Bah Humbug.

With only eleven days to go until Crimbo I made the decision to try to disperse the feeling of 'bah humbugness' which has descended upon the household. Today I lit a cinnamon and clove candle, dragged the battered boxes of Christmas decorations (there are now four boxes and a bag full, I swear they multiply without us knowing!) from the basement, brushed off the surprising amount of dust which they accumulate over the year and got to work whilst listening to the familiar Christmas tunes blaring from the TV.

We don’t have a tree yet but I certainly went to town on the masses of fairy lights and tinsel which were in giant tangled balls. The two windows are now dripping with Christmassy, twinkling bulbs and almost every surface holds some sort of Christmas paraphernalia interwoven with gaudy, glittering tinsel. I maybe went a bit overboard but the room certainly looks more Christmassy and made me feel a little better. I think Mum had a nice surprise and I seemed to lift everyone’s mood for a little bit but it just doesn’t feel the same this year.

Twinkling Fairy Lights

Tinsel Donned Fireplace

Mum and Dave are really worried about money, like almost every person in the United Kingdom, but I think that things are much worse than they let on. We aren’t getting any presents this year but it doesn’t really bother me. None of us have any money and I think the main thing that’s getting me down a bit is the fact that I can’t afford to get anybody any presents.

I’ve bought a few but I usually love getting them each a stocking and filling it with nice little bits. I know everybody says that the giving is better than the receiving but I really do believe it. I’m always the last to finish opening my presents because I’m too busy seeing what the others have got and watching them unwrap the presents which I bought them. So this year is going to be a bit… I don’t want to say disappointing but that’s the word which seems to fit. I’m sure it’ll be all brilliant on the day and I’ve said that I don’t really care about the presents as long as we have a fun day with some good food and booze but I have to admit that not getting any presents will be a bit strange.

Well, the countdown has begun and pretty soon everyone will be panic buying milk and bread because, God forbid, the supermarkets will be closed for one WHOLE day and there will be no parking spaces in the towns because people will be buying every last item off the shelves to carry them over the Christmas period. I know I sound rather Scroogesque but the Christmas spirit has seemed have deserted me and I’m not quite so excited for this day which is usually my favourite time of the year as I should be. I don’t want to sound completely self indulgent or boring and I’m sorry if this post has turned into something of that nature, my mission over the next eleven days is to truly get into the spirit of Christmas and shake away my Ebenezer alter ego. Its not all about presents and money but about being around family and having fun together…this is what I’ll have to keep telling myself!

'Its kind of fun to do the impossible' - Walt Disney