Run up to Christmas . . . .

The Christmas holiday always seems to creep up on us somehow and suddenly you realise you have a lot to do  – especially if you are having two Christmases like us!  The Swiss contingent arrive tonight to have a few days with us.  I am then doing a Christmas lunch for the extended family on Tuesday  Then Christmas Eve son and his fiancee are coming for the actual holiday itself. .First cake iced and ready.  Second still to be done.  Freezer groaning with my efforts to get some cooking done ahead.

I have searched in vain to find a Santa to visit locally with the little granddaughter whilst she is here , but Santa only seems to work weekends up until a few days before Christmas when the local garden centre will have him visit daily. Anyway,  I have promised she can decorate Grandma’s tree! (Better remove the antique glass baubles from the decorations box!) We’ll have to go on a holly hunt as well.

The garden centre go pretty over the top with decorating their  premises so I expect we will pop in there and have a look while she is here.;  Little one is at an age now where it is all starting to be very exciting.  She has been making cards and decorations at home for weeks.  When I skyped the other morning she and her Mum were surround with paper, glue and glitter!  Christmas is never quite the same after the children are out of Primary Education.  The School Nativity, “making” cards and decorations, the general excitement of “waiting” for the day – it’s magical.  They announced on the TV yesterday the average family spends £43 a year on Christmas decorations . ……… really  . . .

The holiday also seems to highlight the tragedy in some peoples lives and unfortunately it can also be a very sad and lonely time for others.  There was a bad car accident just up the road on Friday and a local woman was killed.  Not much of a Christmas for that family.

Live life as best you can . . . . . .

Anyway, on a more cheerful note I “doodled” a reindeer the other night.  I might use him for next years Christmas card??  I have had this year’s paintings printed up and all the cards to be posted have gone.  Hopefully,  the ones for abroad have actual got away by the posting dates!  Had to nag GOS like mad but he did get his foreign destination cards done the other night in time for the post dates.  We just have a  pile to drop round locally between us – a nice way to catch up with folks.  Did I few on horse back yesterday!.. .

Which is what I have to do now – go and excercise the nag. . . . .  10 degrees warmer than last week so back to riding on the hill.