Eve

There is wine.

There is 'A Study in Scarlet' (and there will be more Holmes soon)(meanwhile, I want to read up on the early history of the Mormons).

There are parcels expected and unexpected (L, this means you - the posties were obviously desperate to get their sorting offices clean and tidy before the break. Like me with my desk yesterday. Yours hasn't actually been posted yet).

There are things that are not here. There is not a tree yet. We may change our minds later, but the whole slow motions car-crash of the last six weeks has left us both exhausted, unable to face doing even one more thing, and the tree was the one thing. It hardly matters. There is no cake, but since this will be a stuffed monkey tomorrow will do.

It has been a week of singing. Advent carols in Norwich on Sunday. 'Shine Jesus Shine' on Monday, at the funeral of a dear friend gone far too young. Christmas carols at work yesterday (because this council has not banned Christmas). More carols tonight, at the midnight.

Finally, I am beginning to feel that it might be Christmas. Merry Christmas, one and all (or whatever you're celebrating).