Tis the Season....

We put up our Christmas decorations at the weekendI wasn't really in the humourAnd the thoughts of getting in the Christmas spirit made me want to curl up in to a ball and cryBut As the day went onAnd we went through the atticAnd found all our decorations old and newI managed to cheer up a bitI did the whole treeDraped lights over the hall stand Lit cinnamon fragranced candlesAnd all of a sudden I felt really Christmassy We are having a quiet Christmas this year There will just be the six of usAnd my elderly neighbor is coming for dinnerBut I can't see her staying too longAs she likes a drinkAnd we always have an alcohol free Christmas I think back to Christmas growing upIt was always a wash outMy father would get horribly drunk It was always best to stay away from him before four drinks and after eight drinksHe would usually insult someone I can remember one Christmas when we all had to move to my sisters apartment because my father was on such a benderTough times needless to sayBut now Well none of us drink anymoreSo we have a quiet but civilised Christmas We have learned the hard way That alcohol just does not suit usI've been thinking recently That I really don't  miss alcohol I mean Nothing is real when you are drunkIt's like everything is fake And I don't like that 
This country has been battered by two storms over the last weekFirstWas storm ClodaghFollowed by storm Desmond The west bore the brunt of itRivers burst their banks Fields were floodedRoads too Trees blew downPoor animals had an awful time And worst of all Peoples houses were floodedI was speaking to a woman in the supermarket yesterdayAnd the whole ground floor of her house was completely floodedShe showed me a video on her phone of the damage It looked just horrendousWhat sort of Christmas will she have now?I count my lucky stars that we weren't effected by the storms 
In other news I found out about a writing group in my area that is starting in JanuaryIt sounds great They meet every second Monday And there is no pressure I'm actually really looking forward to itBredas words yesterday really resonated with meShe said that I am too young to sit and home and waste my life I need to get out and about more Meet people Socialise Expand a little bit Because at the moment Short of walking my dogs and bloggingI am doing very little I need something to take me away from myselfAnd out of my own head 
Also On Thursday I am going to get another piercing doneEither my septum Or my upper lipI am super excited to get it doneAnd of course I wil document the whole thing for you My parents despair at why I am doing thisAnd I am secretly kind of enjoying that It feeds my need to be a bit of a rebel 
So that's it from me today As promised I will do a Christmas survival kit post sometime this weekAs I know it can be a really tough time of year There are not many of us bloggers left Do we need to stick together look out for each other And support each other Christmas can really be a lonely time of year Maybe you're recently bereaved Or estranged from your family Maybe you're dealing with illnessMental or physical Maybe you have no one to spend Christmas Day with Maybe you are struggling with foodOr your mood is low Maybe the thoughts of Christmas send your anxiety in to over drive Maybe you don't even want to celebrate Because you can't find a reason to I think it's so important to reach out to the vulnerable at this time of year Call in to an elderly neighbourMaybe get them a little gift Maybe invite them over for dinnerOr help them with their shopping It really is the little things that make a huge differenceSaying hello to someone on the street Giving them a smile It may be the only human voice they hear all day And it might just brighten their day
One thing I like to do at this time of year Is leave an anonymous letter for someone to find A really positive letter to make someone feel good I've left them before in car parks On windows of cars In public bathrooms It's just spreading a little bit of loveAt a time when people are so caught up in themselves and their own lives
I truly hope that you have a relaxing and peaceful Christmas this yearGod knows you deserve itI hope you get to spend time with the people you loveAnd tell them Tell them how much they mean to youThat can be the greatest gift of allUsually at this time of year I use it as an excuse to over take my meds And generally be a bit out of itBut this year I am going to do my best to be present and lucidSo I can really be part of things And enjoy it I am so blessed to be able to say that my family are doing well at the moment Between addiction, mental health issues and resentments My family really has been through the wars But We have managed to get through itAnd come out the other sideI am eternally grateful for that And as my mother often saysGiven what we have been throughWe are not doing to badly at all
Merry ChristmasTo you and yours....