I don't feel remotely prepared for Christmas this year. Last year, I was uncharacteristically ready weeks in advance, and vowed to do the same in all future years. Needless to say, that hasn't happened. A combination of DIY, working full time, and general overwhelmedness has conspired to ensure that I will be out finishing my shopping on Christmas eve, like all the other unprepared fools.
Oh well. It's too late to do anything about it now, except don my festive earrings and enter the thronging hoards (and, of course, vow to be more organised next year). I'm looking forward to wrapping it all once I'm home, maybe with a glass of advocaat and something festive on the tv.
I love Christmas, but I have a slightly ambivalent relationship with gift-giving. I love giving people things - I just fret wildly about getting just the right thing, and that can sometimes make present-buying (or making) quite a stressful experience. I've had to work hard over the years to remind myself that I don't have to buy everyone just what they'd buy for themselves, and that sometimes the gift you never even thought of yourself is the very thing you end up loving. But I still haven't quite conquered the fear of giving someone a present that they really don't like.
My family and friends are grateful and appreciate recipients, so I don't know where this has come from. I really do wish I could let go of it, as it can be quite debilitating sometimes. I think I need to cultivate the habit of collecting things when I see them throughout the year, rather than trying to be inspired all at once.
Oh well. It's too late to do anything about it now, except don my festive earrings and enter the thronging hoards (and, of course, vow to be more organised next year). I'm looking forward to wrapping it all once I'm home, maybe with a glass of advocaat and something festive on the tv.
I love Christmas, but I have a slightly ambivalent relationship with gift-giving. I love giving people things - I just fret wildly about getting just the right thing, and that can sometimes make present-buying (or making) quite a stressful experience. I've had to work hard over the years to remind myself that I don't have to buy everyone just what they'd buy for themselves, and that sometimes the gift you never even thought of yourself is the very thing you end up loving. But I still haven't quite conquered the fear of giving someone a present that they really don't like.
My family and friends are grateful and appreciate recipients, so I don't know where this has come from. I really do wish I could let go of it, as it can be quite debilitating sometimes. I think I need to cultivate the habit of collecting things when I see them throughout the year, rather than trying to be inspired all at once.
Another thing I'm not ready for is my upcoming half marathon. I ran ten miles along this trail last weekend, but it was slow and ponderous and not at all reassuring.
Oh well. Both Christmas and the race will arrive whether I'm ready for them or not, so I might as well just face forwards and do what I can with the time I have left.
We've had some progress on the house front today - again as the result of a bit of outsourcing. We don't have much carpet in the house, and most of what we do have isn't being replaced, but the bedroom carpet has been there for 30 years and was rather a mess.
We've had some progress on the house front today - again as the result of a bit of outsourcing. We don't have much carpet in the house, and most of what we do have isn't being replaced, but the bedroom carpet has been there for 30 years and was rather a mess.
No amount of hoovering is going to make that look any better. And so, far too early this morning, a nice young man came and fitted us a new carpet. I think I last showed you this room back in August, when we'd finished the cladding and started the painting, but not finished. One wall was still dark green, the paintwork was gold (and royal blue on the landing), the carpet was covered in plastic from when the plastering was done several months ago, and you can't really see it, but there was no skirting board at all on the cladded wall.
Well, this morning it looked like this.
Slight improvement, yes? Ignore the piles of stuff on the shelves outside the door (oh, and ignore the fact that there's no door - there's not even one on the bathroom at the minute).
I'm not sure how long this room will stay empty for. There's a chaise lounge in the kitchen that needs a new home for a start. But right now it feels good to have one room free of paint tins and screwdrivers.
So bring on Christmas, and the half marathon. I might not be properly prepared, but I'm ready enough (or at least I will be after tomorrow's shopping trip).
I'm not sure how long this room will stay empty for. There's a chaise lounge in the kitchen that needs a new home for a start. But right now it feels good to have one room free of paint tins and screwdrivers.
So bring on Christmas, and the half marathon. I might not be properly prepared, but I'm ready enough (or at least I will be after tomorrow's shopping trip).
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