All my bags are packed...

I'm ready to go.

First thing tomorrow I fly to the US - upstate New York - to spend Christmas with my family. I only have one sibling - a brother much older than me - who emigrated with his young family around 45 years ago. Although we have seen each other lots over the years, I have only ever spent one Christmas with them, in 1971 when I spent a year living in the US. 41years ago!! I have three grown up nieces and they have four grown up children between them. Because my brother married very young - the day after his 21st birthday and my sister-in-law was 19 - and I had my girls quite late in life, my brother's grandchildren and my children are pretty similar in age!!


the news that greeted me as I awoke on 12 July hasn't improved any, and it is so hard being so far away. So just before I went off to Vietnam, I decided, heavily persuaded by John, that I should go and spend Christmas with them. So I'm all ready and really excited. Some divided loyalty but John and Iain have assured me over and over again that they will be fine. I am taking my netbook and hope to be able to blip some nice snowy scenes - apparently a white Christmas is on the cards there.

So I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy festive season, and my next journal entry will be from the US of A!