"So, Are You ready for Christmas, then?"

In the last two weeks I must have had that question asked of me at least 30 times. Ten of those whilst standing in the coffee queue at church last Sunday.

No I'm not. And please stop asking me that!

Of course, that's not what I said, because I'm British and we Britons always politely acquiesce. If any of us is, say, given two weeks to live and our house just burnt down and then someone asked us how we were and if we were 'Ready for Christmas?' we'd all reply, 'Oh fine, yes, and you?'

My friend W today told me that a whole new side of me comes out during my blogging, that I always give the impression, in person, of having everything under control! Oh dear. I really don't. I suspect I'm a little like a swan, and not just because of my preternaturally long neck either. I give the appearance of gliding peacefully across a silver, glassy lake, but actually, if you could see below the surface, my little legs are paddling like crazy through weedy, green, pike-infested waters strewn with supermarket trolleys.


Here in the UK, the main family meal of the YEAR is the Traditional Christmas Lunch. It's A Really Big Deal for most families. Our traditional Christmas Lunch looks like this and it's not optional {g}:

Roast Turkey with gravy
White Christmas Nutloaf for the vegetarian husband

Bread Sauce (a creamy sauce flavoured with cloves)
Cranberry and orange relish
Herb stuffing balls
bacon rolls
Roasted potatoes
Various roasted root vegetables (probably swede, carrot, celeriac, butternut squash, parsnips)
Brussels sprouts steamed with chestnuts

Christmas Pudding (very rich with dried fruit and assorted alcohols, usually rum and or brandy)
Brandy Butter

And if you are feeling a little peckish later at tea time, there's always the mint spies and the Christmas Cake (iced, rich fruit cake.)

Pressure?
I'll say.
Especially as I couldn't find the right type of turkey in the supermarket yesterday and I still haven't made half of the things on this list. I'm usually half way there by now. Oh and this is all to be served up after having been at church all morning setting up the sound and playing/singing the music. And it has to be served BEFORE the Queen's Speech at 3.00pm. Cos that's the tradition!

Having said all that I do usually enjoy the challenge and we all enjoy the feast. There is plenty of leftovers for the days ahead and a week off work for most husbands, including mine. So we will reconnect with eachother and play games and go for walks, I hope.

You know, things *are* falling into place now. We did our final gift shopping yesterday. I've been cooking this morning. Jack has his friends over for a 'party tea' and a movie this afternoon, Grace's on Thursday. We've been invited OUT for dinner tomorrow evening, so that's one meal I won't need to cook. We have W and family coming over to spend Boxing Day with us. I do more or less know what we are doing, when, with whom and what I need to prepare now.

I'd be OK, I think, if people stopped asking me,
"So, are you ready for Christmas, then?" {g}