Sunday

 Good morning.  An early start to today although I'm not sure why.  I was very tired yesterday evening and didn't go to bed too early.  Not to worry, it really doesn't matter two hoots.

It's still very cold outside.  I've just been to the shed to get some chicken stock (for once, able to put my hand straight onto it).  I've got some almost going over tomatoes which I am turning into tomato soup; it's all boiling away in Thermione as I type.  I do rather like an early start - one gets a lot completed.

I think the word that describes yesterday is 'satisfying'.  I did more ironing and more washing, I sorted out some Christmas stuff and, best of all, I got the freezer defrosted and sorted out.

Actually, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.  There was a lot of loose 'frost' but what was on the sides came off relatively easily with just a bit of warmth from my hair dryer and encouragement from my plastic fish slice.  Because it was so cold, I wasn't the last bit concerned that the food would start to thaw - in fact, the frost that I chucked out against the fence was still there quite a while after I'd finished and everything was safe in the freezer again.  See . . .

(it's still there now and it wouldn't surprise me if it were still there by the end of today)

I had bought some stiff sided bags with handles to put everything in.  I really wanted proper wire baskets but the only ones that fitted my particular model cost a king's ransom.  Everything's now sorted out into beef, pork and lamb, chicken and turkey and fish, and other with vegetables in the two wire baskets that came with the freezer.  The ready cooked and portioned meals are pretty much all in the upright freezer.

I haven't quite finished; it was so jolly cold, enough was enough and all that, but what I need to do now is just properly organise each bag so that, for example, all the chicken fillets are in one poly bag rather than scattered about.

I wrote everything down too so now I know exactly what I have and where it is.  Very helpful.  Now to keep it organised.
Actually, I was more than a bit horrified with how much there is there - I won't have to do much shopping for the next few months, apart from fresh stuff and dairy.

Today, I will get each individual bag sorted out but the main part of the day will be devoted to clearing most of the decorations away because . . .

. . . and more!
The tree is staying up, as is the bunting and the cushions will stay out, just until Twelfth Night.

If I have any spare time, I may brave the cold again and tackle the upright freezer.  The drawers are fine but there's ice at the top and if I don't deal with it soon, the top drawer will ice up.  I have to admit, it will be nice to have both in good nick at the same time.

Beth takes Alex back up to uni today.  I will miss him; it's been so nice to have him around.  He is keen to get back though; there's plenty of study and he finds he works better at uni than at home.  I'm a bit worried but he is very sensible about distancing, isolating and so on so should be as safe is it is possible to be.

And finally, the Twelve Days gift is a set of mini bottles of flavoured gins - plum and vanilla, premium pink and rhubarb and ginger.  It's a bit ooops because I'm now 'dry' until I get back down to target so these will go with the rest of the alcohol, well out of sight, in readiness for a bit of a celebration at some point in the future.  Something to look forward to.
Yesterday's coffee was delicious.  I had the Columbian coffee and it was lovely.  The tea was ginseng and raspberry and I was surprised how much I liked it.

So that's today.  Maybe I will have a more organised home by bedtime.  Wouldn't that be great?  
What are your plans for this cold and frosty winter's day?