Christmas is coming...

Anyone remember the old rhyme?

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat
Please put a penny in the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you!

My Dad used to often recite it. Today would have been his birthday but sadly he was taken from us back in 1984... blimey I've been alive more without him now than with him! I was 22 when he died, I'm 47 now.

Anyway - Christmas is suddenly baring down on us at a huge speed. Only a week and a day or so and I'll be off to pick up my son from university. Looking forward to him being home again. We've put the tree up - well Mrs F and I did that bit and put the new 200 multi-function lighting rig on it. I have to say they do look better than the batter old two other sets we used to wind around the tree hoping it'd look ok and every year saying we'd buy some new ones, well now we have and all the options for flashing etc. boggle me, we used to just be grateful if the majority came on and some of those busted we had replacement bulbs for!

Daughter-of-Furtheron decorated the tree (with Mrs F helping) in a style of silver, white and a dash of red. :S They keep me away from aesthetic stuff... wisely so.

So tree up, lights in the windows, Christmas cards written - Mrs F did that whilst I was away last week and I've done one or two specific ones I had to. We're even wrapping up the presents this week... largely as we've commandeered sons bedroom as a storeroom and clearly need to return it to bedroom status by next week!

Next week Mrs F is wrapped up in school productions etc. Friday we have a pre-Christmas get together for a bunch of current and ex-employees. Mrs F is off on her girls Christmas night out at the weekend. So the festivities are well and truly here - some how it seems to have suddenly arrived for me this year.

I have to say I'm looking forward to Christmas this year - it'll just be the 4 of us with the mother-in-law on Christmas Day. Boxing Day will be at my sisters as has been tradition for some years and then New Years Day a big family meal at a local restaurant, largely held in memory of Mum as New Years Day was her day for many years when the kids were little. This time there is about 20 of us all told when you include kids, partners, etc.

I hope everyone else Christmas preparations are going to plan (or not if you like the last minute panic/rush to be part of your perfect holiday).