Merry Christmas To You All

[Lady_Musketeer_GER]

With Christmas approaching, I think that now is the best time for a personal retrospective:

What has made us happy this year?
What has made us sad?
Where did we have to fight, as things weren't going all that well?
What has brightened up our lives?

Whatever your answers may be, I do hope that you'll be delighted with all that Christmas has in store:
The warmth of home, the love of your family and all those who are close to your hearts no matter whether they be near or far.

May all that is beautiful, meaningful and joyful be yours this holiday season.

Here's wishing to you and your families a very merry Christmas!

 

[Mr.X]

Thanks Lady, I wish you and your husband also a joyful holiday and christmas.
It's a pleasure to have you here
All the best for you.

 

[glenwilson]

Merry Christmas to you and your family Lady. Thanks for four questions that help to us think about this year and how to put it in perspective.

Hope everyone else also has a good Christmas and new year and that 2017 will be better than what 2016 has felt like.

 

[lakaelo]

Thanks for you kind words manuela. my best wishes to you and stefan and to your hole family.

2016 was really not the best year for some of us so far i recognize that. so we all hopefully going into the the christmas time and a better year 2017

 

[ROMMELZ]

and a happy xmas to you my lady

 

[General_Misery]

Merry Christmas Lady and everybody!

2016? A really mixed bag especially in the world outside the personal sphere. The rise of right-wing ignorant populists (sadly not only Trump), climate change challenges looking worse, increasing inequality and the carnage in the Middle-East are all depressing and are sadly overshadowing many positive developments IMHO.

On the personal, smaller world it's been quite uneventful but getting a dog in June is one highlight. Our son completing upper secondary education is another - time flies, it seems like yesterday we played with Lego together and now he is at uni and (almost) an adult.

Oh, being a member of the world class clan of NRU is of course another subject for rejoicing - as always .

 

[Lady_Musketeer_GER]

Thank you all for your most gracious words.

True, the year 2016 has been a hard year, not only globally but also personally speaking.
Some of us have been fighting diseases, others have been confronted with changes in family life or business matters.

It’s good to have a place like NRU where people from all over the world come together to have a good time and a little laugh when the banter is in full swing.
That is what makes this clan even more precious, as we may actually take time out from our busy schedule as well as our daily routines and responsibilities.

A big thank you to all those who help to make this happen!

 

[IceDiverTom]

;-]

 

[ulthart]

I'd like to wish you and the whole team = NRU = healthy and merry christmas and a happy new year (do not spend it in Koln )

 

[IceDiverTom]

Hey yo,

come to colone this year !
Some of my friends with a very fine sens of humor are awaiting you ;-}

Black
Ice
^^

 

[pspieli66]

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thank you very much, Mr.X and lakaelo, I like to think back on the good times we had together when playing Battlefield 2.
All the best to you and your families (... and dogs, lol) as well!

 

[Lady_Musketeer_GER]

In the face of the latest terror attack in Berlin it becomes even more evident what Christmas really means.
It’s not the gifts under the tree that matter, neither the lights in the windows nor the stockings hanging in the living room – it’s something much bigger than that.

Some of us focus on the religious significance, whereas others lay emphasis on their family traditions which have developed over the years.
In either case Christmas is about giving and sharing.
It means sharing ourselves with others, in particular with all those we love and care for. People who we way too often take for granted in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

We may feel deeply connected not only to family members but also other attachment figures who play a vital role in our lives.
Let’s cherish them – in this year of dreadful terror more than ever.

 

[glenwilson]

Where I last worked the staff were multinational with quite a few Indian contractors. There were plenty of other nationalities too. That meant there were also loads of different religions (plus a few of us who didn't have any beliefs). However, despite Christmas being a Christian celebration everybody used it as a few weeks to be less formal at work, have a more relaxing time, have some lunches together and generally enjoy the holiday period.

In the past for us it was a family gathering because relatives lived within a short distance. There were many generations together for the Christmas dinner. Now though my relations are spread further apart not just within the U.K. but also abroad too. Also with Isobel and I having no brothers or sisters and only my Mum still being alive out of our parents Christmas dinner has become smaller! We would like to be with my Mum at Christmas but the cost of flying to London would be about £1000. More economical would be to drive but that would take a day there and back. So it will be just the two of us for Christmas. My mum will be busy with her friends and FaceTime/Skype are really useful and easy to use so we will be able to see her and chat.

On Christmas Day we still have special meal though not to the same scale as those before. I see my job as making sure that Isobel has a relaxing day where we can open presents, enjoy some drinks and have a nice meal. We can have the meal when we want so there is no rigid timetable. Yes, I do have a spreadsheet with cooking times to make sure everything is ready on time.

Don't get bogged down in all the tinsel and lights. If you don't get the present you wanted. If you forget something, dinner is late, burnt or whatever. The main thing though is to enjoy the day and time together as Lady says above. Take some time to reflect on the past year but don't dwell on it. What has happened is in the past. What you can affect is the future. With some people having new jobs, some losing jobs, additional family members, and many other changes in our lives, life can be a challenge. Don't forget yourself though. Sometimes you do need some 'me' time and need to be a little bit selfish.

I hope everyone has a great holiday period, that you get the presents you would like, have a chance to relax and just enjoy yourselves.

 

[Mr.X]

Wise words Lady!
I would say it is not only a family thing, the society was to ungracious in general to each other over the last years. ( Maybe our new "virtuel world" caused that).
I can remember the times where neighbours helped each other and had "Straßenfeste" (street partys)
Today everyone is "fighting" for his own...

I also work in a multinational company with all natonalities and different religions and half of my workmates have a foreign backround but "noone cares about that". It makes no difference from where they come. And btw they all have integrated themselves!

Assholes you have all over the world in every country and nationality and that way too much!

To all who are not, I wish a peaceful and relexed x-mas and take care of each other!

So that was my senstitive post for this year

 

[ulthart]

As for the terrorist attacks in Germany, we in Poland just we see it..

.

 

[Teofild]

Dear NRU friends I can only agree with you all in what is spoken above and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Safe New Year 2017.
In joyfulness of Christmas I share this years x-mas tree

 

[Lady_Musketeer_GER]

What a beautiful Christmas tree!

Instead of a tree we have arrayed a Victorian Christmas village on the window board, decorated with ligthed buildings, tiny little street lanterns with red wreaths, a carriage, carol singers, children playing in the “snow”... our two little nephews (2 years old) love watching this Christmas scenery, especially when it’s getting darker and the whole setting is illuminated.
Yes, they already know how to switch the lights on – they simply shove their little chairs towards the wall, climb them and press the push-button.
(No, it’s not dangerous, it goes without saying that we always have an eye on them.)

Thank you very much for sharing, Teo, have a lovely Christmas!

 

[HippY]

Had a bad year,can't wait for it to be over.head fucked. But..wish you all well Happy Christmas x

 

[glenwilson]

One thing that can be a pain over Christmas is cooking dinner. In the fun of present opening and so on the task of getting dinner ready things can get forgotten so a simple spreadsheet can help avoid things being missed or forgotten or not cooked properly. Also, because the meal can have more things it acts as a check list. The other thing is get the washing up done as you go along. That means you only have plates to wash afterwards!

Yes I know it sounds stupid and nerdy but it really helps avoid some of the tensions you can get.

Have a happy Christmas weekend, have fun, and enjoy it. For those that 2016 hasn't been great for, I hope that you too have some fun and that the future is better for you.


--- Post updated ---
Here is our tree.

 

[RIZLOID]

Merry Christmas to you all
Where I come from we celebrate the two great saints St. Guiness and St. Vodka and Im all for tradition