It ain't happening for us! This year I am finally managing to pull off the impossible... I have removed Christmas!! YEP! totally, & utterly!
We're off on holibobs for 10 days .. . from 20th to 30th Dec! It'll be hot! I think on the 25th we'll have a day round the pool day! 
(not actually booked it yet... but will be doing in next week or so.. just waiting on funds to clear)
I really couldn't have faced it this year.. nothing could have made it tolerable.. removing it all together was the only option!
Good lass, I've cancelled Christmas before, not for the same reasons.
But please make sure your Dad is looked after. Xxx
no worries there...
at the moment I am going along with his "I shall spend xmas with Chuffley (his dog) and a bottle of scotch" plans... but not really... .
We are booking Loki into boarding kennels rather than taking my dad up on his offer to have him.. so that Dad is not tied down (Chuffers doesn't slow him down.. he's 8, and little, and doesn't do much 
)
closer to the time, if he hasn't made any plans with my brother, I shall put a shout round to his generation of rellies across the country & get them to start nagging him to join them over the festive period
I don't feel guilty for not arranging to be with him at christmas... we both agree that it would be really miserable if we were in the same place...
we bring each other down sometimes.. sometimes its fine, sometimes we understand each others pain.. but sometimes we're really not good for each other (in terms of cheering up & getting on with stuff)