So, how was your Christmas? I hope you all had a wonderful time?

Now the madness is over and (for me at least) it’s time to take a deep breath and try to let things get back to normal for a while!

To be perfectly honest though, right now Christmas is the last thing I want to be thinking about, coz my head is still ringing, my shoulder is aching, and my wallet is crying! It’s one of those times of year that I look forward to, yet at the same time I dread . . . and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way . . . or maybe I am, and I’m just turning into Scrooge in my old age? LOL

I have to say that Christmas these days is so much different to what I remember from when I was a kid. There are still the same old family gatherings, and the presents, and all the food, but because of the pace of life today, and the pressures of work and simply getting by, the opportunity to simply enjoy the festive season just isn’t quite the same. Maybe next year we will be able to slow down and actually get to enjoy it, rather than have to rush, rush, rush, and spend, spend, spend!

Anyhow, for the weeks leading into Christmas I was so flat out with work, both for the company I’m employed by and also with the other work I do from home, that December was just a blur for me. In the end I had Christmas Eve off work, so I was finally able to get my shopping done … but only just! lol

As for this Christmas, well, I had been looking forward to a relaxing few days, mainly just so I could recharge my batteries, but then of course it slipped my mind that my sister and all her family would be visiting … so there went the peace and quiet. I’m thinking that Scrooge must have had a family not unlike mine … and that’s what made him the way he was, coz I tell ya, by the time they all left I was seriously contemplating banning all future Christmases all together! 😉

Anyhow, for Boxing Day we all visited some relatives, where we had a b-b-q, along with our traditional family game of ‘backyard cricket’, which resulted in my re-injuring my shoulder which I had hurt mid-way through the year. Twenty or so people ranging in age from about 6 to 60 running around a wet and slippery back yard (from the rain), yelling, screaming, laughing, crying and pretending they know how to play the game, does not exactly constitute a relaxing time . . . but hey, it’s Christmas, and I guess it’s only one (or two) day(s) a year!

On the plus side, though, the good news is that the rellies have now left, we’ve had two inches of rain since Christmas Day (which was much needed for the farm), and in the lull that was the weekend, I’ve managed to get a pile of writing done!

So, that’s it for another year. As I said, I hope yours was a good one, and I hope that your New Year celebrations later this week are equally good!

Take care ya’ll.

PS … oh yeah … I almost forgot … I’ve just posted two more chapters of A Good Place! Enjoy!