Christmas Preparations 🎄

I'm always a bit of a late starter with Christmas preparations.  Some friends have their cards sent and presents wrapped before I even begin.  So, today, as a second string went up to hold cards, I know its time to begin mine.

My hubby worked in retail for nearly 40 years, he worked until late on Christmas Eve and much of the prep fell to me.  I never minded that, when the children were young I loved it, but of course I was younger then with a sackful of energy.   Now I'm very pleased that we undertake preparations together!

Card writing is not my favourite task.  Maybe it's because so many friends sigh as they tell me how many hours they have spent writing messages and letters to family and friends.  I know it should be done with goodwill, I know, I know.  But somehow,  when I haven't heard a word since a Christmas card last year,  it just feels a bit false.  Is that totally wrong?  Am I sad or bad to feel that way.  We have phones, emails, social media, as well as the good old postal service. There's so much opportunity to stay in touch.  It's one of the reasons I like Facebook and Instagram, I stay in touch with people all year.  Elderly aunts and uncles are the exception!  Plus the cost of postage!  Wow!  It's expensive to send a lot of cards.

Our Christmas tree is already up.  That's a preparation that I love.  Plus putting lights up.  It brightens these darker days, and makes everything so much cosier.  Driving home at the end of a day is always more pleasant when homes are lit and alive.  I love Christmas lights.  And some have really gone to town 🎄🎄

I have one present so far, its not wrapped yet 🤔, and I've bought a special treat to share.  A friend posted that she is totally prepared for Christmas.   I do have the ingredients to make the Cake 🤭

In my defence,  our family like a light fruit cake and I have a great last minute recipe.   It's in an old Good Housekeeping Cookbook, and does say it should be made a week or two before Christmas.   I'll probably put the fruit to soak tomorrow.   I will include the recipe at the bottom of this post, it is a great cake.

We had our 1st proper Christmas outing yesterday.   Hestercombe Gardens have a light display and we drove over to Taunton to wander around and see the lights.  It was very atmospheric,  Christmas carols and music played softly through speakers and a great deal of effort had been put into it.   For me the crowning glory was an adult swan gliding across the lake, glowing in the floodlight.   That photo,  unfortunately,  did not focus.

Hestercombe House.

Beautifully lit walkways. 

Trees, looking like sculptures. 

A tented forest of light.

We had a mini Christmas meal in town after.  It would have been good to eat at the event but the weather had deterred us.  Luckily the rain did stay away but honestly a hot dog would have suited us and seemed appropriate.  A nice evening though, I'm glad we went along.

All this preparation is tinged with sadness and a sense of guilt.  Our family will be here for Christmas and we so look forward to spending time with them.  I know I'm not alone though, friends often tell me how world events are constantly in their thoughts.  How do we justify all this celebration of a man's birth when that region is in so much pain.  I don't know the answer.  Each time I see a child in the news, I think of my own family.  If you can, please remember the children.   I'll be giving to Unicef.  Perhaps it's better for me to be reminded of the link to Yuletide.

Recipe for a lighter Christmas Cake from Good Housekeeping Cook Book.  I usually substitute apricots and ginger for the pineapple. 

You can tell how many times I've made this cake 😊.  And how messy I am when I'm baking!  

Happy Christmas Preparations everyone.  Don't get stressed or grumpy.  It's one day 😊😉