7 weeks to go

It has been a bit of a Christmas orientated kind of day.
At work the off duty has finally been released ( and I bet the sister responsible dropped it on the nurses station and fled the scene!)....of course I am working Christmas night shift! even though I requested to work New Year's eve night, but hey..that's the way the cookie has crumbled. Chris is livid..... but sees the situation rather to simplistically , ie by saying
"tell 'em you're not doing it"

As the manager who had to be responsible for the Christmas rotas, I know only too well the hoops you have to jump through to cover all of the shifts with the right skill mix.....and I used to dread the constant knocks on my office door as tearful staff queued up to ask for "necessary" changes because "Little Nellie needs me at home Christmas morning!!!".
Strangely enough, although I would have loved Christmas night off, I am resigned to completing the one off shift and won't complain about it. We will, I am sure, plan lots of nice things to do with my many other days off!
As if she knew my elder sister rang tonight inviting all the family to her house for Christmas dinner which will be lovely! This year above all others I think it is important , if not vital that we share some time over the Yuletide period
Christmas Eve I think I will accompany Chris to the service in Trelawnyd Church (full of Christmas sherry Egg Nog no doubt!) and Boxing day (after a small sleep) I do hope we will drive up to Denbigh to watch the Flint & Denbigh Hunt.

Christmas is always a happy time for us; the cottage with its fire and Homes and Country decorations (there is always a bit of a bun fight between me and my sisters, to see who will come up with the most classy decs!- ) lends itself so well to the season...
Mind you, I just wish that Chris' family were nearer to visit, so we can see EVERYONE at this time.

Chris is working late tonight, so I am sat feeling slightly Christmasy in front of a roaring fire. Albert is stretched out quite bizarrely on the hearth rug (above) but has now started to limp more of his poorly leg, obviously the steroid injection he had recieved into his arthritic knee is wearing off somewhat.