Christmas Starts Today

Well we bought beer and coke, which we only have at Christmas, last week but otherwise today is officially the beginning of Christmas in this house.

Jamal and I are on the case. We are going to finish the painting (yes, it is still in progress), re-arrange the furniture to accommodate the tree and get the decorations out of the attic. If we have time then lights will be hung. We will have a tree and lights, some candles but no other bits.

It is going to be a bit disruptive in the kitchen at the weekend, cupboards coming out on Friday, gas cooker being moved on Sunday and then cupboards back in, ahead of new worktops and tiling. No chance of it being finished before Christmas but we will go as far as we can and then cover it all in fairy lights until after Boxing day. I have some cool chilli lights for the kitchen, if I can find them.

I am going to make an effort to be more sociable over Christmas. There are always loads of young people around the house, and I do spend time with my family too plus visit friends but I don't think I invite our friends over often enough. Do people still do dinner parties? I always think of the satirical middle class dinner parties on Dead Ringers at the mere mention of the idea. Hilarious but I don't want an evening of Daily Mail style repartee unless it is for entertainment purposes.

So the day is starting with re runs of Nigella's Christmas to get us in the right mood.