Christmas Comes But Once a Year

It just seems like it comes more frequently!

What is it about he run-up to Christmas? Christmas has never been my favourite time of year. I say 'never' because although I can recall some Christmas Days as a youngster (usually at my Nana and Grandpa's when Uncle Eric used to buy me Meccano Sets), they haven't registered significantly in my mind so I can't truthfully say with certainty what my feelings were then.

I think that I am essentially a person who likes order but to do things like give presents spontaneously. When 'the system' tells me that it is time to give a present I instinctively rebel. Apart from that buying presents to order is not fun. For me buying presents is fun but only when I'm not desperately searching for something with a deadline to meet.

Christmas upsets both those aspects of my comfort. There is no order and presents have to be bought for Christmas Day. There are exceptions. I cannot remember when Gareth and I last bought each other a Christmas or Birthday Present (or card for that matter!). That's not to say we don't think about each other or communicate or buy things for each other but we don't do it to order. I suspect that a lot of people share my view but few of us have the courage to see our views through to their logical conclusion.

This year I seem to have managed to get into a colossal guddle. I bought, wrapped and gave (some) presents before I left the UK. I enjoyed that because they were all 'spontaneous' presents. However I have managed to 'lose' those for at least two friends. No doubt I'll find them when I return to Tigh na Mara. Christmas in New Zealand is not something I've managed to catch up with. Few people here seem to send cards so that solves the problem for here. I sent 38 cards 'abroad'. I know that because I used 38 of the stamps I bought. I used the list of names and address that I used last year - which needed a lot of addresses changing - and which is in random order. Somewhere along the line when I was tidying up the table I managed to clear away the list: apparently permanently. The result is that some people (a lot of people because I used to send over 100 cards) will not be getting cards this year. If you are reading this and are one of those who has not received a card you now know why. Please forgive me. If you don't read this Blog and haven't received a card then you will probably never know why.

Right there's only one day to go. I'd better do something about the presents I haven't sent.

It's a funny old world.