'And You Can Stuff the Turkey' ; Family Christmases Are Notorious for Bringing Simmering Discontent to Boiling Point. For Michele Hanson, the Problems Were Inescapable: Her Daughter Loved the Festive Season, While Her Live-in Mother Hated It

Mail on Sunday › December 11, 2006

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Summary

My mother was never keen on Christmas.

This rather put the dampeners on our festivities over the years. As she grew older she liked it less and less until, at 89, she came to live with us, by which time she loathed the whole performance. But most of all she loathed the tree. To her the tree was a waste of money, it made a mess and it heralded all the horrid extravagance to come over the next two weeks.

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Extract

'And You Can Stuff the Turkey' ; Family Christmases Are Notorious for Bringing Simmering Discontent to Boiling Point. For Michele Hanson, the Problems Were Inescapable: Her Daughter Loved the Festive Season, While Her Live-in Mother Hated It

The big problem was that my daughter adored Christmas.

Still does. It keeps her busy for weeks, decorating, arranging pretty cards, sprinkling cranberries about, shopping, shopping, shopping and, most of all, she loves the tree. Year after year she decorated it tastefully until it shimmered with delicate baubles and twinkly lights and looked magical.

Daughter loved to ...

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