I just want to celebrate NOT going to the ward party! My TBM daughter and her TBM husband and I are going to take the grandchildren to see Santa at the mall, then come home and have stories and hot chocolate by the tree.

Since her children were born, my TBM daughter has taken them to the ward dinner--alone. Her fanatic TBM husband refuses to go to church parties. (I can't blame him, but he shouldn't force my daughter and children into a cult he does not like.) She told me she was sick of going "alone" with no husband, where everyone is paired up. Her old high school frenemies always ask, "Where's your husband?" She usually can't find a place to sit, because the huge extended families, and obedient families who "bring neighbors and friends" lay claim on certain tables.

I remember the story that Deenie, The Dreaded Single Adult told, about how the single women were always served last, and they ended up sitting on the stage steps, and not even at a table. Last year, my daughter had to sit the whole time at a table of older couple strangers, who would gossip among themselves--plus she had to watch her kids who were overexcited and running around with other out-of-control, shouting kids.

Is anyone going to their ward Christmas party? Return and report.

Hell no.

No. Why? To listen to poor renditions of mythological stories while trying to avoid people who ask: where have you been?

Nope best to stay home and enjoy the evening.

Lousy food, lousy program, uncomfortable chairs, boring people, freezing in the gym, being critically looked at by Pharisees, yeah sounds like a lot of fun.

I quit going while I was active.

I think the last straw was when it was announced you could sign up for tithing settlement during the Ward Christmas party.

heberjgrunt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> I think the last straw was when it was announced
> you could sign up for tithing settlement during
> the Ward Christmas party.

****************************

Lol that is just beautiful :-)

I think I remember you talking about this in the past. It's so very strange how her husband was so insistent she go, but not bother with it himself. My husband would pitch a fit like this sometimes. If it's that important to you, you go. I'm staying home. I really wondered why she bothered if he himself didn't bother. I'm glad she's finding other things to do, like spend time with her family doing something fun with the grandkids.

The Deenie stories. I miss those, and her.

I remember reading a story about "baby wrangling." The wife was growing weary of being in charge of the kids while her husband went and did all his priestly duties and whatnot. So one day, at sacrament, she left. She left the kids with their father, went home, had a nice, relaxing couple of hours, started dinner/lunch, and left him to do the baby wrangling. He was not pleased, but I think he helped more in the future. :)

That may be true but if she's a true Molly and he's a true Peter, I bet my life she never pulled that stunt again.

If you are in Colorado or Washington, bring some special edibles for the potluck.

They are available in the stores with the big green crosses on the front of them.

The old HP geezer who was my personal nemesis from 2000 onward never missed a chance to invite my wife and I to the ward Christmas party and every other fucking function. We NEVER went...wouldn't be caught dead at one. So nice to be left alone since I resigned.

Ron Burr

Ron-Fucking-Burr never says "Yes" to the cult

Indeed I do not.

RB

I will be attending my parish priest's open house next Saturday. It is a come and go affair. There will be wine, wassell and a bunch of good treats. There will be good friends and talk and lots

of care one for another. Much better than the old gathering in the ward cultural hall with all the crazy noise and cliquish behavior.

Yup, went to ours last night, playing my role also as the dreaded single female. Sat on a table with an inactive couple, and a new cute couple. Made small talk painfully. Nobody was paying attention to the program and I left as early as I could without being 'rude'. Our ward keeps increasing in size, baptisms (converts) every week it seems like.

(I realize many on this forum will say why did you bother going, and yes, it's complicated with relationships, and it's easier to show up at the Ward party than get love bombed for the next couple of weeks)

I have better ways to spend my Saturday night but in general, I avoid Mormons in groups of more than two. With the exception of certain Mormon relatives, I get really stressed out being with that many people I know don't care if they lie or badmouth or stay children forever or remain ignorant or enjoy taking people down a peg. They can pat themselves on the back all they want and point to individual exceptions (otherwise known as nice Mormons) but that doesn't change the fact they are a pretty unpleasant crowd and while I can handle them one at a time (meaning rise above it and be polite) once I start getting outnumbered I get stressed.

someone from the ward my never mo, converted Jew boyfriend lives in called to tell him about the ward party tonight. My boyfriend has gone to one ward picnic (I told him not to) and he did a presentation about Judaism for a fireside.

So, this guy calls and my bf tells him he doesn't celebrate Christmas and won't be at the party. The guy asks if someone in the neighborhood hurt his feelings . . . and that is why he doesn't want to come. HUH???????? How clueless are they? My boyfriend is 61 years old. Do they think they are going to reel him in or something?

Typical mormons. Invite a Jew to a Christmas party, then assume the reason they don't want to go is because somebody in the ward offended them.

They haven't got a clue, have they?

What's wrong with staying home and enjoying the evening rather than putting up with the same old stuff year after year? How many badly cooked meats (haa!) and foods from members' kitchens are safe to eat without getting the flu again and again? Or listening to badly performed musical numbers of the same old carols over and over again?

Christmas is a pathetic combination of false traditions that are loosely based on the birth of Christ, which incidentally, is incorrect -- not on December 25th.

The money spent on the party would be better used for Fast Offerings -- ironic that fast Sunday is tomorrow (December 7th). How much food is wasted and thrown into the garbage? Or wasted with over-eating?

I'll be probably be going when it takes place next week, but only to enjoy the food. Otherwise, the normal brainwashing remains notable in those events anyway.

Went to our ward Christmas party this weekend. Great food, great company. There were 8-10 bottles of wine that were in the white elephant gift exchange, Beer and wine flowed freely. Football was on the TV. Sexual innuendoes were spoken of some gifts.

oh wait - did I say ward Christmas party? I meant my Sunday School Christmas party. Love being a Methodist.

Our ward Christmas party was Saturday night but we opted to get a babysitter and my wife and I went to my work Christmas party instead. The food was a million times better (shrip, steak, a cheese and meat tapas bar, and the list goes on), the people far more interesting, and I had my first ever taste of Sangria. It was good enough that I finished my entire cup. And then another. If only the ward party punch tasted that good!

This is our first holiday season out of the Church. It's opening a whole new world of possibilities. Egg nog with Bourbon in it? Yes please!

I went to my work holiday party Saturday night as well. Got pleasantly drunk with my coworkers, won a bunch of booze in the raffle drawing, and maybe talked my boss into hiring my boyfriend (we're in the same field). Great night. Not being Mormon is working out really well for me.

I went to a different party last night when Mormons have fasted during the day. It was a lot of fun, plus we had plenty of adult beverages. There was also a donation thing for Toys for Tots at this party as well, so that poor children will be able to get at least one toy for Christmas.