So this is Christmas?

Well it seems like only a few weeks ago that we took the tree down, another busy year has flown by...

This year has not seen me in very festive spirits, i'm finding it all a little too like hard work, but then I am still sick. After the mania of the clothes show my cold has gone straight to my chest and I now have a chest infection. (oh hallo lovely amoxycillin, my old friend).

Yes it's very difficult to get time off even when you're sick or snowed in for that matter. Gordon has been super Gordon working the busiest week on record in the shop. I worked one day instead of 4 and tucked myself up in bed for the rest of the days but couldn't escape working the last Saturday before Christmas. Today Gordon was supposed to be working again but got as far Preston in 1 1/2 hours before giving in and coming home (a 2 1/2 hour round trip). A frantic few phone calls ensued as I tried to get cover for the shop - Poppy came to the rescue! (I remembered at the last minute that schools had broken up and my Saturday girl would be free)

So its times like this I envy you people with jobs and sick pay and holidays but here in retail land, we get Christmas Day and (if you're lucky and don't work in a big retail store) Boxing Day off work. I'm lucky enough these days to have a few people to work odd days here and there - in the past years we had to work every shift ourselves. But when the shop is open I'm on call so it really only leaves me a few days to relax.

So Christmas this year will be spent in Blackpool with Gordon, me, Mum and Dad looking after 6 cats (well 4 and 2 mini ones) - you don't need television with 2 kittens!

Watching Kirsty's Homemade Christmas made me feel terribly guilty about not making more of an effort. This year the Christmas tree sat naked in the front room for 3 days before I could find the energy to get the stuff out of the box. Lovely big real tree though, he's looking mighty fine now. I've not even sent any Christmas cards - will have to send email messages instead! I'd love to be able to find the energy to wrap all my presents in advance but this year I've still got to buy most of them so no chance!

As we're having visitors the annual tidy the house campaign has already begun. It's strange how stuff that you can look over for weeks suddenly becomes of great importance. Today saw us throwing out loads of old VHS tapes to make room in the cupboard for the dvd's which have been taking over the front room. Tomorrow we'll try and turn the sewing room back into a dining room, no doubt resorting to putting white sheets and decorations over all the machines and boxes of stuff it's pointless moving....

So with only a few days to go I still have lots to do, namely presents to buy and wrap. But most importantly the wine has arrived from organico a bit more than I'd usually spend but well worth it as the wine is lovely and delivered straight to the door. The turkey has been ordered and my parents will pick it up from the nearby farm. Vegetables will be organic and whatever is in my weekly bag from growing with nature - another local farm. We have a family tradition of Moules Marinere on Christmas Eve and my dad has ordered the mussels straight from the docks at Fleetwood, he's collecting them on Wednesday along with something for Christmas Day starters so the food is more or less covered (but no doubt we'll still have the traditional trip to tesco/asda/morrisons to buy more food and snacks than we can possibly hope to ingest).

Although this year I'm sad to say that with my dairy & egg allergy I won't be making the traditional chocolate mousse (I hate most Christmas cakes and puddings as they all contain currants) I'd really like to find a good dairy free alternative but if I can't i'll just make some flapjack - at least I know what I'm doing with that!

Well I'm hoping I feel better tomorrow than I do today as I'm back in the shop. Lets hope the roads clear and we don't have a nightmare getting in as I'm also going to be doing the Christmas present shopping...now what to get Gordon.......