Monday

 Good morning, everyone.  I hope you all had a great weekend.  The weather here was surprisingly lovely - pretty chilly but bright, sunny and cheering.  Unfortunately, the new week has started off with what might be freezing fog; by that I mean it is certainly foggy and it might be freezing by the time daybreak comes.  Quite pretty but nasty to drive in so please take care if you have to go out.

I didn't get an awful lot done yesterday but it was very pleasant, all the same.  I popped to Morrisons, supposedly for some fresh fruit as I was getting a bit short but ended up with more than I had planned.  They had reduced their packs of battery powered coloured lights - small pack of ten or twenty - to a silly amount so I got some.

The diary is completely blank today so I have pencilled in 'gingerbread' and 'biscotti'.  Both can be made and frozen, in the case of the biscotti after the first bake and slicing.  I'm also umming and ahing about making some more of the very popular Delia's vegetarian sausage rolls using a portion or two of the quick puff pastry I made some days ago.  Beth and I had some on Christmas Tree Day and I'd like to drive over to Dad's with some before Christmas.  He will be fine with all the usual Christmas stuff, getting it himself through internet ordering, but these are home made and part of our family tradition.  I'll have to use wholemeal bread rather than white for the inside  mixture but that's OK.

That's more or less about it for today really.  I will stay warm and dry and I hope you are able to as well.  Take care!

Day seven of the Blogmas Musical Advent Calendar and it's another from Out of the Ark - one of my personal favourites from them.  I still remember a stunning performance (not this one) given by the Junior School at their carol service the year after I retired; they obviously loved it very much.

'Child in a Manger Born' from Songs for Every Christmas - enjoy.

Sunday

 Good morning, everyone.  
Contrary to my expectations, yesterday was quite a pleasant day.  Not warm but there was a lovely sunrise with a pink sky that led me to feel that we'd have wet weather but we didn't.  I stayed in though - it was a bit chilly!

I got the rest of the washing, drying and ironing done, which was good and then I spent the rest of the day just pottering really.  A bit of this, that and the other, some stitching, some catching up with recorded telly, some clearing out of old programmes so there's space for Christmas stuff . . . it was a very lazy Saturday, in fact.

Today looks to be more of the same.  I haven't yet made my usual Christmas list - a comprehensive account of everything I need to do, make, sort out, etc, before the day.  Typical items include the menu (usually it's for more than one day and this year I want to make the times on my own a bit special too) and things like 'find playing cards' or 'get Scrabble down'.
It's so helpful to tick things off as they get done and stops me from wasting even a moment trying to remember if or how much of something I have already achieved, sorted or made.  I feel as if today's the day for this, even though it will take up a lot less space and time than usual.

Beth's off up to Norwich to pick Alex up today.  As the uni is expecting a hoarde of parents to arrive during the week, they have allocated time slots.  Not usually a problem except that parts of the A12 are closed so she'll have to find another route and isn't sure how long it will take.  Oh, well, as we said, they're hardly likely to refuse her taking Al just because she's a few minutes late.

As it's the second Sunday in Advent, I've changed the banner.  The Guardians of the Christmas tree are all pretty old, the youngest being over forty, and they are very floppy around the neck so I knitted them some festive scarves to help their heads stay up.  It worked!

Today's musical offering for the blogmas Advent calendar is a song that I am sure you will know, When a Child is Born.  Croony-style singing isn't really my style but I do like this one.  

Saturday

 Good morning, everyone.  Yesterday was not a nice day, weather wise.  We did have snow early on, quite heavy snow too although, thankfully, it didn't settle at all.  It turned into sleet and then into rain before ending up as a light drizzle.  It was very cold too with that icy chill.

I didn't NEED another mug, let alone one that can't be used all year round but the other day I fell for this good and hard on Amazon and it arrived yesterday morning.  It combines two of my favourite things - owls and Christmas - with cute owls on the outside, dear little pictures of holly and ivy on the handle and a funny little message inside.  It's Royal Worcester and it's a sheer delight.

I had my governor's meeting online in the morning and now I have a report to write up.  I'll get that done and sent off this morning so it's off my mind.

Apart from that, there's a bit of washing and some ironing to be getting on with and then the day's my own.  I won't be going out, I can enjoy my life of leisure in the warm and dry!  I want to get a bit more online Christmas shopping done so I will enjoy that.

Today's musical blogmas calendar is a firm favourite.  Quite a while ago now, as music coordinator (so a decade or so), I was looking up Christmas songs to teach the children and found a book from the Out of the Ark stable, Songs for Every Christmas.

It proved to be a firm favourite with the kids and many of the songs from it are still used.  Quite apart from the songs being really singable, they produce a quality backing track, with vocals and without, and that really makes such a difference.

Here's one - Unto Us a Child is Born.  Quite a contrast to yesterday's version of the Old Testament prophecy.

Friday

 Good morning, everyone.  Yesterday's weather was absolutely horrible after a dry start.  Rain, rain and more rain as it got colder and colder.  The forecast round here is for sleet.  Sleet - yuck!  Right now. it's too dark to tell but it is certainly wet and icy cold.  Brrr.

Yesterday went well (if one can say that about a trip to the dentist).

The chat with Chris was great.  It will be nice when we can get back to face to face coffee or even the occasional lunch, but Messenger or Zoom are good substitutes.

Then it was the Dreaded Dentist.  I say that but, in fact, the young dentist I have is really lovely, great with nervous clients and very reassuring.  I didn't actually have the filling done yesterday, she prepped the other tooth for the crown and that took all the time.  Things have changed significantly since the last time I needed something like that.  No mouthful of plasticene-like stuff that has to be forced off your teeth after it has set, just a clicky thing that, presumably, takes measurements and it linked to a computer.  Clever stuff.
As the tooth is 'dead' anyway, no nerve, I didn't need an injection and that also helped.  I hate those needles in my mouth, wimp that I am!
So next week is another implant visit and the following week it's back to Francesca for the crown and the filling (with needles, sadly).

That's not the end of the treatment - there's one more yucky tooth for which I have decided to have another implant as I cannot bear the thought of a plate (which I would need) after my experience of one over most of this year.  I'm glad I had one, it has been infinitely preferable to a four tooth gap each time I smile, but not needing it any more will be the best Christmas present ever.

Oh, dear, I am such a whiney baby about dental stuff!

Early evening it was back to face to face Slimming World and that was very nice indeed.  Sadly, the yucky weather put some people off going but seeing friends again was super.  I even lost a bit which, after Christmas Tree Day, was amazing!

Today, thankfully, I have nothing that will take me outside except for trips to the shed.  In the morning, I don my governor's hat for a meeting with the teacher in charge of assessment, to go over some data.  It sounds dreary but, in fact, it can be interesting.  I'm very relived I'm not the other side of it any more though!

Come the afternoon, the cleaners are here and it's a downstairs day so I will disappear up, change my sheets and do some clearing up in the guest room before, probably, having a snooze.  I was up disgusting early this morning after a night of broken naps.  No idea why and it doesn't matter; I am just thankful I can catch up as needed.

For today's musical blogmas calendar, I've gone back to the wonderful King's College Choir for something beautiful and baroque,  For Unto Us a Child is Born from Handel's Messiah.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Beautiful words, beautiful music, beautiful performance.  I couldn't wish for more.

Thursday

 Good morning, everyone.  It's a dry start to the day as far as I can tell and it doesn't feel terribly chilly either, although there's still potential for the temperature to drop - the coldest hour is just before the dawn, to coin a phrase.

I was going to move my dressmaking mannequin out of sight over December until Beth suggested this.

The Spirit of Christmas Jumpers!!

It will stay up until I want to wear the jumper and no longer!!!  It'll give the cleaners a chuckle anyway.

In the end, the morning chat with Val yesterday was short and sweet.  She'd forgotten and was about to go out to pick something up.  Ah well, never mind, we've rescheduled for next Wednesday instead, seeing as we can't actually get head to head yet.

Starting the Zoom chat with Dad. we had the same problem as usual in that he could see and hear me but I could only hear him.  However, we finally worked out what it is at last and it is connected to what Eileen mentioned about a web cam not being used for two functions at the same time (thank you so much).  Dad is turning his web cam on somehow - no idea how he does that as I can't with mine - in preparation before accepting my invite so, presumably, Zoom thinks it is already in use.  We closed the chat, I invited again and hey presto, no problems.  Phew; at least now we know.  We sorted out the cause of another minor problem too.  Dad's 'screen' has a flicker which has proven to be his strip light.  It's not bad and we can live with it but it was irritating to not know where it was coming from. 
It was nice to see him and chat and all seems to be well his end

Personal training was good.  Lindsey is in the process of moving house (what a time, eh!!) so the room wasn't completely set up as usual, but everything we needed was there and she worked me hard (hard for me, anyway) as usual.  I enjoyed both the session and the chat.

Today is comparatively busy.  It starts with an online chat with Chris over the road.  Then I have a visit to the dentist, not for the implants (that's next week) but for a filling and starting work on a crown.  Not fun but necessary and I will be so glad when it is all done.
Next week it is the implant appointment and the week after that is finishing the crown.

Finally, Slimming World is face to face again so I will be off out for that, mask at the ready.

I should sleep well!

For todays' musical blogmas calendar, I chose a bright, lively, sing-along, well known number that has become a Christmas 'classic'.  I do like the Mel and Kim version but finally decided to go with Brenda Lee.

Wednesday

Good morning.
Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful day, weather wise.  Yes, it was cold, but it was sunny and breezy and I got some washing almost dried on the line.  I know - simple things please simple minds but this made me happy.

I did washing and ironing, plenty of sorting out, especially the upright freezer, and then got on with ,my cross stitching while I caught up on recordings on the telly.

Today is two chats and a workout!

First of all, I have an online chat booked with Val.  Val is an old friend.  I originally met her at church and then, when I moved in here, she was the first to welcome me to my new home with a pot plant and some cheery chat.  It was much needed as it was just after the breakup when I had to leave the family home (for very good reasons, nothing sinister) and she has been a friend ever since.

Then it's personal training.  Now that lockdown has lifted, we are back into tier 2 around here and Lindsey has received the go ahead to start her personal training sessions again.  She gave me the choice of that or online and I did consider online.  However, she has more and better equipment in her little gym and it will be nice to go out.

Yesterday, I realised that both Dad and I had totally forgot about our Monday chat so we're having it this afternoon instead.  

Today's Christmas music; in comparison and contrast to yesterday's music, here's another version of the same carol, this time performed by Enya.  It sends shivers up and down my spine; her voice is just so beautiful.

Have a good day and still be safe.  Just because lockdown has lifted, it doesn't mean we can all go crazy!
What are your plans for today?

Tuesday

 Good morning!  So here we are - the first Day of December and now I feel the decorations are legitimate.  I've been into the Jacquie Lawson calendar and now there's a Christmas tree in the village square and it's beautifully decorated.

Later on I will light my advent candle, being very careful as the first sections burn down very quickly, the shape being a square based pyramid.

Yesterday turned out well.  Jeff came, worked and left again leaving a much neater garden.  Beth slept in and came down just before lunch, leaving soon after we had eaten.  The Thermione demo was good fun, I learnt several new things and enjoyed the fruits of my cooking for dinner with four more portions destined for the freezer as soon as I can work up the energy to get them out there.

Today is blank in the diary so I think it is a day for pottering, for writing lists, for dealing with an overflowing clothes basket and generally organising stuff a bit more.  Hopefully, by the end of the day, I will feel that I've achieved in some small way.  Fingers crossed, anyway.

For the last two years or so, I have celebrated the run up to Christmas Day by posting YouTube clips of my favourite music, carols and songs and this year is no exception.  Many of them will be very much the same as previous years because - well, favourites are favourites, aren't they.

I'm kicking off with the old favourite, O come, O Come Emmanuel, sung by the great choir of King's College, Cambridge.  Enjoy.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.