By Hazel Clayton
I absolutely love getting ready for the Christmas season and everything that comes with it – the cards, the presents, the festivities – the lot! I’m one of those people who prepare ages in advance. My Christmas cards are bought in the January sales and maybe even the odd present if I see something suitable. I enjoy writing the cards and choose the designs carefully, laying them all out on the floor so I can pick the right one for each person and family on my list. Although I write and address the cards in plenty of time (in October – so they’re all done and ready as you’re reading this!), I never seal them until it is posting time, just in case I want to write a personal message.
I get really engrossed in choosing presents for people and keep a list of what I‘ve bought each year so no one ever gets the same thing. Going to the shops is a bit of an ordeal for me, but I’ve already done quite a lot of present shopping from charity catalogues. They can be quite a source of inspiration and then, of course, there’s also internet shopping. I can usually find something original for everyone but if I get stuck, a lovely box of chocolates is a good standby, and there’s always a wine deal somewhere – who doesn’t enjoy a glass or two of that?
As much as I love Christmas I never put up my decorations too early. My birthday falls in December and when I was a child my Mum would never put up the tree or any decorations – not even a line of tinsel or a sprig of mistletoe – until after we’d celebrated my special day, a tradition I have always kept.
Oh, what fun I have getting out the tree decorations when the time comes! Unwrapping each one is a trip down memory lane … Mum and Dad, both no longer with us, got that one when in Austria … That one I bought in Edinburgh … Then there are the precious ones the children have made over the years. Even though they are now in their forties they’re thrilled to see their childhood efforts on the tree. (Well, that’s what they say but maybe they just pretend, to keep me happy!)
I wonder if we’ll have a white Christmas? I love the cold and frosty mornings when the sun shines and the hedges sparkle, it’s all so pretty. There’s nothing better than pulling on a pair of boots, wrapping up in a Christmas pompom hat, scarf and gloves, and going for a lovely long walk before heading home to a mug of hot chocolate or a bowl of deliciously warming soup.
So, as Christmas approaches don’t forget to look out for the robin sitting on the chimney, waiting to tell Santa if you’ve been naughty or nice. Or maybe the cheeky little elf will keep watch while making mischief. Either way, make sure you’re being good!