Tuesday 2 Jan 2024 post begun 0650hrs GMT

 

Good-bye 2023, hello 2024. 

 

Our 'festive season' has another four days to run and so far I have to say despite the turmoil the world is enduring, we (Paul and I) have enjoyed a lovely time. The food turned out quite well, the tree is a proper little stunner, and we even received several Christmas cards - bit of a surprise to have done considering the eye-watering cost of domestic post (price rise just before Christmas card sending season with first class having risen to over £1). Gifts elicited genuine gratitude - he loved his and I loved mine. Winning!

 

The little flocked Christmas tree (2.5ft) went over far better than I'd expected - Paul surprised me no end when he said it is too small and expressed his hope we find a flocked 3ft'er for Christmas 2024. He is as surprised as I am that he likes a 'snowy tree' but like it he does and so do I. 

 

I've never cared for flocked trees before, I only bought this one on a whim when I saw the size and quality priced for clearance. But for a tiny tree, it is a proper little beauty. I dressed it with vintage style glass baubles (none over two inch drop and width) and laser cut MDF wood shapes (reindeer, stars, gingerbread men). Multi-colour lights were very pretty against the 'snow'. Paul didn't care for the mix but said he does like colour on a flocked tree so can we have ice blue next year? 

 

God willing we'll still be here for Christmas 2024 and have decided we'll use one colour baubles and lights plus the MDF shapes (lightly gilded rather than full-on painted). I cobbled together a 6ft silk holly and berry garland to dress the mantel with large gilded stars hanging from the garland and Paul said it was so pretty he hopes we use it every year.

Paul's Asperger's means he's not the greatest company and prefers his Christmas decor to be low-key to avoid sensory overload. 

I don't have Asperger's and prefer the full Father Christmas Grotto look. 

 

As noted in an earlier post, he's scattered my Christmas collection (there are times I really hate Asperger's. Love him, hate the condition) so I had to replace everything plus fight off a strong lack of Christmas Spirit. Apparently he feels I managed the replacing nicely. He's apologised (repeatedly) for scattering Christmas Past but says he loves the way the living room looks this year.

I managed to get the halls decked in a way that satisfied us both. I put on a lovely Christmas Dinner (chicken crowns, stuffing, button sprouts, cranberry sauce and a Yule Log cake) with enough leftover for Boxing Day grazing. New Year Dinner yesterday was a smaller repeat of Christmas (no leftovers and I'm glad - bangers and mash for dinner tonight and I am quite looking forward to that!).

Finally, it was 2200hrs GMT NYE and we watched the GB News NYE Live programme through to sign-off. The GB News show was great, London fireworks 15 minutes beginning at midnight (shown live as part of the GB News programme) was a huge disappointment. Little goblin Citizen Con ruined it with his 'Presented By The London Mayor' drone banners and oh so bloody woke music and voice-overs. The fireworks seemed random, no style or design to the display. All in that was 15 minutes of the New Year we'll never get back.

 

The 7th looms - the day I pack away everything but the Nativity (that stays up through 2nd Feb, Presentation of the Infant Lord in the Temple, and Candlemas). Two weeks later it will be Ash Wednesday and Lent begins. 

 

And now it's the second day of 2024. Hopefully this year will be less fraught than 2023 was - but I'm not holding my breath.