On the first day of Christmas……

The festive season approaches and it is time for the traditional T-25 Sit Rep by Santa’s increasingly creaky elf.

Cakes made – none (though I think I now at least have the ingredients)
advent calendars delivered – 5 – a veritable triumph
Advent quiz – composed – again a triumph. Today’s question, for those not already in possession, will be tucked just after the pictures.
Christmas jumpers knitted – 1 done and 2 lacking only one arm each so there’s everything to play for. I have stocked up on audio books for the final push.
jams jellies and whatnot – the delivery of half a sheep (and thus the need for freezer space) has chivvied me along and I despatched two giant bags of gooseberries jam wards and turned some rhubarb into experimental ketchup this week. Just the half ton of blackcurrants to go.
cards – in the drawer somewhere
presents – aye, there’s the rub. I have a few tentative ideas but have done very little about them.
personal glamour and grooming – currently resemble Gandalf on a bad day – plans for a haircut are emerging

So that’s all excellent. What could possibly go wrong? I have resolved (in my own mind) to keep a running update to generate solidarity and fellow feeling amongst all those adopting the same modern and efficient “just in time” approach.

If I am honest I don’t really feel that christmassy yet. The weather, with the honourable exception of one snowy day and a couple of frosts, remains fairly autumnal. On the gardening front I still have a vast array of bulbs to go in and it really doesn’t feel hopelessly impossible. (I may not feel the same first thing tomorrow when I plan to make a run at the long border). The hip is proving a bigger problem than the weather. The last mild day I set to with a view to to planting up the knots in the herb garden. The soil was positively warm and it was sheltered down under the low hedges. This was good thing as I was stuck down there for quite some time after planting was complete wondering quite how I was going to get back out again…. The physio is helping though and I am trying to be a good girl and keep up the exercises. My mornings are spent grovelling on the spare room floor in a range of inelegant poses. Today this brought me closer than I would have liked to a headless mouse – the cat’s advent gift I must assume.

Lyra and I are still enjoying the woods and as the leaves fall several new tracks have emerged to be explored. She enjoys a little exploratory foray, but does have to concentrate much harder so I try always to come back by a familiar route. This has its downsides – as soon as she has worked out where she is she dashes ahead boldly, often where she really ought to be on the lead in case of cars. Today was a case in point – a tussle of wills emerged and I had to resort to pretending to take a different path to get her back and clipped before making for the car park. On frosty days we have taken to the two remaining stubble fields, where there is a pleasing underfoot crunch. The snowy day was bittersweet. Lyra used to adore the snow and we were curious to see what she made of it now she an’t see. Her first reaction was to refuse to go out the door and retreat below the table. However, as Lachlan and I strode out encouragingly (if madly) in PJs and wellies she relented and had a little run about. Not the heedless abandon of yore, but she did muster a small skip or two. Yesterday, with the son and heir (in his mind if no one else’s – little does he know I’m spending it…) away visiting the lovely Matthew (the engineer not the swan) Keith and I took Lyra to Bamburgh for a small run on the beach and a late lunch at the Potted Lobster. Lyra held court, accepting adulation from all and sundry and Keith and I stuffed ourselves on scallops and halibut.