Such a long gap, because I spilled some apple and mango juice on my laptop. It made plaintive squeaking noises at first, then packed up. I felt bereft. Then I was away firstly with sister J in Germany midst snow and ice and then for a week in the Isle of Wight and only today have I managed to get it mended.   Oh what a relief.  It is like being reunited with an old friend after a long absence.
Christmas was its usual mixture of anxious shopping expeditions, feelings of great guilt because I had forgotten a card or a present for someone, and either too much food and drink, or running out of essentials like milk or bread or loo paper.   And then there are the lovely moments when I looked at the whole tribe gathered together and think what a good lot they are, and how glad I am to be amongst them all.    The present opening was the usual flurry of wrapping paper (mostly the Guardian in my case) and proudly announcing that we had bought the gift from Oxfam, Help the Aged or the PDSA  charity shops.  Calpol, Paracetamol and Neurofen was dispensed four hourly to various members of the family but we all remained cheerful and enjoyed ourselves. The weather improved just in time, even those from the far North arrived safely.
I have had some good reads lately: The Help by Kathryn Stockett,  Remarkable Creatures by Tracey Chevalier, and Seven Days in December by Sebastian Foulkes , all winners.

Poor grand daughters M and G were kettled yesterday while they were peacefully demonstrating against the tuition fees being raised.   They were upset by the violence.  M`s `occupation`of her College is now over.   They cleaned and tidied everything up beautifully and went back to their Halls.. What a relief.
I am off to foreign parts on Sunday, so I have to face the dreaded task of wrapping up Christmas presents. I do not have the present wrapping gene, it is odd as brother P ands sister J have it, it has missed me entirely. I can`t cope with cellotape or labels or any type of paper.  I am always very ashamed of my parcels.

the more it smows tiddly pom

I decided I had better try to move the car which is almost completely obliterated by snow in the street outside. I have enough food for myself but the cat has turned against the cheap offer cat food I bought in Lidl, so I was going to brave the elements and go to Hassocks.   When I swept the snow off the top, it became even more stuck. How long will the big freeze last I wonder.  I am perfectly happy indoors, doing Christmas cards and popping over to our lovely post office to send them off. And the village looks beautiful with snow and icicles and hardly any traffic at all.
The Ditchling Choir was supposed to be singing at the Dome in Brighton tomorrow. Alas, it has been cancelled. So I will have another day at home but I can get on with my memoirs.  I am trying to think of a title : `Nothing Much Happened` perhaps.

Conversations with six year old T yesterday:  Are you coming to my Christmas play at school?  Me: Is it about baby Jesus?  T: No it`s about Aliens.
T: Vick who is in charge of the whole world?   Me: I`m not sure.  T Perhaps it`s us.
It looks very pretty in Ditchling with all the snow, but I dare not drive over the beacon on the icy roads. I am going to stay indoors and write Christmas cards and make useful lists of Things to Do before Christmas.  I am looking forward to it.