Happy Christmas

Well it's the end of an unbelievably busy day at work (followed by 'Great Expectations' which was quite satisfying) and I still have to pack up ready to go to my mothers after work tomorrow, wrap the last few presents, put a load of washing on, and generally make sure that when she comes round the place looks half presentable... 

Christmas isn't really my favourite time of year. The last week at work has been challenging, it feels like I have a bruise for every day of advent, my back hurts, I seem to have broken every single nail, my hands are a mass of paper cuts from cardboard boxes and scratches from broken glass, and I ran over my foot with a cage of wine (they weigh about a third of a ton so it's lucky that I've only got another cut and not a broken foot). Such is the physical reality of Christmas in retail. My mood is probably in an even worse state than my body (depressing thought). Happily at 5 O'clock tomorrow it will all be other for another year and I can think about relaxing (books and jaffa cakes feature large in my plans for the next couple of weeks).

2012 has been a mixed year, the last month especially has bought quite a lot of bad news culminating with the death of a much loved family friend so I'm particularly looking forward to a new year and a new start this time round. Wrapping up the last presents is a reminder of much better things in life - things to be grateful for rather than to mourn over.

I hope we all have the Christmas we want and that 2013 brings good things - by new year the bruises will have faded and the champagne will be chilled.

Happy Christmas!

Wishing for a merry Christmas

This is the first Christmas Eve I’ve not had to go to some kind of work since 1995 and I have to say it’s bloody marvellous. So far I’ve seen a man in Waterstones dressed as a reindeer (he may have looked hot and bothered but I applaud his dedication to the cause – whatever it is - he looked a lot better than the girl in fairy lights), bought some chestnuts and a pair or warm woolly tights, and wrapped my presents with hours to go.

Seeing as I could have stayed in bed all morning I was even up in time to hear the Popes thought for the day on radio 4 and perhaps best of all, but also very poignant, I’ve watched ‘The Snowman’. As a child living on an Island with very few other people Christmas wasn’t nearly as exciting as the start of summer which bought another family with it. The Buttons had a daughter just between me and my sister in age and how we envied her – she had a swing, a cup with a frog in the bottom, grown up brothers and sisters, and blond hair. A gap of thirty years has left vague but happy memories of those summers but I can feel that happy anticipation like it was yesterday.

Emily’s father was an animator, all round gifted artist, and lovely man, among other things he worked on ‘The Snowman’. Sadly he passed away earlier this year, so this Christmas as well as wishing everyone all the best for the festive season I’m also raising a virtual glass to absent friends. Having had the time to stop and think about people today has been lovely, and possibly the best Christmas present I could get.

And now I’m off to enjoy the snow! Happy Christmas.