[Kate!]

@Christmas Dynamo

It's our Crimson's turn today x

[Crimson Dynamo]

May Joy be your gift at Christmas and may Faith, Hope, and Love be your
treasures in the New Year.

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the
Son of God." Luke 1:35

Youtube video

Classic Margo

Youtube video

and finally I got you a selection box



Merry Christmas

[Ammi]

……

[Benjamin]

I LOVE The Good Life so much.

[Kate!]

Wonderful LT

[Niamh.]

Tear jerking LT :')

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Tinsel balls

Reminds me of those Myspace posts we used to leave on people's profiles

Originally Posted by Pigeon Lady

..you’re so incredibly talented in creating images, Maru…thank you for sharing that talent with us…and also a perfect music choice, I loved it……a very Merry Christmas to you and your lovely little Miss Maru and your big Mr Maru……

Originally Posted by Cherie Christmas

Very talented Maru, Merry Christmas:love;

Originally Posted by Holly Christmas

Amazing entry @MaRuDolph

Thanks <3 I still have yet to catch up on the rest of the thread

Recent Life stuff:

Spoiler:

Holidays have been chaotic. I did get most things in advance this year present-wise but kept getting ideas also and started making new gifts But in-between all that, I've really been struggling with grief this year (and lack of time to deal with any of it).

Anyway, fast forward and we adopted an older pup (6yrs) from the shelter who is also a black lab mix. She fits in perfectly and I swear she knows my other dog's spirit in the home and has caught on really quickly how to integrate and has even picked up her little odd jobs as well. But still her own pup and very well socialized and child-friendly. Not as she was advertised as her owners left a mark on her with vague "not good with small children", which didn't match up with her behavioral screens.. turns out had a 2mo baby after finding the right shelter worker with the not vague reasoning, so not quite an issue with the children so much as the new baby...

My oldest girl passed away in October from cancer (Hemangiosarcoma) as I'd mentioned in another thread (not its own...). Holidays have been grim in recent years with a death every holiday season it feels like and this year, I think because of this big loss, all that grief caught up, I suppose. I cried several days before making the decision to adopt and otw to the shelter to screen. I knew it was going to be grief no matter when I went as it'd be closing that chapter out for sure, but the empty house, avoiding the backyard and my other pup also not really being that active as a result of grief couldn't continue.

She has some medical as she'd been in shelter 2 months nearing her end time there and so dealing with the inevitable shelter bugs from overcrowding and there's been a lot of medical care in managing that, getting her weight back up so that her immune system can also recover and keeping everything sanitary to make the process easier. Special dietary food, cooked meals, timing her medications and trying to rehab her tummy. She was not quite emaciated, but it wasn't far off and so could see her body needed a lot of help to get better on its own, otherwise it all becomes cyclical (illness), so we're doing everything we can first. (She's gained 1.4lb (0.1 stone?) in 7 days since start of treatment, so we're on the right track..)

And I wouldn't have it any other way. It's keeping me active and I'm not sitting in grief. My other pup is just happy for the new energy in the house. He and my prior girl before she passed were used to little pup friends coming and going for staying/rehab and so he is just glad our own dog family continues on with another special member to continue that tradition. But yes, it's brought much needed joy to the house after months of grief and worrying over my other little guy. I also welcome the hysterical responses to a quiet street suddenly becoming busier with the unprompted visit of a Fedex/Amazon visit, sneaky dog walkers and at the backdoor, the playful teasing of the dozen squirrels that come into our yard into the daily to play on our swingsets and to bury/unbury their Winter Pecans... all as it should be.

[Maru]

Originally Posted by Christmas Dynamo

Awww, they look just like TiBB posters here The presents are just waiting for when their ban time is up and they can take off their little costumes... we celebrate Christmas very uniquely here

[Ammi]

…awww, Maru……I hadn’t read anything in another thread son hadn't released about your loss or how you’ve been struggling…as well as your other dog family member because of course, they lost a mate and companion as well…but as sad as you’ve felt, there is much sweetness as well in having made the family complete with your new arrival from the shelter…which I know will bring that much needed joy and focus again for all of you…I wish you and your family, humankind and dog-kind a very joyful festive season and many smiles and much laughter together for 2025……

[rusticgal]

Lovely messages Maru and LT….happy Christmas to you both

[Vanessa]

Just caught up. Loving all the entries.

[Livia]

Youtube video

This year, the Jewish festival of Hanukkah begins at sundown on Christmas Day. To celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, I want to share my recipe for Hanukkah cake. It’s really easy, made with traditional seasonal ingredients like cinnamon and apple and fills the house with seasonal smells while it cooks. If you have time, give it a go and enjoy.

Hanukkah Cake

300g sugar
+ 60ml sugar set aside separately
70g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
180g cream cheese
2 eggs
350g plain flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 medium apples chopped into large pieces (either do this immediately before you add them, or you can do them earlier and put them into water with a little lemon juice to stop them going brown)

1 Preheat oven 350f/180c/170fan/gas 4.

2 Prepare an 8” baking tin by greasing it with a little butter.

3 Beat together the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and 300 ml of sugar

4 Add the eggs

5 In a separate bowl, mix together the flower with the baking powder and salt.

6 In a small bowl, mix together 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon with the rest of the sugar (60ml). Stir 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the flour mixture and save the remaining cinnamon and sugar mix for the topping.

7 Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture into a smooth batter and fold in the chopped apples.

8 Pour the batter into the baking tin and smooth the top and sprinkle over the cinnamon and sugar you saved earlier.

9 Bake in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until the cake pulls away slightly from the edges of the baking tin.

10 Cool and serve.


Wishing everyone on TiBB a very Merry Christmas to you and yours, and health and happiness in the coming year.

All that remains is to post a seasonal message from the leader of the free world, President Elect Trump. @Alf and @Christmas Dynamo, you're going to want to see this...

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[Kate!]

Aaaah @Livia that's absolutely wonderful.

Love you. Xx

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Holly Christmas

Aaaah @Livia that's absolutely wonderful.

Love you. Xx

Love ya back. But not in a gay way....

[Cherie]

oh that receipe looks yummy I will make that in the New Year, we have too much stuff in the house at the moment to eat...

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Cherie Christmas

oh that receipe looks yummy I will make that in the New Year, we have too much stuff in the house at the moment to eat...

It's really easy and almost impossible to eff up.

[Kazanne]

Just catching up on these,they are lovely and heartfelt,I love doing these and seeing and reading all the Christmas messages,we really are a nice little bunch of people.xxx

[rusticgal]

Brilliant Livia…might try the recipe if it’s fool proof. Happy Christmas and Happy Hanukkah

[Niamh.]

Will definitely try the cake Livia, although I'm not much of a Baker

[Kate!]

Swan's turn today....

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Christmas Dynamo

May Joy be your gift at Christmas and may Faith, Hope, and Love be your
treasures in the New Year.

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the
Son of God." Luke 1:35

Youtube video

Classic Margo

Youtube video

and finally I got you a selection box



Merry Christmas

Missed this one, Merry Christmas Crimson xx

[Kate!]

No sign of Swan, he is probably working.

In the meantime I'll shortly post a poem.

[Kate!]

So here is a poem I was going to post on Boxing Day, you'll see why when you read it, it's set after Christmas Day....

It's by a lady called Diane Bohn, I found it online, wish I could have been talented enough to have written it, but nevertheless here goes...

Christmas may be over
The stockings put away
The chocolate and the cookies
Enjoyed another day

Now the New Year's coming
All hurry on their way
To live their busy lives
No more thoughts of Santa's sleigh

Although the seasons come and go
And holidays have their cheer
The spirit of Christmas can stay in our hearts
To warm and bless all year

I hope you had a Merry Christmas
Full of Christmas spirit
But more than that, I hope your year
Has much happiness and love in it.

[Swan]

Oh man, i dunno what to say tbh

But yeah, will keep it short and sweet.


Merry Christmas to everyone on TiBBS, we're like one big dysfunctional family. Even those i don't always get along with i consider friends in a strange way . And of course to all the people im close to on here. Im so glad i found this place, whether im arguing with Zizu in the football threads, driving myself mad in serious debates, or just generally being a complete prat (usually drunk ) I really do like this place...

So yeah, sorry for it not being much. I hope every one has a brilliant Christmas

Will leave you with a criminally underrated Christmas song...

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[Ammi]

…gosh, if you’d got here any earlier then you wouldn’t be you, would you…and really we like you just as you are, Bridget……a very lovely Swan Advent door opening……