Tuesday 23 December 2008

Getting in the festive mood

My work stint finished a week ago and it has taken me all of a week to catch up with things. I have covered for this colleague's pre-Christmas holiday for three or four years a now and I swear that he is taking the holiday later each year which means that I am working nearer to Christmas each year. Uncannily, or maybe it is cannily, he asks me if I can cover for him around June which is long enough away from last Christmas for me to have forgotten how pushed I was the previous year and well before I have started to think about the next Christmas. By the time that I finished work I was exhausted, way behind with my Christmas preparations and not really in the spirit of Christmas.

By Thursday, after a few decent nights' sleep I had managed to finished my present shopping and write my Christmas cards in time to catch the last post. Then with some reluctance on Thursday evening I went out to the Horticultural Society Christmas meeting, which was a buffet plus entertainment from the Chester Operatic Society, who sang a mixture of Christmas carols and Christmas songs, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I have to admit that I was expecting that an operatic society would sing something more high brow. The two previous Christmas socials I had missed as an indirect result of working, leading me to the conclusion that too much work makes Cheshire Wife a dull girl. So, at last, on Thursday night I came home in the festive spirit.

Since then I have assembled and decorated our tree, which is artificial but drops needles as if it is real. The tree is really for the benefit of the neighbours so that they do not think that we are a couple of sad gits. It is unlikely that anyone will visit us over Christmas. On Christmas Day we will meet the neighbours for a drink at lunch time, in the local pub then after Christmas we shall be making a day trip to Northampton to visit my husband's family. Yet again, the distance between Chester and Northampton is less than the distance between Northampton and Chester. My family are too far away to try to attempt a Christmas get together. The two of us, my husband and I, will enjoy being together as we spend a lot of time apart. We will light a log fire and watch TV or one of the many programmes that we have videoed during the year and not managed to watch. If the weather is suitable we might go out for a walk.

The Christmas tree in the photograph is at the Cheshire Oaks Retail Outlet and is reputedly the biggest tree in the UK. In daylight, apart from the sheer size of it, it is nothing special but when darkness falls it is spectacular.

Happy Christmas everyone.

13 comments:

imbeingheldhostage said...

And HAPPY CHRISTMAS to you! I love that tree, it's probably stunning in person.

Glad to have you back, even if you are frazzled :-)

Akelamalu said...

Methinks your colleague is taking advantage of your good nature!

I hope you have a really Happy Christmas and may the New Year bring you Health and Happiness. x

Ladybird World Mother said...

Have a lovely day with your husband... your tree is gorgeous. X

Maggie May said...

At first I thought that was your Christmas tree, then I noticed the surroundings and size!

You colleague could be warned very early that you won't cover for him again!

Your health is important. Take it easy now.

Merry Christmas to you both!

Tim Atkinson said...

Great tree! No midnight mass in the cathedral then?

Suburbia said...

Merry Christmas to you too, I hope you enjoy your time together :)

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

We will be 7 or 8 for Christmas lunch - aged 4 - 93! Then mid afternoon my daughter and her little girl will be heading home so the evening will be just OH and me. Peaceful!

Merry Christmas CW and a very Happy New Year.

A x

Gill - That British Woman said...

Merry Christmas to you and your family. That is a lovely looking tree.......

Gill in Canada

Unknown said...

Yes, our artificial tree sheds needles too, very annoying!

I just found your blog and added to the best of the British mummy bloggers 2008 on www.amodernmother.com

Merry Christmas!

Anonymous said...

Have a lovely cozy, cuddly Christmas. Just the two of you...lovely.

cheshire wife said...

Thank you all for your good wishes.

Akelamalu & Maggie May - will think twice before covering a pre-Christmas holday again.

The Dotterel - sadly the centre of Chester is not a nice place to be late at night and I would definitely not want to be there when the pubs shut.

Saz said...

Please check out my saturdays post...in case you get bored!

blogthatmama said...

Happy Christmas, hope you had a lovely peaceful time and best wishes for New Year...