys]

I bought the presents early, but only started to wrap them a couple of days ago so haven't finished yet. I'm hoping to post the parcels in a day or two, depends if my new scooter is delivered! It should be this week in time for me to ferry my parcels to the Post Office.

I live alone and mobility is a big issue at the moment so rarely go out. I had a big scooter given me, but it was basically too big to go in and out of the house - so that has been donated to Age Concern where I'm sure they will be able to find a suitable home for her. the new one I spent a long time researching and visited the supplier several times and tried several out. Thanks Ruby for giving me the name of Careco. I'll post how I get on with it.

Because of the mobility problem I can't go shopping on foot, but buy everything on line, including food and household stuff. Fantastic service and prices. I salve my conscience about the small trader by admitting that everything has it's day and in this day and age there are very limited places for small shops. The high street is dead and buried, but shopping malls do offer more chances and a better environment for both customer and trader in large towns and cities - a different proposition in country towns where the councils charge ridiculous taxes. I just wish that Amazon would pay fair taxes. Of course it is a good outlet for small traders too - only just thought of that,

I've bought myself some goodies to enjoy over the holiday - mainly Craft stuff. So I will tell you how I get on with it. I'm hoping to start clay modelling. The only modelling I've done is mostly with plasticine. We have had a little competition at home when we are all together over recent years where the youngest member of the family choses a subject and we all have a short time limit to complete it using plasticine.

When I had the family at home I always decorated the house and had a tree, just in celebration of Life and Family. Almost any excuse for a party I say.

[Ruby Slippers]

I'm glad you found Careco of use to you, MD. Which scooter are you getting? I will certainly be interested in how you get on with it. I am still looking! Hopefully, as soon as Christmas is over. Fortunately for me, DH is still driving, so if I need to go anywhere, he takes me. Today has seen the start of the Christmas food shopping. DH has gone out to get frozen stuff today. I haven't put up a tree or decoration this year either. Just can't get into the Christmas spirit for some reason. Ah well! It will save DH a bit of work!

[Mad Dilys]

A Li-Tech Air + Lithium scooter Ruby. It's the middle of the range just over £1,000. Range up to 12 miles

Total weight 41Kg divides into 4 pieces plus chair arms and basket if required, heaviest part 15 kg, all round suspension, battery can be removed for charging leaving the scooter in the car rather than storing it indoors.

I can't put up pictures at the moment but it's also a pretty turquoise colour as well.

[FABlux]

This will be our first Xmas in France, shame our decorations are still in Luxor! We hadn't made plans for Xmas when we left, I think we just expected to be back there, but then friends here said "Stay" & our son said he had holiday from 27th Dec & was coming over so we stayed

Have bought a few decorations & been fairly hectic socially. Started with this concert on 8th. We weren't at all sure but we were talking to Belinda when she was organising it & decided to go & actually thoroughly enjoyed it! We then won first prize in the raffle which was a candlelit dinner for 4 at the chateau in spring

XmasEvent2019.pdf

[Mad Dilys]

Well, my Unchristmas present wrapping is almost finished. Now for the problem of A parcelling it all up and B getting it to the Post Office.

For the last year I've been wrapping my presents in coloured Tissue Paper that I got from Amazon, Lovely colours and pretty strong too I think it was 30 0r maybe 50 sheets for less than £3. Fantastic value and apparently excellent for crafting too.

Talking of which my Unchristmas presents to myself are, courtesy of Amazon Lightning deals. In other words only available for a day or less if stocks run out, which they often do. You can see what percentage is left for sale and how many hours left - some of them are amazing. Just for fun I bought a quartz man's watch, including delivery for 20p.

Yesterday I got over 50% off a pack of 14 mixed colour 120ml tubes of Acrylic paint that I was yearning for for make Mandalas (more of which anon.) I also selected a wide variety of stencils to help with the card making my youngest daughter wants me to do.

I saw at a big markdown on a set of Mandala tools which are also suitable for clay modelling and I have 2 Pkts terracotta and 2 Pkts while modelling clay waiting.

Just for a finale I took delivery of my new scooter yesterday. I'm hoping the weather dries up enough for me to go out this afternoon.

Whew!

I have been saving up, but obviously I would have had much less without the sales.

[FABlux]

Have you managed to get out on your scooter yet MD? You seem to get some great bargains on Amazon, never heard of lightning deals, maybe you need Prime? We needed a new remote controller for the boiler and it worked out over 5£/Euros cheaper to get it from Amazon UK with £4 postage than the same one in Amazon France Luckily one of the French reviews said it came with English manual but they got the French one online so we looked on the UK site!

What are mandalas?

Did you put up any decorations in the end RS?

Have a happy XMas all.

[Mad Dilys]

It's mostly been raining here since I got the scooter, when it isn't raining I've had to wait in for tradesmen I live in hope.

I do have Amazon Prime and also recently joined the scheme where 1% of your bill will be donated to a charity of your choice, little enough but with the turnover Amazon has, a very considerable amount. When I buy something there is a note on the bill saying that the charity Smile is nominated for a donation.

If you Google Mandala you will easily see what it is. .At the moment I can't cope with putting picture up here, but hope to before the new year. I'm just playing with my art projects over the holiday period. Really looking forward to it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala

This really explains every aspect of Mandala in many religions and Jung was greatly in favour of making mandalas to restore inner peace.

I just think they are lovely and very relaxing to paint.