It’s Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

This is the third year I have had to manhandle the Christmas tree out of its resting place at the back of a packed cupboard and assemble it. It’s not as if it’s remotely difficult to do, but each year I look at it as if I’ve never seen it before and have to figure out afresh how to slot it together and get the lights working.
I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer a real tree with the lovely Christmassy smell of pine needles, but this one has kept on giving for 10 years, ever since we came to the Dower House and the led lights still work, and so until they fail, I’m stuck with it. I confess I only put a third of the decorations on it this year because no one will see it except me, although the older blippers will notice the ‘Ho Bloody Ho’ bauble still made the cut.

The Christmas meal is to be finger food on the patio. Luca teaches a variety of foreign students and she and David think it’s not safe for me to have them in the house, sitting round the table for hours in a stuffy room. It may be that I die of hypothermia rather than Covid, but at least I will have the satisfaction of being ‘ ‘oot o’ it ‘ on the large quantity of mulled wine I have organised to have on tap.

With the tree twinkling in the corner, my Advent candle waiting to be lit and
the first window of my marzipan Advent Calendar waiting to be opened, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!