Well, almost.

So in all likelihood I won't be able to access a computer for the following couple of weeks. Hence, I must wish you all in advance, a

Merry Christmas

and

Happy New Year

[smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

And the same to you, Toybox. Enjoy your vacation. Are you going somewhere exciting?

Merry Christmas and peace in the new year!
[smiley=beer.gif]

Thank you  [smiley=beer.gif]

I'll be away to Greece (hoping it won't be too exciting!)

;D

My husband is of Greek ancestors, and we hope to visit there someday. I especially want to explore the Greek Isles, they're so beautiful.

Hello to One and All,

I wish to Thank You ALL for sharing your AMAZINGLY CREATIVE CUSTOM MANSIONS for all of us to play.  And for being there with help and hints.

In the spirit of political correctness:  

I WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS, SHOLOM, HAPPY HANNUKAH, MERRY UNIVERSE DAY, MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, HAPPY RAMADAN & `EID, AND TO COVER ALL OF OUR NORTH AMERICAN NATIVES....THE BELOW LINK COVERS A GREETING FOR EACH TRIBE.
http://thetalltrees.wordpress.com/2008/12/09/native-christmas-greetings/

I am sure there are many more that I have omitted as I am not familiar with them, so please feel free to add to the list.

And this part should cover everyone........."HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL!!!"  

Thank you again for being there and sharing.  
[smiley=vrolijk_26.gif] [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif] [smiley=birthdays.gif] [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=tekst-toppie.gif]

Actually, there are several cultures which have different start of the years (Chinese, Jewish, maybe Persian). And of course there is the French Republican Calendar which starts on 22d of September - that is, le premier Vendémiaire.

But thank you anyway, have a lovely, um, winter solstice yourself  [smiley=beer.gif]

Hey, don't we have a forum member from Greece? Bo Peep, maybe?

Oh, does that mean that the French Republic start January 1st the day after Sept 22nd????? hmmmmm.  
What do they do with the left over mths ie: Oct, Nov, Dec????  
Relax, don't get your knickers in a knot, I am only teasing. hee, hee, hee.

BTW Toybox:  I noticed that you live in Germany.  I just asked my mom where in Germany her family ties are.  Nurmburg and Berlin, and if they follow the same time frame of celebration as we do here in Canada.  She said of course.  
So between the Polish/German/Italian/Canadian heritage......I am a Merry Christmas and a Jan 1st New Year Heinze 57 Child.  hee, hee.

A very happy holidays and wishing you all a prosperous New Year.  ;D

And may your Jack have a good year and not to many untimely deaths.  ;)

yes indeed - happy holidays to all

Matari ;D

Merry Christmas from the land of the Queen! Liz says hi!

xxx

Dear forum members.

I hope you all will have peace as well as joy this Christmas.
We are very sad here in Greece after the death of our young schoolboy ALEX.

Thank you all for your new mansions which help us to forget the horror inflicted by the powerful on the helpless.

Bo Peep

Dear friends & MM co-addicts,

I'm back in Berlin from a short Xmas-holiday trip.
Although I did have internet access there (and did ocassionally drop in as a GUEST to these pages), I wasn't able to make any contributions because I had forgotten to write down my password and take it with me.

But.....there hasn't been any "really important" things going on anyway, so it didn't matter at all.

However, I'd also like to wish you a Happy New Year (wot? already?) and a belated Merry Xmas !

Greetings from Berlin,

aquaMat

PS: New mansion "Les Catacombes Rouges" due in about 4 weeks.... 8-)

[smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]Happy New MM-Year!!!!! [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

Happy new year from the UK!


Matari  ;D

Happy New Year from sunny North Carolina, USA! ; :-*

Happy New Year from the Sunshine State!
It's sunny but chilly here today, only in the low 60's.

;D 8-) [smiley=beer.gif] [smiley=vrolijk_26.gif]

Happy New Year from London!!! xxx  :D :D :D :D :D

One day after Jan. 1st..... and suddenly Berlin is all snow-white.

Whereas over Xmas we still had some 10 degrees plus centergrade Celsius, on New Year's Eve (a mere week later) we were at minus 8 !!

@Lara:
Something I wanted to ask someone living in England for a couple of weeks now:

Is it true that all those beautiful old red phone boothes have disappeared in England?
Someone told me this.... but I couldn't believe it.

He also told me that those typical London double decker buses are almost all gone..... which is even harder to believe.

I don't know if you know it......  but Berlin is the only other place in the world, where traditionally most buses are double decker.

They're still going strong over here....
(They were never red here, though..... but some color between yellow and light beige.)   ;)

Hi yes it is true - red phone boxes gone, double deckers gone  :(

That is very sad, I loved both the red phone boxes and double decker buses.
:(

This is unbelievable !!

How can a city put away things which are so characteristic for its look....they were almost like "promotional tools" for England, IMO.

In Germany, shortly after the once state-owned Telekom (used to belong to the Post) became a private enterprise, they changed their look (their "corporate identity") to a screaming pink..... so all the old dark-yellow phone boxes disappeared (almost completely), and the new ones were not only pink....but they weren't boxes any longer (!)..... just lampposts with a phone and a big, pink sign.

Say it's raining and you need to phone....your problem if you get soaking wet.

However, those yellow phone boxes were not as "typical" (and also not as beautiful) as those red british ones.....

But why have the buses gone?  I can't believe it......  

Happy New Year from Switzerland  8-) hehe in the Moment it have no snow around here  :(

Sorry Matari you be wrong. :P

Two bus routes running through central London (the 9 and the 15) run the heritage/old double-deckers as those bus routes go past many of the tourist points. And double-decker buses in general as everywhere... most  London buses are double-deckers.

As to phone boxes, there are less of the old style, but they are still around (in London at least). Please see below for a recent photo of me with one:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=662444&l=d02db&id=690595673
xxx

Ahhh - I live in the Midlands and no old style double-deckers survive - also no red phone boxes...

Glad to hear not all the double deckers and phone boxes have gone !

We are here in Canada in Winter Wonder Land!  The first time in over 40 years where all across Canada has had a white Christmas.

I can tell you we have had enough here in Deroche, BC, we have been shovelling and working with the white stuff to excess !  The doves and chickens will not come out of their coops and aviaries, and the dogs come in covered in snowballs.  We have had a few of our family events and get togethers cancelled because of snow driving conditions, and have had to torture poor neighbors to our roast beef dinners in place of them !

Enough of the white stuff, I am ready for the regular lower mainland 'liquid sunshine', ie; rain !!!   8-)

Take care all, and wishing everyone a wonderful New Year !

SandyBean [smiley=2vrolijk_08.gif]

Missy wrote on 20.12.2008 at 00:35:52:

Oh, does that mean that the French Republic start January 1st the day after Sept 22nd????? hmmmmm.   What do they do with the left over mths ie: Oct, Nov, Dec????   Relax, don't get your knickers in a knot, I am only teasing. hee, hee, hee.

:P

No, it's just an ordinary, but more rational, calendar system, with 30-days months and 10-days week (meaning less week-end time in a year  :o ).

They also tried to introduce a 10-hours-day, each hour being 100 minutes (and these 'hours' and 'minutes' not lasting the same time as the ones we know - let the mathematically inclined compute the conversion rate), but that was so much really, really impractical that it was abandoned in a few years' time only.

So, today it is Septidi 17 Nivose 217.

More details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Republican_Calendar  8-)