‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
Well, that’s not all that true, the dogs are running about playing with cardboard tubes.
I have been cooking and preparing all day for tomorrow. My turkey is so big (too big) that it has taken close to 6 hours to cook. I have made my traditional sage and onion stuffing, not the rubbish you get in packets. I started making my trifle yesterday with the jelly and amaretto biscuits, this morning I made the custard, tomorrow I will do the cream and add the chocolate to the top. I decided not to prep my veg today as I did a few years ago and ended up with veg that had split.
The table is decorated and laid out too, so all I have to do is relax and wait for Santa to arrive. I now have a spatchcock chicken in for our dinner this evening.
When I first met M he always insisted on putting out a carrot for the reindeer and a glass of milk and mince pie/cake/cookie for Santa, this happened every year, and year on year the milk was drunk, the carrot and other offerings were eaten. When M got up he always headed to the lounge gasped and smiled as Santa had been and eaten the fair that was left for him. He knew it was me, we were the only people in the house, but he never said anything and neither did I. One year he left a note and Santa replied to him. This must have gone on for 10 years or more, but stopped as we had just got Harper and leaving food and milk on the hearth for Santa was not going to happen as she would sneak out and consume it all, and that was my job. It was a magical time, although we both knew it was me and M was in his 30’s that did not make a difference, it was something fun. I am hoping that he starts it again, I will just have to make sure I get up in the middle of the night to do my part.
This will be our first Christmas in this house without Lilu, but our first with Mazikeen.
Tonight whilst watching rubbish TV and drinking good cheer I will be finishing off my sweater. I have been doing the neck and want it to be quite long so it can be folded back and make it even warmer. With a bit of luck I will have it finished, then I can sew it up and wear it finally. I have attached the front and back at the shoulders and picked up all the stitches I needed to make the neck, but it weighs a tonne so finishing it off is taking quite a bit of manoeuvring about, but it will be worth it in the end.
Well, with that, all is left for me to wish you, one and all, to have a very Merry Christmas.
Mr Knitter 