THE LAST MINUTE RUSH

With one week to go you are either laid back and ready for the party or running around like a headless turkey wondering where to begin. It the first is true, congratulations, if the second its rather late to be starting your preparations so make a firm resolve to start much earlier next year and crack on quick smart. After all you don't want to be one of those poor devils stuck at the end of a massive queue outside Argos on Christmas Eve, now do you?

If time is pressing order your groceries on line to avoid having to fight your way around the supermarket at the last minute.
If your tree is not yet up ,pull yourself together and do it today! Christmas cards are always the bug bear at my house,I always hope that someone else will take on this easy task,of course no one ever does so it is always left to me and it usually done at the last moment in a tearing hurry. Don't put it off any longer!

If you have not yet purchased the presents Heaven help you...... do so at once..on line or in person. When my son was young and money was not plentiful.....when is it ever....I used to give ,my son a toy catalogue and tell him how much he had to spend. The process began in September and by Christmas he had chosen his gifts form an ever decreasing short list which gave him hours of fun.

Of course we always kept a little money back for a surprise treat, and although this method scandalised both sets of Grandparents at least the boy got what he wanted for Christmas.

OK, so I have been issuing orders like a regimental sergeant major,mostly I am cross with you for missing all the fun of the big build up, but it's not too late to begin.

When the above list is finished you should still have a little time for family fun . Today I marzipaned the cake and began the process of icing it, after which we had a game of “Rat Race”, it's a rather ancient board game but great fun I assure you. We cracked a box of the Christmas chocs and treated ourselves to a glass of Irish Whisky,even the cat enjoyed the fun.

Dinner consisted of a very simple pasta cheese bake enlivened with a few sun dried tomatoes and a topping of Cheshire and Gruyère. Of course our Christmas has to begin early as my son returns to work on Boxing night,even so we have always tried to spread the fun of Christmas ,it may only come once a year but there is no reason why it should only last a couple of days.

Good luck with your preparations, and if things do not come out according to planned it's not the end of the world,nothing that a group hug won't put right.