Christmas time

Hi everyone,

Can't believe a whole week as gone by since my last post.  I will tell you why... it's been insanely busy!!
Was away visiting friends in Peterborough last weekend and doing things every evening this week, shopping, tidying the house, making Christmas cards etc etc!! 
Well I finally have 10 minutes to sit down and though I would use it to share a bit of Christmassiness with you.  If I am honest I am not a huge fan of Christmas.  I am all for celebrating the birth of our Lord, but when it comes to buying presents, sending cards, decorating the house, tidying up and cooking it is just stress stress stress.  Yes I may sound like A Scrooge, but I am afraid I become totally overwhelmed by all of the above and the real meaning of Christmas becomes lost.  It has become such a commercial event to the point where I find myself panic buying just any old thing so that I have a present to give someone, and I hate that feeling.  I much prefer to buy things for my friends and family because I have seen something that I just know they will absolutely love rather than buying something for the sake of it that they may or may not like.  (I also hate pretending to be pleased to receive a present that I hate!)  However I am thankful to have two weeks off work and it will be lovely to see family and friends in the holidays.  I thoroughly enjoy the food and the games and laughs we will have, and of course a couple of glasses of wine. 
Here is my Christmas tree, that my darling husband decorated this year.  I found the experience of watching someone else decorate the tree painful.  I am quite particular and normally do the honour, but Paul has done an excellent job.:

As I mentioned I made my own Christmas cards, I made a lino print, I have my own cutting tools and stuff that I got years ago, thankfully because lino printing is quick and easy so is excellent for making multiple copies of the same image:

So there we have it, half a day till the Christmas holidays, the I just have to do my Christmas shopping *sigh*