Merry Christmas everyone! I Hope everyone is ok over Christmas (which can be a challenging time) and 2026 is kinder with us all. I’ll be on line from time to time if anyone wants a chat!
Nadolig Llawen (for those of us west of the border!).
Keep Well.
The same to you and everyone else. Like you say a challenging time for us all. And I’ll also be checking in if anyone feels they want a chat.
Best wishes to all
best wishes to you (and to any other reading this).
It’s great to see your offer to chat.
As you say Christmas can be a difficult time.
A few words in a sympathetic ear can make it all less overwhelming.
We make the world a better place when we make time to share.
Thank you for being here.
keep on keepin on
Thank you @Baldrick and the same to you 
.
Best wishes and regards Sue
Thanks and Merry Christmas to everyone here. I’ll be online between kitchen duties, too. I hope you all have a happy, peaceful and restful time.
Merry Christmas to you too. Hope you have a happy and peaceful festive period.
I will be around from time to time to chat too I suspect.
Happy Christmas— hope everyone ok - be warned it’s freezing out. Eat lots everyone and have a good day. And thanks to all for your support and interest and encouragement this year🎄
Merry Christmas to you all xx
Thank you for all of your stories, comments and posts helping get me through these past 2 months.
Today I really really tried to enjoy Christmas and make the most of it for my little girl but I cannot help but feel I have put on a brave face all day. I am trying so hard to be positive but I feel so broken 
I am so exhausted and I all I want to do is cry.
My wife and I shared Xmas day lunch with family, had a great day and didnt overeat or overdrink but still came home on a high that wouldn’t let me sleep and had to take a sleeping pill to drop off! We have a great family except that they are too keen to help, one grandaughter and her partner visited us at home so I took advantage of their youth and keenness by asking them to fix my airconditioner, Unfortunately I gave them the wrong instructions and it is sitting there in pieces looking forlorn till my number three son calls and puts it back together.
Deigh
Hi Mrs G16,
I am sure your daughter loved everything today. I know the putting a brave face on I guess we’ve all had to do that. And theres the memory of life before I think thats a kind of grieving?
Be sure you are still you and are loved the same as always. For me i, constantly impressed how the youngsters (12 &13 here) understand and care theirs is an amazing generation. I went through thinking I had little to offer but ther I was today fixing his new telly and lights. Takes me longer and bloody exhausted after but I wouldn’t miss doing it for anything.
I think all mums (stroke or no) want everything perfect - I think for kids perfect is having you there - thats all that matters and is everything. You done well battling the exhaustion and also mentally adjusting it’s a lot and be sure everyone will appreciate and respect what you are achieving. I hope that makes a little sense the words aren’t coming im afraid. I hope you are relaxing now and get a good night. That always helps I find. Have a good Boxing Day…….
Well my day was not all eating though I have to say I made a good effort - well ok I ate a lot. And then some. The present opening was shared and the. Kids enjoyed it particularly giving their present of an emergency hair piece (yes im bald🙄). And they said it made me look like Hitler😱.
I made myself busy dissecting the boxes for recycling and then started on nephews new telly on his bedroom wall plus lighting. Im banned from the kitchen you see so just concentrate on the quality control (eating). That went (very) well before returning to telly wall light duties and the hunt for a missing Stanley knife - spent ages blaming memory but it had been kicked under sofa. Phew! Theres hope for me yet!
Exhausted I took an early finish back to my place by 7 - sorry thats all niff naff really but my first Christmas post stroke. Got to say i wondered how it would be but actually a pretty good Christmas. I thank God for family.
Have a good Boxing Day everyone
Well the day went ok. A bit emotional at times. But overall I and the Mrs enjoyed it. We had daughter and husband and 3 grandkids drop by for a few hours. A bit over powering at times so took myself off for a walk with the 
and then into my quite room. But overall enjoyed it. Christmas dinner today boxing day. But no Christmas pudding. Yuck. Funny though I love Christmas cake. With a bit of cheese. Yes cheese.
Got to admit though by 7.00 Christmas day night I was in bed and by 7-30 
Now 4.00am boxing day I am wide awake.
Anyway I hope everyone had the best time they could and Happy Boxing Day. Will be popping back on and off all day for anyone wanting to chat
@MrsG16 I found it very hard to stop putting on a brave face, but when I did was when people around me realised that I wasn’t OK and needed a bit more help (either that or they realised all along but didn’t feel they had permission to help). Best to do it without crying though, if you can.
My day was really rather good. I’m in France with family, but as my mother in law has been unwell the cooking fell mostly on my wife and me, which meant that the food was pretty good for once 
I’ve often found Christmas to be a bit overrated, but after this year’s events I decided I was going to make the most of it and had a really good time. Best of all it snowed on Christmas Eve, not a lot but enough to be make my daughter very happy. Can’t have a better Christmas present than that.
I had family over for Christmas and boy was it exhausting…and I’m 4 years post stroke. But I enjoyed the day. It was great to do something “normal” for a while. Everyone was keen to help and I let them where necessary. You often find they really enjoy helping.
The first Christmas after my stroke I was good for nothing and it really upset me but rest assured, for those just starting their journey, it gets better in time and your family would just be happy to have you there & enjoying the day with them.
I enjoyed a nice lie in this morning & I will be resting for days but it was worth it. Just remind me I said that when I am complaining about fatigue in a couple of days 
Well done to all who braved the Family Christmas. It sounds like a good time was had by all. Now give yourself the rest you need and prepare for what the New Year has to offer.
We dropped out this year and just the two of us had a very relaxed time together at home. No stresses no strains moving along at our own pace. We managed to put together a Christmas dinner and over ate. Isn’t that what always happens?
Best wishes everyone as the holiday season progresses.
keep on keepin on
Ok so I forgot to take the chicken out of the freezer to defrost overnight. So we’re having smoked haddock roast potatoes and veg for our Christmas dinner. Now will stuffing go with it.? And of course some sprouts. Well me anyway. Who doesn’t love the wind with then afterwards 
We had a nice walk on the footpath at the back of us with the 
saying hello to everyone we came into contact with.
And apart from that it’s been a quite boxing day and will be for the rest of the day. But boy it’s a cold one outside.
That sounds perfect @bobbi & better than what you had described before. Over eating is what Christmas is for I think……and Christmas Day calories don’t count .
Best wishes to you and Hilary.
Ann
Whoops but hey you found a suitable alternative and I am sure stuffing will go down well too😃.
It’s been a quiet day here too. Very cold out - even hubby who lives outside is inside today.
Enjoy your non chicken dinner 
We had all the family here this year, 8 adults, 4 grandkids (4-8 years) 1 gorgeous baby and 2 small dogs and as you can imagine it was exhausting but fun 
. Just glad that it’s only once a year. .
Although we must be completely mad, as we’ve j ust booked a large villa in Spain for all of us (minus the 2 dogs) for 2026 
Here’s hoping that 2026 brings lots improvements for all of us. Happy New Year and keep on Keeping on.
Best wishes and regards Sue
A very Happy Christmas to you all!
I’ve not been here for a while now, many things done and lots of rest between them and working. After getting home from our last day at work (23rd) my clockwork finally ran down and some lazy days followed including Christmas Day at my sister-in-law’s/father-in-law’s - a lovely dinner and quality "not doing much” time.
No great plans for the holiday period, but out for a sunny/cold walk yesterday and today, bubble and squeak, trip to garden centre for sale of xmas decs, and starting some origami is was given for my 60th in August - finally making time to do it 
More days downtime to come, telly, walks and a few odd jobs.
Hope you all have a restful/successful/relaxing/exciting time, here’s hoping we all have a progressive and successful 2026.
Phil
