If it wasn’t for the early morning wintry snap in the air, one wouldn’t think we were in December already. The rain has stopped and the sun is out, hardly bikini weather but much milder than usual. I seem to remember howling winds and drenching rain this time last year – all the Christmas decorations ended up water-logged. Naturally, as the festive season comes upon us, I’ve been busy untangling lights whilst Denis is designing and deciding the corner wall display. If we have to be minimal about tinsel and twinkles this year, the two of us are going all out to give the village something to look at. Ingeniously, he found some old wooden pallets and artfully made Christmas trees out of them which we then painted green. He’s kept one of the pallets back to make a sled for Papa Noel who we’ve dragged out of the old chicken house – he will definitely need a wash first as he’s been sharing his digs with a colony of bats.
Speaking of digs, I’ve sparkled up the apartment once more. Denis found an ancient contraption which to be honest, I thought was a former torture device but turned out to be what wine- makers used to dry bottles on before they were filled up. Mumo suggested it might make an alternative Christmas tree which I thought was a great idea. Cleaned up and sprayed silver, it now looks like an over-dressed Dalek sitting in my lounge – I love it. And the woofers can’t pee on it either.
It was the third anniversary of Pop’s passing last week so I took Mumo out shopping for Christmas presents in an effort to cheer her up. I don’t know why I thought wandering aimlessly around shops without a clue as to what you want to buy for your beloved children and grand-children was the perfect pick-me-up – poor Mumo was even more miserable after the failed expedition. Still, thanks to the Gods of online purchasing, I did manage to help her choose almost all her gifts without having to leave her cosy kitchen – happy Mumo again. For some reason, the third is a tough one.
The coming weeks I’m sure, will be busy ones. The party season is upon us for a start so I’m off to get my hair coloured on Tuesday and the diary is filling up nicely with invitations for drinks and dinners. Stock up on aspirin me thinks too. I will have to go and get a real tree for the main house although Mumo refuses to decorate until Christmas Eve – a waste of ho ho ho in my opinion. Mind you, I am going to put the fairy lights on it before the family arrive – only one person should be subjected to the stressful task of unknotting knotted wires and no-one ever hangs them properly except me. I wonder if there is a ‘Who’ living in the garage making merriment for themselves by scrunching up my carefully wrapped lights that I put in there after last Christmas?
“It is December and nobody asked if I was ready” (Sarah Kay)
Widow plus woofs 