It’s the most wonderful time of the year

Yes, I apologies.  It’s corny. It’s cliché.

But I love it.  Christmas has filled our week this week.  On Monday the first Mince Pies came out of the oven.  Made especially as we were decorating the tree that day (I had to wait until after the Sint had left Holland!).

So we annoyed the neighbours with Christmas tunes – traditional, 50’s swing and 80’s pop – whilst decorating our tree.  And eating homemade deep-filled mince pies, still warm from the oven with a glass of sherry (family tradition) in the glow of the Christmas lights afterwards was just…  Ahhhhhh…  Love it.

One of the rooms in the office went to a charity second hand shop (well I say shop – it’s more like a warehouse) and we were so impressed with the results that my room clubbed together and we brought 6 Christmas cones with lights, 50 silver balls and a few bits and bobs to make the room festive.  And even the guy who doesn’t like Christmas chipped in and spent as much time as anyone decorating the room.

Friday I took another a mini pre decorated tree into the office – we brought it when we went away for Christmas one year and wanted something to put the presents around or Christmas morning – to finish the effect.  It’s lovely when you walk in first thing in the morning, when it’s still dark and you have the seven sets of fairy lights throwing a wonderful light into the room.

Shame that with the radiator broken it’s like a dry sauna in there – 27c today with a humidity of 22%.  Not pleasant – hopefully it will get fixed tomorrow morning…

On Saturday we went Christmas shopping.  Not something that I enjoyed last year – but my what a difference a year can make.  Don’t get me wrong, still no idea what is going to happen – but I could just enjoy the shopping this year, looking for presents that I knew Mrs Stace would like.  It took a long time.  Something’s are a risk, and there was a little calling mid shopping to renegotiate the budget (Mrs Stace does ask why we set a budget if I just call every year to extend anyway).

We finished the day with a drink in a local bar – away from the crowds and really relaxing.  We had a nice long chat.  About the shopping and about things in general – it was a great end to a great day.

Now I just have to wrap the presents, over the year we strip the nicest looking adverts from the mail that we get each week to use a wrapping paper.  Trying to wrap something large is a nightmare as it turns into a collage, but for the smaller presents you can get really nice effects.

And I have to arrange an English Mini Buffet for the office party.  It was decided to do a multi cultural thing and all us buitenlanders have been asked to do something from our own countries.  It's hard to believe just how hard it is to get food from a country that is so close by! I'm struggling more than I expected to find English buffet food...  Hopefully I found a supplier for most things, and I am supposed to be learning how to make Scotch eggs this weekend :)

That’s about it this week.  At the moment I am on a high, long may it continue.

Stace