Among Friends

[jeanlake]

More parties when we were young parents. We had endless energy and looked for ways to get our families together and make things special for the kids. I also had book club and bunco group that tried to celebrate every holiday. Ugly sweater parties with church group. We even participated in baked goods exchanges with neighbors. People come and go. Groups fade. Energy diminishes.  

Extended family parties when cousins were young. Great memories with dinners and 'white elephant' gifts. The cousins grew up and now have their own family gatherings.

Husband's work parties will end after this year -- retires. So glad we won't be doing that anymore. 

Monthly dinner group has a holiday party. That's a lot of fun. 

Our core family gathers. We try to make this fun for the grandkids. Holiday pictionary, dominoes, scavenger gift hunts, adopt a family.

Even our New Year's Eve dinner group is fading and I'm okay with it. No one wants to dress up anymore or spend a lot of money or be on the road on NYE. Shifted to home parties, but divorces and deaths and remarriages and retirement moves changed that group. 

[insomniac2]

I've never been much of a party person, but I love more simple entertainment: getting together with bookish friends at a coffee shop, for example. This, obviously, can take place year round.

[jackthebear]

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@Shanus wrote:

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@jackthebear wrote:

never

but in Qland they exist 

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@jackthebear   Well, I assumed someone was eating those huge deliveries of food. Lol

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:-)

[FrostyBabe1]

I still get invited to a fair number of them, but I usually only go to 2-3, and only the ones that I know are very casual. I’m not the least bit interested in the “holiday dressing” nonsense (which I think is just a marketing ploy), and after a couple of them, I’ve seen and talked to everyone I could possibly want to catch up with. 

[LTT1]

@Shanus @jackthebear 

I remember doing that! 
it is now far in the past but I'm not sorry😆

Not to sound like "bah humbug" but I wonder how women ever managed to do all of the social things plus baking plus working!

[Shanus]

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@LTT1 wrote:

@Shanus @jackthebear 

I remember doing that! 
it is now far in the past but I'm not sorry😆

Not to sound like "bah humbug" but I wonder how women ever managed to do all of the social things plus baking plus working!

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@LTT1    Maybe they purchased the cakes, etc. from Q. Lol

[Shanus]

Oh nuts! Just when I thought I was in the clear, DH handed me an invitation last night for a cocktail party in Dec. given by a really "good" ($$$) client and we have to go. 

I've had my flu shot so no luck w/ that excuse and he knows I have my standby black sweater that I sewed some stones on to dress it up...no excuse that nothing to wear. 

I guess I'm biting the bullet, so to speak. It's from 6-8, so maybe some good eats. If all else fails, 1/2 glass wine, I won't even know I'm there. 😜

[Lipstickdiva]

I've never had to attend holiday parties which is fine by me.

My office does a luncheon during the week. DH does have an evening holiday party that we attend but it is casual and it's a blast.  However, this year we won't be able to attend.    

[Suziepeach]

Short & sweet, nope.. 

[wagirl]

No parties for me--just go to my brothers for Xmas eve---used to go with the hubs when his company did Xmas parties, but he left me on my own too many times,   to go mingle with the other people he rarely saw so I stopped going---we stay home on NY eve too-----