Christmas preparations are strange. In spite of being fairly well organised, and not having an enormous family, there is always quite a bit to do. Last week, I reached a point that most women are familiar with, when I suddenly felt - Aaaargh, and it was all just getting a bit stressy. Somehow, perhaps because of the settling relief of my checkup I began to feel by the end of Thursday that the worst was over and we were over the hump, so to speak. All the cards have been made and sent - inevitably you always get one (usually on Christmas Eve) that you haven't returned, and there is usually at least one with an indecipherable postcode and incomprehensible squiggle for a signature, leaving us both scratching our heads. The parcels that needed posting have gone, we're steadily organising assorted family visits, the tree and house is decorated, wreath is made and on the front door, and we're making progress with the menu planning/food shopping. As I write, Andrew is downstairs making a batch of chilli jam and some apple and cranberry chutney. Tomorrow, I am going to concentrate on finishing a quilt which is a Christmas present for a friend of mine.

What also helped enormously was yesterday going down to Swansea to visit my 91 year old great aunt. When I was a child, we used to visit her on Christmas Eve, and in my mind, seeing her is still the "kick-off" to the festivities. She was in her usual very high spirits, and we went out for a pub lunch at one of her favourite hostelries. We had a great time catching up on the news, admiring the huge quantity of cards she'd received, exchanging gifts, and discussing plans for the New Year. She's got a very busy week next week, (far busier than us, actually) involving a dizzying number of social calls and a trip to the pantomime on Tuesday - cues of us all shouting "Oh, no you're not" at the top of our voices in the pub. She finally had her central heating installed in the autumn, courtesy of Age Concern, and it was so nice to visit her and walk into a toasty warm house. When we arrived, small flakes of snow were falling and it was bitterly cold. She was interested in hearing all about our trip to Germany, our foster dog and a lengthy discussion of TV chefs (she is a keen cook herself). Suddenly it was time to go, as she had another (!!) visitor due later in the afternoon, and then back home to the woofs.

Today we walked the dogs and it is still very cold with ice in the garden pond, and thick frost on the frozen ground over at Tredegar House. The leaves on the ground were twinkling beautifully with their coating of frost - so lovely to look at. I've just done a big pile of ironing and later on, we're having braised peasant with red cabbage. No doubt a glass or two of red wine will be consumed as well.