Busy days

Nothing says 'Christmas' quite like a pointsettia

Apparently today was 'Panic Saturday' when every man and his dog went shopping for all those last-minute must-haves that are essential for Christmas.   Oh good grief!  I read an article on-line this morning and was gob-smacked by the figures (money) that were quoted.  

There's still quite a lot of making going on hereabouts.  The box N is working on is looking lovely; he will begin polishing it tomorrow to get the finishing sheen.  I've started my part of that particular present today, fingers are crossed that the measurements I'm working on are accurate.  

We have both been walking in and out of town quite a lot this week - the weather has been dry (hooray!) and chilly, ideal for brisk walking.  We reckon a round trip is probably four miles and generally takes about an hour and a half, maybe two.  I've done a trawl of the charity shops for puzzles, books and a DVD, and as there are, I think, 9 such shops, it takes a while to check them all out ;-)  However, bargains are there to be had if you're prepared to take the time, and I've been surprised just how busy those shops are at the moment.  Seems I'm not the only one happy to give them my custom.  

We've got a menu plan sorted for the next week, and some alternatives to hand should there be last minute changes.  The bread is baked and two of the three loaves are in the freezer; that will see us through next week.  I have a couple of cakes and some cookies to make, probably tomorrow or Monday.

There are many things on my mind and most, to be honest, are not Christmas-related.  I'm going to start jotting these things down as I think of them, because I need to come back to them in the New Year.  I need to give time to these issues, deal with them and allow myself to move on.  And there are lots of new challenges and ideas I'm looking forward to next year so a clear head will be a good start!