You know I'm actually looking forward to Christmas this year. It struck me as I was walking through all of Colchester's Chav's watching the Military Police patroling with the regular police.
I'm actually looking forward to it and I haven't for a long time, not since I was a little girl.

I'm looking forward to it because I'm spending it with my boyfriend, a friend and NOT the Family.
Don't get me wrong I love my Family...but they drive me mad. My Mum works with animals and comes in snappy and complains and moans about working and how cold it is and takes EVERYTHING out on me and starts acting as if I'm doing everything I can to annoy her....hello...I'm 25 not 5!
For example my Grandmother descends on us at Christmas, (she's a rude senile bitch), and I accidently left the Printer on, she asked me about it thinking that the computer was still on and I was accused by my Mum of doing it deliberately.
Secondly my Mother likes to do ALL the work with the Horses herself....it adds to her legend. She won't take my Dad and Brother with her simply because they left the hay on the football field, where there where NO Horses.
But probably the main reason WHY I'm not going to go home this year is Boxing Day.
On Boxing Day, (either they come here or we go there), my Uncle, Aunt and Cousins descend on us.
This is why I don't like it:

1) My Aunt is a VERY cold and prim woman. I have nothing in common with her and after the first forced greeting she has a way of pursing her lips to make you feel as if she's done with you then and there and shouldn't have to be bothered with you anymore.
2) My Uncle STILL treats his 16 and 13 year olds as if they where little girls of 8 or 10. Rachel is 13 and STILL goes to Girl Guides!!!! I was done and finished with that when I was 10.
3) Tyra Banks pisses me off...but thats nothing to do with this. I'm sick of the adverts for her buttkissing crappy show.
4) Where was I...Kerry Katona is a filthy slag with a stupid name....oh yeah, my cousins: NEITHER of them speak to me and both answer in small mouse like voices AND if you ask them a question their Father answers and the younger is VERY SPOILT anyway.
5) Short of saying grace round the table the whole house has an undercurrent of Christianity. I was once told by the older when she was about six that if I ever went blind I should go down to the river and wash mud on my eyes and god would make me see....it's like being related to the Flanders Family!
http://www.synergizedsolutions.com/simpsons/pictures/others/theflanders.gif

My Aunt agrees that they are very cold and their hospitality is very poor and that they make you feel as if they are wondering when you are going to leave.
Even my Grandparents BEST FRIEND has noticed it.

Another thing that has struck me about this year and hasn't happened is how I haven't had any nightmares so far. This time last year I woke up crying because I'd been dreaming that my parents had moved back to the old neighbourhod and I had to go back there myself. I can still see my Dad in the dream saying that we live there again now.

So now I am looking forward to Christmas, I am fortunate enough to have a fantastic boyfriend who LOVES cooking and CAN cook and makes the most delicious food......plus Yorkie Puddings as they should be made. He's a Northern boy, I have Northern Family, (the Derbyshire God fearing, teetotalling, God fearing Anabaptist Farmers have all died out), and a percentage of Scottish blood that I got from my Great Grandmother, (whom I'm the spitting image of), on my Grandfathers side, ("my heart is in the hightlands" - I'd like to go to Scotland and see Edinburgh and Holyrood but thats another post for another time), and some unidentified Mediterranean blood which is probably Spanish according to my Grandmother but disputed by others.
Anyway BACK to Christmas.
I haven't felt this excited about it since I was a little girland I hope you have a nice one too x