“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
So this is Christmas!
Christmas cards all sent: ruthlessly cropped the list. One strike and you’re off! You are either dead or not worth a stamp.
External decorations as seen from the photo: minimal.
Internal decorations: one tree and tasteful ( are they ever?) others to be distributed around the house on Christmas Eve.
Present shopping done: my grateful thanks to Amazon, John Lewis and M&S, and all wrapped.
All consumables purchased today, and if I’ve forgotten something, well I’m not bothered.
All set and ready to go; well making up beds, nearly done. We have a houseful this year.
So what have I forgotten?
A very Happy Christmas to all on the Chariot, with special thanks to Boadicea and Bearsy for hosting this site, and not forgetting Soutie.
Best wishes to you and yours a happy and peaceful New Year
PS. Have you tried typing “let it snow” into the Google search engine?
Boadicea's Chariot 
Cripes.
If the photo is too large, I’ll let Bearsy and Soutie argue about it; I’m not fussed!
I know nothing about any Google snow, but the WordPress version works well. Boadicea has asked me not to turn it on this year, but if anyone would like to insist on it, a click of my mouse will be all it takes to obscure your screens.
The piccie is fine. 😆
Merry Christmas Ara. We are all ready here too. My word, your front door is cleaner than the inside of my fridge.
I’m absolutely delighted that you haven’t turned on the WordPress snow, but try the Google Snow; it has a Defrost Button!
Glad the picture is OK. 🙂
Aha, LW, isn’t it just? I’m well impressed, as they say in Sarf Oxfordshire. 🙂
Thanks be to my decorator, he’s just wonderful.
Please don’t let it snow here… it looks like a migraine….
But did you get fresh sage, Araminta? The only item on daughter’s shopping list I couldn’t find. There’s still two days to go.
Agh, Sheona, bother, I’ll have to go out again! 😦
Thank you for the reminder.
Wot? No sage growing in your garden? For shame! 🙂
OZ
Hee hee 🙂
Too large or not too large? That is the question.
‘Portrait style’ pics will ever appear thus, no problem here 😉
Merry Christmas Ara.
Snow ??? Wotz that 😕
If you have not already tried it, go to Google and type in, ‘let it snow’.
An in joke for the programmers. Type in ‘recursion’.
More tricks here.
http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-12-super-fun-google.html
Or type in, ‘do a barrell roll’.
Happy Christmas to all!
Hello Minty.
Today I finished the last of the Christmas shopping. For my mother, a stained-glass window ornament hand-made by a local artist. For my father, a book on Japanese design and architecture. For the friend, an odd little Chinese chap who for some reason likes to complain about my driving, a wool scarf made in Scotland. I also purchased two prime cuts of beef, including one in a marinade so good that people drive 75 miles or so to buy it.
Sipu – the code must be re-entrant 🙂
Here’s a sage, Araminta & Sheona –
Christopher, was that wool scarf from Pringle? If so was it actually made in Scotland or merely ‘designed’ there. There has been a bit of a brouhaha (documentary on Al Jazeera) over the fact that many of these so called Scottish products that Pringle sells are actually made by Chinese slave labour in Mongolia and Tibet. But do not let the information spoil your Christmas or that of your Chinese friend. (A little bit of irony there.)
Same to you, Arrers! Nice door decoration.
Sipu: no, it was not from Pringle. It was from a Scottish-owned shop which only imports Scottish-made products. It’s also marked “Made in Scotland”.
Excellent Christopher. Being 50% Jockinese, as JM would say, I am delighted that you are supporting the economy of that great nation.
Hi OZ.
I do grow sage, I used to have a whole tub-full, but it’s all gone-just a few stalks and a few nasty blackened leaves. It lasted longer this year but I think it must be the frost what dunnit. 😦
Thanks, Soutie, Sipu and Janus!
What thoughtful presents, Christopher, I’ve been exceedingly lazy this year, but I didn’t miss all the crowded shops one iota, doing the Christmas shopping on-line is very civilised.
Ho ho Bearsy! 🙂
Oops, major oversight, forgotten to mention the Turkey- must collect it today!
Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas Araminta. A time for fond memories and a time to create magic for the young ones. May peace and laughter be around your table.
Thank you, and the same to you, PapaG!
With very best wishes to you, your wife and Kojo. Have a wonderful day.
Sorry, I’ve been really busy, so I hope Araminta won’t mind if I use her post to wish everyone on the Chariot a Merry Christmas. Hope you all have a wonderfully happy day.
Reciprocated, Bilbers!