ALL DONE AND DUSTED

 

Hello everyone,

Phew.....Am I glad to be sitting down.  We went to Uxbridge shopping this morning...or should I say, Jim did the shopping and I followed after him with an empty purse.  I didn`t need to buy anything more and even if I did I can`t afford it now, I`m all spent out.  The crowds are now out in force and the irritability is creeping in amonst the shoppers, with lots of moaning and pushing and shoving, Hah! says I, who has all the gifts bought and wrapped, "Serves `em all right, they should have shopped early....like ME  LOL!"  How grateful am I that I did, I really hate to have to fight my way through a crowd at the best of times but at Christmas it`s ten times worse.  Of course we all know that Christmas is far too commercialised, but does it stop us....that`ll be the day!

When we got home it was to find that Jake hadn`t chewed anything apart from his now beloved chew bone.  Jim took him out for his afternoon stroll and came home to say that while they were out Jake had been really ill.  I do hope it`s not the bone that caused it, but he is a terrible scavenger while out and he may have picked up a `nasty` yesterday. I do hope that is the case because I don`t want him to have another bout of colitis, it makes him so ill.  We`re starving him tonight and will give him light rations tomorrow and hope it was a one-off and that he`ll be fine tomorrow.

Tommorrow we are doing a big Tescos shop for Christmas foods.  Dry stuff mainly and meat that will be frozen, I really must make a list or I`m bound to forget what I want.  I`ve decided to make my own mince pies this year, the first time for ages. I should have made a cake but I left it too late now, but I`ll make my own sausage rolls too. I`ll enjoy cooking as I`m not working at the moment will have more time.

Talking of working, I`ve even tried getting a Christmas job but many places have cut down on extra staff despite needing them.  I asked a lady who works in Marks and Spencers if there was anything going, but she said no, they`ve taken on some staff but by no means enough to cope with the rush.  I would have liked to work there too as most of the temp. staff work out the back in the warehouse and that would have been good enough for me for a few weeks. I suppose I`ll just have to wait until the new year to start looking seriously.

Anyway, must go now, I`m going to ATTEMPT to put some Christmas music on here so watch, and listen to this space!  Have a lovely day all of you, and take care.

 

CHRISTMAS FACTS

Some priests in Australia advise you to say "Happy Christmas" instead of "Merry Christmas", because Merry has connotations of getting drunk - which brings it`s own problems.

December 26th, was traditionally known as St.Stephen`s Day, but is more commonly known as Boxing day. This expression came about because money was collected in Alms boxes placed in churches during the festive season.  This money was then distributed to the poor and needy after christmas.

According to tradition, giving a lump of coal in the stockings of naughty children comes from Italy.

Poinsettias were attached to Christmas starting in 1928.  Joel Roberts Poinsett, then the Mexican ambassador from the US, imported the plant from Mexico.