Merry Christmas

It's Christmas Eve, the tree is up and decorated, the presents are wrapped and under it and I am sat watching a Christmas film and enjoying a nice glass of wine and some chocolate.

Christmas dove... is watching you!

I thought I would share some photos of my Christmas tree with you. I always decorate it with fruit, berry's and birds. On top of the tree I always have a white dove of peace. It seems apt for this time of year, being the season of peace and goodwill to all men. I also have some robins nestled amongst the branches, and what seem to be golden sparrows and a fanciful red glittery bird of some description (let's call it the Christmas bird of Paradise).


I finished work two days ago and am so happy that I have a whole two weeks off wrk over Christmas. I very much need the break as I have been very run down. Still more medical tests to come in the new year but I think the time away from work will do me good.


I have been working on my photography and actually shot a Christmas Eve wedding. It was very small but the bride and groom were happy. It was a short shoot though with so few guests! I also took advantage of the recent snow and went out taking some pictures, some of which I am really pleased with. I will share some here soon.


It's the small hours of Christmas morning and so I will finish now. Wished you health, wealth and happiness this Christmas. may it be filled with joy and may you be on Santa's 'nice' list.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Advent

I am so looking forward to Christmas. I always do of course. My childhood Christmases were so wonderful that the magic of this time of year has always stayed with me. I love choosing presents for friends and family, wrapping them and sending cards. I love receiving cards in the post instead of just bills and junk mail. I love that people are usually just a little bit nicer to each other. The picture is of my advent calendar which has goodies in each pocket ~ a small chocolatey treat.

This year though, Christmas cannot come quickly enough as I get two weeks off work. I so need a break. Other than a couple of odd days off, the only time off work I have had was at Easter. Work has been particularly trying this year as well, mainly due to a very difficult boss, who is a control freak and only seems to care about outputs and process. On receiving a Christmas card from a friend at work, I overheard them ask "Are you allowed to send cards through the internal mail?" The jobsworth on a nearby desk confirmed that you were not and he said "I thought so" and seemed quite satisfied with himself. It just struck me as odd as most people would say "How nice, a Christmas card from so-and-so", but then I suppose it's in character for a person who stated at a team meeting "I don't feel the need to be friendly with my staff". We are a team of four people so needless to say motivation could be better. A year of this has left me somewhat stressed.

On top of that I have been feeling very run down physically too. I went for tests and the doctor confirmed it is my thyroid again (and potentially something else) which would explain the constant tiredness, lack of concentration and the complete absence of energy. Steps are being taken and I have to go back for more tests soon. I still feel like crap all the time though so forgive my lack of blog presence.

Still, thanks to online shopping all my Christmas presents are bought. My tree will be decorated this weekend coming and I will hopefully finish writing my cards this week. I have a Christmas CD in the car and I have a list of Christmas themed films to watch, from classics such as 'White Christmas' and 'It's a Wonderful Life' through to 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and 'Die Hard' (1&2). Even health problems can't crush the Christmas spirit in this Kat : )

Oh! Christmas Tree

I always love Christmas and so always look forward to putting my tree up. I don't rush though and put it up as soon as December arrives. Part of the whole experience is the anticipation of Christmas, of looking forward to putting the tree up and decorating. It feels more special if it is up for a just three or so weeks, and it comes down on the twelfth day of Christmas.


I decorate my tree with fruit and birds in hues of gold and red. I have ivy and berry garlands entwined around the tree and a white dove sits on top. Underneath I have a collection of little chaps who look like a bunch of carol singers.


I love to sit and watch films, or use my laptop by the Christmas tree lights and some candles. It feels cosy which is just what is required with the freezing temperatures we've been experiencing here lately. I have watched quite a few Christmas films in the run up to Christmas including, Scrooged, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street (original B&W), Die Hard 1&2, Gremlins, While You Were Sleeping, The Holiday, Elf and Love Actually. Holiday Inn, A Christmas Carol (B&W) and Nightmare Before Christmas to go.


On a separate note, my new job is going really well, and after two weeks I'm starting to feel a little more comfortable even the learning curve is more like a learning climb! I'm being given extra responsibility already and my boss seems to like my ideas. That has to be good. Other than that I am nearly ready for Christmas, just a few presents to wrap and the turkey to get along with a few other bits and pieces. The sprouts have been on since last week so they should be cooked in time, LoL!

On the First Day of Christmas...

...the NHS did give to me, an appointment for surgery.

This wasn't exactly what I was hoping for and it wasn't on my list to Santa, but on Christmas Eve I received notice that I am to go into hospital for surgery to remove Hector (my lump) and half my thyroid where it resides. As experience days go I do not think it will catch on as a gift idea somehow:

Congratulations!
You have been given an all expenses paid trip to hospital.
Your experience day will start at 7.30am prompt where you will be assigned to your ward, and includes an overnight stay in one of our beds. You will receive one surgical procedure and path lab report and the anaesthetic is included in your gift! We will provide a stylish backless gown for you to wear and meals during your experience, but don't forget to starve from midnight the night before!
We are looking forward to seeing you on the 9th January.

Don't get me wrong. I am pleased that things are moving quickly as Hector is growing quite quickly and also if it is a tumour I'd rather they took it out sharpish and treated me. I'm just quietly dreading going into hospital. I hate anything medical and I hate sleeping in rooms with strangers. Luckily if all goes well I should only have to stay for one night.

My other gifts were much more pleasant. I had a gorgeous necklace with amethyst, garnet and tanzanite cut stones set in white gold (thank you M), I got some curling tongs, a cosmetic bag (useful for going into hospital), a couple of DVD's, a fun book from CrazieQueen (hugs - also useful for hospital), a beautiful calendar from Old Old Lady of the Hills (thank you dear Naomi) and a selection of wonderful Molten Brown shower and bath gels (they smell divine). All in all I had some lovely gifts and it is always nice to receive a gift from someone as it's nice to be thought of. It gives me a warm feeling :) It counteracts the hospital related fear a little.

Merry Christmas!

My Christmas Tree (Dec 2009)

I love Christmas. I always have. I believe it's because I have such good memories of Christmas as a child. I love the good old Christmas songs, carol singing, trimming the tree, giving cards and presents (note the skating nun wrapping paper !)and receiving them too and just the whole warm feeling I get this time of year. I love the sight of brightly wrapped presents under the glow of the lights from the Christmas tree. I just love Christmas.

Of course, Christmas is not really Christmas without an appearance from Santa, and mine takes a well earned rest under the tree.


My tree is trimmed with fruits in reds and gold with garlands of berries and ivy. If you look closely you will also spot the odd glittery star and some birds. In fact a white dove of peace sits atop my tree. (A wider view of my tree cna be seen on my photo blog).

One of my favourite things is to sit with only the lights from the tree and mantle piece on with a nice glass of wine or port and watch a film or read. In fact that is exactly what I am going to do next this Christmas Eve. I've even bought some Belgian chocolates as a treat.


And so as I take up my glass I make a toast to all my wonderful blog friends who lift my spirits when it is flagging and make me smile. Goodwill and peace to you all and wishing you a very Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.

Since you asked...

After my last post, a few of my visitors asked to see a photo of the whole of my Christmas Tree as well as the pictures I had taken of the ornaments that adorn it each year. Never one to disappoint if I can at all help it, here are a couple of photos. I'm afraid neither are great pics but you do get an impression of what the tree was like when it was resident in my lounge.

The first pic was taken just before the tree was packed away, along with the photos in my last post. The light was pouring through my lounge window opposite and so the lighting was quite bright for the photo. However, the second photo, which was taken in dim light on Christmas morning, feels more 'right' to me. It's not a great photo but the soft orange glow from the lights always lent a warm feel to the room, and this photo does capture that. Click on the photos to enlarge and I hope you enjoy the pics!

Twelfth Day

As quickly as it descended upon us, Christmas has been and gone. It was the twelfth day of Christmas this weekend and so my tree has been packed away for another year. I love having my tree up. During winter in the south of the UK we get many grey, damp dreary days and the tree, with it's glowing lights always helps to make my home feel cosy somehow.


I took some photos of the ornaments on my tree while playing with my new macro lens which I got for Christmas and I thought I would post a few here. My tree is decorated with fruits and birds (with the odd glittery star) and I have a white dove of peace to top the tree. The pic above is of one of my new little birds and the one below is of one that I have had for some years.

I just love the little glittery red bird in the photo below with his flamboyant tail and red breast.

Another little bird ornament below. In total I have twelve birds on the tree including the glittery one in the photo below.

The fruit on the tree are apples, pears and berries in red and gold. I always love how the glow of the little lights make them shine.


I always miss my tree at first. Afterwards it always seems like the room is much bigger with a big empty space where the tree was. It also signifies the end of Christmas which I love, and a return to normal everyday life. But you know, in a way that isn't a bad thing as Christmas wouldn't be a special time of year if it was all year. Christmas time always has a warm feel to it for me. People seem to be in a better mood but perhaps I look at it with the rose tinted spectacles of my childhood? For now though, the tree, the birds and the other decorations are packed away back in the loft ready to come down in eleven months time or so. Not that long to Christmas now folks, as you know how quickly the years go by these days! :)

Merry Christmas

It's 6am on Christmas morning and I can't sleep. This hour of the morning is not a stranger to me on this day. As a kid I would always be too excited to sleep, wondering if Santa had been and looking forward to opening my presents. I would be so excited that this hour of the morning would be no stranger to my parents either on this day, as invariable my brother and I would wake my parents up whispering loudly or moving around (quietly we thought, but I suspect more like bull elephants). I remember sneaking down to see the presents under the tree and being filled with awe and wonder at what seemed a miracle to my young mind.

As I grew older I learnt that Christmas was a time for giving as well as receiving and to this day I enjoy watching others open the gifts I have bought them more than receiving gifts myself. The look on their face when you have got it just right is priceless and I must admit that I get such a kick of seeing someone I love made happy by a gift that I have chosen for them. If there was a real Santa then I can truly understand what his reward is for doing his night's work and I am not just talking about the mince pies and assorted drinks left out for him!

However, no matter how central the giving of gifts is to this celebration, I think it is important to remember the true meaning of Christmas, which is not the commercial whirlygig of buying presents, but in peace and goodwill to all men. I remember learning about the men in the trenches during WWI coming across No-mans-land to meet, share rations and play football together on Christmas Day. I am awake because my family is divided. Since the death of my niece it has fallen apart and some upsetting things have been done and said. On this day, I am awake pondering all of this and wondering if our family can play it's own game of football.

I wish all of my friends in blogland a very Merry Christmas and for those who do not celebrate it, Happy Holidays. Seasons Greetings, goodwill and peace be with you.

Operation Christmas Child

It's only just October but already the shops are full of Christmas things. I was at the supermarket and turned into an aisle brimming with Christmas puddings, Christmas cakes, mince pies, and assorted other Christmas goodies. At a department store, I recently walked through the door to be visually assaulted by a fully decorated tree as well as Christmas cards, decorations and other Christmas paraphenalia. Thank goodness they're not bombarding my ears with Christmas carols or pop songs just yet. I used to work in a shop as a teenager and I have never quite gotten over the endless renditions of Wham's 'Last Christmas' or Elton John's 'Step into Christmas' being played over and over... to this day, simply hearing the introduction can start me twitching.

It doesn't stop there though. Oh no. At home I am bombarded with Christmas catalogues, helpfully reminding me of the last date to order and presenting me with all manner of goodies, including some dreadfully tacky and awful items, some of which I wonder who would buy them?! Christmas it would appear, is a time for shopping and for spending hard earned cash on things no-one really wants. Is this what it has become?


Not for me. I love Christmas, I always have done. I love my brightly lit and decorated tree. I love receiving gifts. I love the anticipation that a brightly wrapped box can bring and from knowing that someone has thought of me. I love giving presents just as much though, in fact perhaps more so. Nothing quite beats the warm feeling you get from watching someone unwrap a gift they love.

I came across some presents I had bought and put away for my niece the other day. I wasn't expecting it. I was innocently going through some things and there they were waiting for a birthday that would never come. It made me incredibly sad. I had bought her a little pink handbag and a necklace together with some hair accessories. I didn't know what to do with them. Giving them to a charity shop didn't seem quite right. They had been meant for Jessica. It might sound silly but I wanted them to be appreciated. That was when I thought of 'Operation Christmas Child'.

Operation Christmas Child is an initiative run by the Charity 'Samaritan's Purse'. This is what the web site says: "This annual project enables caring individuals, families, schools, churches, businesses, and other organisations to fill ordinary shoe boxes with small toys, school supplies, sweets, and other gifts for needy children around the world. Operation Christmas Child sends a message of hope to children in need around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes."


It was perfect. I immediately knew that the presents I had bought for Jessica, would make a needy child very happy and that the gift would be truly appreciated. I have filled my shoebox with 'treasure' and wrapped it in bright paper. I have made mine for a girl aged between 10-14 which is the same age group as Jess. I have included: small doll, pencil case and stationary, notebooks, sweets, bouncy balls, necklace, small handbag, hair accessories, hair brush, gloves, scarf, flannel, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste. The fact that I can do this for someone has made me very happy and seems a very fitting way to honour my niece.


If you would like to help by doing your own shoebox then you can read more *here*. The charity operates internationally so you should be able to find a collection point near you. Christmas is indeed a time for giving.

I will be posting more photographs of Vienna soon...

Bob's Christmas

Well, Bob the cat was in a cattery over Christmas while I was off being ill in the Med so he had his Christmas when I came back. I know he's a cat and as such Christmas probably means very little to him other than his house gets invaded by a sparkly tree but he's my cat and so he gets presents, despite the fact that he never gets me anything!


So, first I gave Bob his stocking, which he sniffed expectantly and patted experiementally with his paw. When we had ascertained that it was dead and was not going to a) run away or b) attack we could proceed with the goodies. First, new ping pong balls. Bob loves these but gets through loads of them as either they get lost under furniture to be rediscovered on hoovering (and sometimes hoovered up) or I sometimes tread on them which takes the ping outta them.

The ping pong balls having been approved (and one immediately lost under the sofa) the next thing out of the stocking was some treats. Now, given half a chance Bob would scoff the lot but I made him have only a couple like a good boy to save room for his Gourmet cat food which was in the stocking also (and a big hit - very clean dish!).

The last thing in the stocking were toy mice and not just ordinary ones but cat nip ones. Once Bob got one whiff of these he was in catty heaven and I could get no sense out of him. So that was Bob's Christmas - food, toys and drugs! What feline could ask for anything more?