love those cupcakes

Ringing in the new

 

As the noughties come to an end, are you making any new year's resolutions?  I'm making just the one, having decided I need to stop dwelling on what's done and gone, to stop thinking so much about what might or might not happen in the future and to really savour the now.  To quote an Inuit saying, 

Yesterday is ashes.

Tomorrow is green wood.

Only today does the fire burn brightly.

As we ring out the old, I'm raising my glass to thank you all for your friendship and to wish you a brilliant 2010. 

    

The one that got away

Christmas lunch was splendid with everyone chipping in with the preparations.

I was in charge of the sprouts.

This Christmas (his twentieth), the Boy only managed to eat one of his customary two.

Which was one more than his sister ate.

Sprouts.

You either love them or hate them.

I happen to love them.

So does Buzz, our cat.

Though he prefers to chase his around the floor.

When he's not pretending to be a Christmas decoration, that is.

Christmas Eve

 

24th December and it's almost here.  We woke up this morning to further snowfall though it's easing off as I type this.  The Gorgeous Girlie has set off on the drive home from Manchester and we just have some final preparations in anticipation of a visit overnight from the Man in the Red Suit.

Wherever your are, whoever you're with, however you're celebrating, I wish you all a very merry Christmas.

Tempus fugit

Time is certainly flying and there's still plenty to do before the 25th. (I think I'll just issue instructions from the sofa).   The redecorating is almost finished, though.  Well, finished in terms of what was planned for the run up to Christmas. The rest can wait until the new year. (Says she who has never lifted a paint roller in her life).   The hall is now this colour.

"Carnaby".  A sort of light teal.  Probably a bit darker than in the photograph and not bad. 

Luckily, the new doormat has arrived and just needs to be put into place.

But enough of that.  Now that another roll of sellotape has appeared I need to go and scale Mount Wrapping.

Signs of progress

With Christmas only 3 days away, there's evidence around the house of progress being made.  The tree was brought inside last night (complete with a frosting of snow) and has now been decorated with our collection of baubles, toys and strings of lametta.  

Other festive bits and bobs are being dotted about so it's all starting to feel a bit more, well, Christmassy.

Outside, it's still looking like this.

Brrrr.

 

Dear Father Christmas

I'm assuming most people have one thing they always asked for in their letters to Father Christmas but which never actually materialised on Christmas Day.  For many of my friends this was a dog.  Or a cat.  Or in one case a pony.  The Husband said he'd always wanted a toy fort with soldiers but the Man in the Red Suit delivered a medieval castle. (Of course, not full size).

So, what's been (and still is) at the top of my Christmas list since I was a little girl?  One of these.....

 .... a zither.  It all started when I was very young and wanted to be like Shirley Abicair, a singer and zither player who was on the telly at the time.  Much later I fancied having a go at playing the theme from that classic film The Third Man.  I was given a brand spanking new  piano when I was 7 and I loved it, still do.  But it didn't stop me wanting a zither.  One year when I was about 14 my dad took me into town to point out what I wanted as my main Christmas present and we did get as far as the entrance to the music store. (Yes, they did sell zithers).  But for some reason I ended up with a wristwatch that year.  Then when I was a social worker, after hearing the story, a colleague made me a zither from a piece of cardboard.  Which was a nice gesture but obviously I couldn't actually play it.

I'm not sure why I was never given the present of my dreams and my dad often referred to it over the years as Christmas approached.  But, who knows, maybe Father Christmas will read this.

So tell me, which present was (or is) always at the top of your Christmas list?

Listening to....

....... an old favourite.

On the mend

Thank you all so very much for your supportive comments and e-mails.  Believe me, they really have helped.  The surgery went better than anticipated and, thankfully, I'm now back at home.  Taking it easy.  Appreciating being well looked after.   Knowing life won't ever be quite as it was before but aiming to establish a new normality.

Catching up with all of your blogs makes me realise that we're a tad behind with Christmas preparations.   The lights were put up on the outdoor tree yesterday (the photograph is a reassuringly festive view through the front door) but we've yet to buy a tree for indoors and retrieve all of the trimmings from the loft.  Of course, a late decision to redecorate the living room and hall hasn't helped and tripping over painting paraphernalia on Christmas Day is fast becoming a possibility.  Internet shopping has been a godsend though I'm sure I've bought some things twice.  Not to mention those others that don't quite resemble the images on the computer screen.   But I'm sure with help from the elves ( and several bottles of the fizzy stuff) it will all come together on the day.