No .. Hell?

It's 5 years since we last had a Christmas at home. I had forgotten just how overpowering is the urge to buy gifts, food, wrapping paper, cards, decorations and more food. I've just put the brandy butter sauce in the cupboard to find the brandy butter sauce 'we' bought 5 years ago (4 years and a bit beyond the bbd). Mrs R., despite constant counseling from me, insists on just decorating the house a bit more and buying stuff that I know I could put straight in the bin rather than peel it and cook it first. For the last 5 years we've gone South to the Western Cape of SA and avoided the excesses. The shopping malls of SA will have been playing Rudolph and Slade since early November so don't think rabid consumerism hasn't touched BUT somehow we avoid the worst of it when we are there. Here in West Cumbria though it's impossible to hide. The old age delinquents (Mrs R's parents) will be here soon, our 2 sons (the minstrel and the baby jesus one(family joke)) will do their duty, Mrs R's sister and Murry will bring lager and I won't be able to hear the TV. I wonder if I can get a last minute flight. And another thing - I hate that Marks & Spencer advert.