Friday - the end of the week..... I still have tidying to do in the kitchen, and it is only 7.43 p.m., but I hear my bed calling (only faintly to start with but it's bound to become more pursuasive!!! The house looks different this Friday night than it did last Friday night, as the Spirit of Christmas has descended upon me and caused me to haul out all the celebration's decorations. Which is lovely!!!! Today I rescued the Christmas Card List from the file where I had put it last January, and I opened the package of Cards youngest son had brought me from the pharmacy (which, like all pharmacies, sells many, many things besides drugs). All the sweet, old famliar names, but it tore at my heart to have to write deceased by far too many. And things keep happening to remind me that even though the spirit might be ready to celebrate Christmas chores the old body is all ears when it comes to the bed calling out!!!! For the last few years I have foregone the personal letter and written to one and all by computer, the same news of the year, adding to it my personal scrawl of love and remembrance. I think that is allowed when you hit ninety five, and if it is not allowed, well, I was always one for ignoring rules if they didn't make any sense. The drawer of Christmas ornaments also contains a whole pack of memories, and so when I open it I also let our all those remembrances. A mixture of sadness, gratitude, and some humour..... I notice that some of the ornaments seem to be showing their age, but it is a lovely maturing and in the candle light of Christmas Eve they look quite O.K. Youngest son brought home some mince meat from the store, - I may have mentioned before that I have given up "mincemeat from scratch" but I might add a few few apple slivers to add that final touch. And a raisin or two...... I am somewhat moved to make pastry, tomorrow, and tuck some tart shells away in the freezer until they are ready for mincemenat and lemon curd and maybe some strawberry jam. However, I say this in the evening, and who knows what the morning might bring that discourages me from baking again another day..... Which reminds me, - I still have dishes in the kitchen sink and I learned early in life that 'dishes in the sink' are not the thig to get up to in the morning.....so I am off to make order out of chaos!!

Monday,November 29th, 2021 We are coming to the end of November, - that gloomy month and that day which dawned this morning with low hanging clouds and a most Novemberish attitude. But somewhere, someone called the sun forth to remind the people of earth that December was almost upon us - that month of gladsome celebration!! I have started making mittens already to put under various family Christmas trees! It keeps me busy each day and evening as I watch curling and dream dreams of Christmases past....... Youngest son came upon a Christmas wreath and hung it by the door as a reminder to get out the tinsel and the decorations that foretell the coming celebration of the arrival of both the Son of God and Santa Claus Time for me to dig out the boxes of glittering balls and greenery and keep the knitting needles clicking. Son-in-law Frank has laden with twinkling lights the branches of the evergreen that is gradually taking over the eastern half of the front yard. Charles warnecd of this, but alas, nobody can prune trees like he used to! In years past I would have thought the date called for the mixing of the Christmas pudding, but I have given that up. Nevertheless it is past time when the Christmas cake should be shrouded in linen and set to absorb the brandy that was so generously added to it. Ah dear, at ninety six much of Christmas bustle lives in my memories where it reminds me what a wonderful life it has been. And how many glorious Christmases we celebrated when our last task Christmas Eve was to fill the children's stockings "hung by the chimney with care" .......and with Mum and Dad having a last sip of Christmas Brandy. More on Christmas and its preparations coming.....I think the next reminder will be the big red bow fastened to the front door.... In younger days, when we lived on the hill in Cawston, Charles had constructed a large star on the west side of our house. It was lit by strings of lights, and it shone each Christmas above the orchards all planted and occupied by veterans of the second world war.... They were lovely years with young children and dear friends all around.......good memories!