Silk undies,SALLY you really are very posh!!

I know! And they have CARP for dinner on Xmas day and everyone just has to go to Church (I never fancy that late mass when all those in the Church have been gorging on sprouts and veg all day lol!) But they are BIG on family. They adore my son (he sets up a British Sovereign Base Area in one of the bedrooms there when he is in residence just so he can 'ignore' some of the Polish rules and rituals!)

I'm just such a terrible house guest. I stay up late and get up very early and, having lived independently since I was about 16 just feel like a fish out of water in anyone else's house apart from my 3 kids. Even then I'm not as relaxed as I would be at home. (They definitely would not keep me in any old folks' home lol!)

Oh and the MiL's house has umpteen bedrooms and all FOUR daughters and their partners and kids stay there for Xmas.

A trip to Lapland to see Santa is starting to appeal lol!

This will make you laugh. Many years ago when Mart spent his first Xmas there with them he phoned me from somewhere in the turrets of the house and just said 'I am living in a Vodka hell mum' lol!

Evening Harvey. My mother must be Eastern European then she made us feel very guilty if we weren't all at hers for Christmas.
I work very hard at not being my mother.

So do I Lynn, so do I

Evening Lynne keep telling yourself the decorating will be worth it.
I would love to go to Lapland to see Santa.

June when the boys want to wind me up they say you are getting or sounding like nan.

Lynn, I think those of us with less than perfect mothers have to work very hard to avoid following in their footsteps

Taffsmum, it never ceases to astound me just how much tea/coffee and biccies workmen can get through in one day. I do hope that you bought more than one packet, and that they were choccy ones.

That made me laugh, I am always grumpy if I don't get my bowl of porridge and fruit for breakfast

Are you home yet Harvey or still traveling ?

Pat, the idea of taking the flat over whilst they are in Poland sounds more and more appealing.
I cannot see myself being reunited with my son, I really can't. What he has done is way beyond forgiveness in my mind. He has plundered my savings, he has lied and deceived me, he has stolen from me and he has left me in debt.
I had £2.96 in my purse today, and that is it until my state pension comes in on Saturday, I will be in this situation for a very very long time. I have got enough things in to last me till Saturday, but I never ever thought I would end up like this as I had made ample provision that meant I wouldn't have extreme money worries. I worked very very hard to get myself back onto an even keel after my disasterous marriage to an alcoholic and losing my home, a business and cars. Only for my eldest son to do the same to me all over again, only this time I cannot get a high powered job and work my socks off.