Monday 20 December 2010

The List & A Christmas Story

Blogging on the sofa
It's 09.59.  I am sat here on the sofa in my pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers with a blanket on my knees.  I have just eaten a slice of hot buttered toast and enjoyed a mug of tea.  My hair looks like a small rodent or five crawled into it before dawn, had a rowdy rodent party, made a nest and slept restlessly.  Chris is upstairs, asleep in bed.  The guinea pigs are squeaking and squabbling with one another in their cage.  The kitchen looks like the kitchen of a flat rented by four teenage male students.  Outside the grass is peeking through about one centimetre of frozen icy snow.  It's -8°C out there which is not conducive to bead production in a garden shed.

Yes. It's the Monday Before Christmas.

I have written a list of Things That I Need To Buy And Do This Week.  It's a long list.  I expect you have one the same?  Or are you one of those hyper-organised types that had all your Christmas presents bought, wrapped and stashed away in various hiding places before the end of October?  If you're the latter, how do you do that?!

Bead orders are coming in thick and fast - thank you, ace customers of mine, for buying my glass creations.  And if you haven't taken advantage of my Winter Discount yet don't forget you only have until tomorrow to do so - details here.

Today I must do some Chrimbletide preparation.  I need to cross things off the aforementioned list.  If I don't do this I fear I will end up a jibbering wreck, crouched in the corner of the untidy kitchen, rocking back and forth muttering about turkey crowns, napkins, Paxo and brandy butter.

So today I need to accomplish the following :

  • Get dressed
  • Tidy and clean the kitchen
  • Tidy and clean other parts of the house
  • Clean, pack up and post what feels like 764 bead orders
  • Marzipan the Christmas cake
  • Nip into town and buy some of the things from The List
  • Clean the guinea pig cage
  • Take some pictures of my new hat to show you
  • Sort out something for dinner
  • Sit down with The List, hopefully cross all these things off it and then most probably replace those things with other things that I forgot to add to The List in the very first place.

It's now 10.46 and I am going to put my plan into action.  Wish me luck.  I shall report back later and let you know how I got on.

In the meantime, do yourself a favour and if you get a few spare moments (I know, I know, spare moments at this time of year are as rare as funny cracker jokes) nip over to Karl Webster's blog and read the Christmas story that he has written.  It's called 'A Week Before Christmas' and it is brilliant.  I've been reading it as Karl published it chapter by chapter but he's just made it available as a whole.  It is Christmassy.  It will make you laugh. It might make you cry.  It made me cry.  It's wonderful so make sure you have a read.

I really am going now.  The things on The List are not going to cross themselves off .....

Happy Monday!

12 comments:

  1. Oh that list thing is so familiar. I write them all the time then put them in drawers, under piles of undealt with papers and go off and make glass beads or a new quilt instead! Good luck in your frozen environs, get everything ready enough and have a wonderful Christmas with your Chris (I have one too) and your families. Now for that recommended reading...

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  2. Hi Laura
    Thanks for the twitter link to the Karl Webster blog, brilliant story. Hope you get all your list done, I have to admit, I haven't really done a thing, no cards, no real shopping. It's funny, and I suspect the same for a lot of people, I always have the best of plans, but, for some reason they never come off. Have a good day, very dark and white here.

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  3. I was feeling not too bad about my Christmas preparation until my husband said last night, 'Did you realize we'll have 15 for Christmas Eve dinner?" Yikes! And I loved your comments about your hair - mine is like that most every morning also!

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  4. LOVED a week before christmas! Dont think I have cried that much in such a long time, it reminded me of when I worked in a dementia care home.

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  5. I hope you're getting through your list, Laura. I have a list as well but the trouble is, I keep remembering more things to put on it ...

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  6. I have just read 'A Week Before Christmas'.
    That's a good bit of writing.
    Good Luck with your list...X

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  7. My friend Lucy from America told me of her favorite to-do-list:
    The "Honey Do List".
    Maybe you should write one for Chris as well, just to take the load off of your shoulders.

    Well... I sat up half the night yesterday to finish a sweater for my father in law. Had to have it finished by today, as he came by for a short visit. I succeeded, but perhaps I should have started a little sooner?
    Think i will start writing my lists by July next year...

    Have a great Christmas, Laura.

    ~ Karina

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  8. Thanks for all the comments everybody. I'm pleased that you enjoyed Karl's story.

    The List is going well. And Karina, Chris did a lot of the things on The List yesterday. We're sharing the list. I think because I write the blog it sounds like I'VE got all the things to do but we're working through The List together. But your friend's list idea is a good one!

    I hope all your Christmas prep is going okay, everyone?

    Laura x

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  9. My list is in my head because if I write it down I will just get depressed! We're getting there though, although I think Amazon have wrecked my present for my son with their lack of deliveries :0(

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  10. Caroline B...Dont give up hope with Amazon, its probably not them at fault.
    I placed an order Dec 2, not delivered so they resent on Dec 17 which arrived Dec 21. Then Dec 2 order arrived today !!

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  11. I have sooo many things to do. And yet I'm relaxing catching up on 479 blog posts I haven't read yet. And I didn't make that number up!

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  12. I'm still waiting for one of my presents from Amazon too, Caroline (posted to me on 9th!!!!) Fortunately it's one for my husband and he-will-understand. But otherwise, I'm not too bad on my preparations. I found out yesterday, I won't have any overnight guests now on the 25th so that has crossed a few things off my list like dusting the spare room, putting clean sheets on the bed etc. without me having to do anything! :-)

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