It’s done.
Christmas that is.
All presents bought and wrapped,  all cards written and sent. My favourite white Christmas dried fruit and walnut cake made and slowly marinating in its own fragrant flavours of almond and vanilla and citrusy lemon and zesty orange peel. The mince pies are made and sitting ready in their airtight tin awaiting visitors. And as of today the tree is up, with great help from my cat who felt that every new box full of shiny baubles should be explored fully and the contents batted around and under the furniture, getting overly excited as he rampaged around the room, tried to eat the lit string of fairy lights as I unravelled them before he fell asleep in the box that holds the Christmas tree, along with the greenery within, looking like some cute woodland creature tucked away in a forest of fake fir. Later on I wi
ll find the spiced orangey room scent that makes the lounge smell totally of Christmas, and will avoid putting out the Quality Street til nearer to Christmas day itself as I know that with their bright shiny inviting wrappers they are so difficult to resist….mmmmm…. chocolate….. milky chocolate, mmmmmchocolate……
So I’m ready for Christmas.
And finding this month in particular one of contemplation and reflection…..
Because I know that I have work waiting for me on the other side of Christmas, but not currently. Its the way it sometimes is at this time of year after the flurry of rushing around, and although its a sort of enforced waiting time, its giving me time to look back at things that have happened this year that might not have gone exactly how I would have liked or planned. But, that doesn’t mean that they are bad, they have each brought their own benefits in other directions. Nothing is lost, just not exactly gained in the way I would have perhaps liked. But then, that means that I makes me think about them in this quiet time.
Thinking time can be as useful as working flat out sometimes…….
And the answers are starting to form in my head in the meantime.