Puddings have been made a while now, the Cake iced and the Christmas Tree hung with lights and red and gold decorations.
Himself is out doing some last minute food shopping and herself will soon be making brandy butter and wrapping gifts ready for Christmas Day.
The weather is a mild 18 ยบ in the shade, the hot sun glittering on the Mediterranean and all is peace and quiet.
Would that I could be taken back to my childhood for a while, the Salvation Army Band playing Carols outside our house on Christmas Eve. How magical that would be. Every Christmas I hoped they would play my favourite, 'It came upon the Midnight Clear', and they usually did. The front siting room that was only used for 'high days and holidays' would be decorated with the Chinese paper lanterns strung from one side of the room to the other and the Christmas tree, adorned by my mother which became my job as I grew older, sitting in front of the big bay window. I still have the old, faded, plastic poinsettia lights with their screw in bulbs and they still do light up.
A lifetime ago.
Such memories.
Still.... we are fortunate to be having a daughter and son-in-law with us this year on Christmas Day and a very English Christmas it will be, in spite of the weather.
