Some Christmas help please

[Splash_4]

Fellow Kilties,

I am in need of some Christmas help from each of you. As some of you might remember (since I don't post a lot anymore), I have been temporarily assigned to Hyderabad, India. When I first accepted this post it was to be for four months and that would of ended next week. I have since been extended two more months and that means that I am going to miss the Christmas season in the states. This holiday is not widely celebrated here in Hyderabad and this has caused me a rather interesting bit of homesickness. I am actually missing all of the decorations that start to appear on peoples homes (mine included) as well as the trees and the other trappings. So what I would ask each of you to do is forward me a picture of a Christmas tree or tacky lights or whatever else makes this season special to you. I want to place these as wall paper on my desktop here at home and at the office. Please send these to mike at mckennon dot com.

Thanks to each of you for anything you can send this way... And Merry Christmas to all of you!

[Pleater]

I can't offer any of my own until Christmas - we keep the twelve days - but there are some striking examples of tackiness appearing already - including some decorated rubbish ships outside a hire place which rather stick in the memory as totally naff.

I will power up the camera to suitably record the Days of Tacky Twinkling.

Maybe you could make or otherwise obtain a Christmas cake? Nothing like trying to feel sorry for yourself on Christmas day afternoon with the cake, nuts, cheese, a few apples, perhaps, and a glass or three of port/brandy/whisky/whiskey/rum/drink of choice, with a recording of Christmas music playing or some old film with a suitably seasonal theme on the telly.

[James MacMillan]

Please remember that the real Christmas is not in an external location but in the heart.

[McFarkus]

How about a tacky Christmas tree?

[Arlen]

How about a tacky Christmas tree?

This wins the internet.

[Splash_4]

Wow, these are great. Please keep them coming.

Mike

[Livingston]

Mike, I'm sending you one now. Not really a tacky pic but should help. More info in the email.

[starbkjrus]

Mike,

I read this on your blog this morning. We're starting the decorating tonight so I'll soon have some pics for you too.

[A Hay]

I know the feeling of being away from family at Christmas. We have been in Germany most of the last 22 Christmases. Fortunately, we have friends who have become like family, so it's not too bad.

One year my wife and I were in a hotel room, waiting for a house to become available on 1 January. No room for a tree or other decorations.
A few days before Christmas, I cut a pine tree shape out of a large sheet of paper, colored it up, added cut-out decorations from wrapping paper and we put that up on the wall. It served well for two weeks, didn't take up too much space, and gave a Christmas to remember.

You may be separated in distance from friends and family, but with the internet, you're just a few keystrokes away.

Merry Christmas.

Tom

[Panache]

Email and photo sent.

Merry Christmas!

Jamie