Monday

Good morning, gentle readers.  It's all back to normality now, if normality can be the right word with Christmas tree and Christmas candles scattered all about.  I'm a 'believer' is keeping them up until twelfth night but on a catch-up QI I watched yesterday it argued the case for keeping them up until the start of February.  Now, I won't do that but I have decided to keep them up a little longer as Sonja and Milli are coming to stay and they love Christmas decorations.  

Yesterday was very gentle - mostly.  I didn't do the work I had planned (no surprise there then) but I did make work for myself.  I dropped a bottle of beer and it smashed all over the kitchen floor.  What a mess!  Splinters and beer in all directions.  I mopped up and swept up, all very carefully, but the kitchen still smells like the public bar of a seedy pub so I guess it will be out with the zoflora or even do a steam clean of the kitchen floor.  What a waste of good beer though, eh?

For the rest of the time I moved a comfy chair in front of the big PC monitor and watched quite a lot of Christmas telly.  It had to be the PC because iPlayer and the other channel alternatives often/usually have subtitles while on the Virgin playback thingy they don't.

I watched:

Strictly - lovely and I agreed with the decision.

Doctor Who - light, frothy and a big giggle

The two ballet programmes,  the one about Nureyev's defection and Darcey's Ballet Heroes which is about the rise of the male ballet dancer and how they are continually redefining the role.  I enjoyed it very much.

Jamie's Night Before Christmas - nothing new really but I like Jamie Oliver.

The Snowdog - I was disappointed with this the first time I saw it and I still am although it is, of course, quite charming.  It just seems to be an adapted rehash of the original which is, of course, fantastic and is still part of my Christmas tradition.

The Great History Quiz - very enjoyable and, to my great surprise, I knew lots of the answers.  I put that down to the voracious reading of historical novels in my misspent youth!

Assorted QIs!  Pure enjoyment!

So, you see, there wasn't much time for housework!  No wonder my eyes are square (or rectangular) this morning!  Waste of a day?  Well, maybe, depending on your pov.  Not for me though!  It was just what I needed after a week of work, work, work.  Fun, but work!

So what about today?  Well, floor to wash again as mentioned above, food to deal with, washing, drying and ironing - and more telly!  There's some goodies like The Farmer's Llamas (Shaun the Sheep) and Britain's Favourite Children's Books . . . and quite a lot more.  I've been enjoying the festive University Challenges but have missed a few so I need to catch up with them as well.

And the lovely Rachel has introduced me to what looks like a really rememberable (is that a word?) recipe for Yorkshire puddings.  I shall try it in hopes as my last efforts have been a dismal failure and if it works I shall pop it on the recipe blog.

So nice, fun, enjoyable, easy, gentle stuff today.  Lovely!  Hope yours is just as good.