Christmas approaches

It's Wedneday today and our walking day. I overslept and then needed to talk to the plumbers about the central heating. I think we have sorted out nearly everything now.....
So, I didn't walk, but I did drive over to Cathy's house to see all the walkers and enjoy the lovely tea. This is Cathy in her kitchen. She was very, very ill last year with a sudden bout of pneumonia that took her into intensive care. She is usually very fit, so this was a huge shock and it has taken months for her to recover. It's lovely to see her looking well again.

I called into Waitrose on the way home and realised that I will HAVE to have a shopping list for my final Christmas shop. It was so busy that my brain was totally addled before I started.

I put up the tree this morning and I've been sorting out the Christmas lights this evening. I was remembering that when I was a young girl, we had a set of coloured glass bulbs on a heavy cable. The bulbs were all different shapes; some were animals. I thought they were beautiful. If one was not working, then none illuminated. My Dad used to check all the bulbs one by one. They had to be screwed in and out. If 2 bulbs had gone bust, then we were in real trouble. Dad's family are reputed to be stubborn. Since I am a Baillie too, I like to think of it as determined and persistent!

Tonight I found one set of lights in a terrible tangle. I have no idea how this happened but it took me 45 minutes to sort them out. The tree is now covered in lights and I feel very happy. The toys will have to wait until tomorrow to go on.

Am I running out of time before Christmas?? You bet!

The extra is Cathy's tree, beautifully decorated and lit.