RosieJoseph

Our First Christmas In Ireland




I learned a lot during our adventures where Christmas is concerned. When we lived in the UK, many years ago, we would get caught up in the frenzy that is Christmas. We spent too much, in fact I can remember shopping for so much food, only for half of it to be thrown away. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a trifle, a cheescake, mince pies, a cheeseboard, Christmas pudding, a turkey, beef, pork, ham, and on and on and on. Then we moved to France….

As I have said many times before Life could be tough, we didn’t buy any presents, apart from for the dogs, and our best Christmas times were when our son came over and we just celebrated simply with him and good friends. We didn’t need all those things, and as time has worn on the thought of buying too much, then throwing it away, when so many people in the world going hungry, feels obscene.

Last year we were in a shitty airbnb, our beautiful French house had been sold, and there was no Christmas. We didn’t suffer, here we are.

The main thing I have always loved about Christmas is putting up my decorations. I have accumulated them over the years and have shared them with you often. But this year they are still in France, so we have had to buy new, on a budget. I love them.

Our little tree was just £14.99 and the decos were bought from budget shops. The lights on my mantlepiece are the ones I normally have in hurricane lamps, and we have actually gone for a theme, something that we never normally do.

We are looking forward to Christmas this year, and our biggest gift will be that our Welshies are here. I am looking forward to it. Simple, with things that matter.


Rosie

Published by RosieJoseph

Welcome to both my blogs. Due to my memoir I have had to use change my name after blogging for four years and use my new pseudonym: Rosie Joseph. I thought I would use my parents second names because I know they would be proud of me telling our story. Despite my blog Making this better being about infidelity I am still happily married to my darling husband. The affair happening in our lives encouraged to visit France and we moved to France in 2015 after an eight year love affair with it every summer. But life in France was tough, and we learned not to be afraid to make change, so we moved to Ireland at the end of 2020. I published ‘Making This Better’ the memoir where I share the whole 21 days that RD was not with me and how that affected me, and my journal entries for the first five years after 'The war' happened in our lives. I hoped that sharing our story will help others but I know now it really did from the feedback I have received from all over the world. Six years ago I wrote how I ‘loved my life in France, but I am loving the idea of an adventure more. I have the wanderlust bug who knows where life will take me next!’ Well now I know it took me to Ireland! Always remember what is important in life. The only moment is now. If you like to laugh, cry and reflect, then join me on my adventure. Rosie

9 comments

  1. Beautiful Moira, Christmas is you, Rich & the dogs and cats. Food and a roof over your heads with warmth. Your decorations are beautiful- you make them beautiful… it doesn’t matter that they are budget, they look beautiful because you have done them with love… the true spirit of Christmas 🎄 I look forward to catching up soon. xxx

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  4. We have a budget tree and decorations too, and it looks ALMOST as good as yours, lol!! But creativity and a sensitive eye go far in these situations, haha. Your tree doesn’t need it, but just in case the idea strikes you, we used the cotton filling from a pillow and piled it over the metal base of our tree, so it looks like snow…..
    Apart from that, though, what a journey.
    Happy to see your happiness now. 🙂

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    • Thank you, that’s a brilliant idea about the base. I’m going to wrap some empty boxes and put them round the bottom. It will look nice but also stop the Welshies running under it chasing balls. 😂😂 Bkess the tree it has stayed upright so far 😂😂😂 Have a fab Christmas 🥳🎅🏻⛄️⭐️

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