Christmas Eve

Happily, I am restored to my PC - or it has been restored to me - thanks mainly to Mr Musings, who rummaged in the garage, found an ancient abandoned PC, took it to pieces and replaced some of the bits inside mine with something or other he found in there. It's all beyond me.

Huge thanks also to Sam, who whizzed round with a spare screen, and to another of my blog correspondents, who actually put one in the post to me, while I was still under the misapprehension that it was the screen which was at fault. Terrifically kind of you both and I'm tremendously grateful. If it hadn't been for plugging in Sam's screen I'd never have had the gumption to work out that the problem lay inside the box beneath my desk.

Well, the countdown wasn't too grim in the end. I'm living proof that Christmas can be achieved in a week and a bit! All is safely gathered in. After listening to Nine Lessons and Carols from King's on R4, I ran to the Co-op for the very last time, seeking medications for SD#1 (who has adopted my last year's languishing-on-sofa position, nursing the flu-like virus which felled SD#2 and his dad for a couple of weeks apiece), ran back, changed out of my Greek-restaurant-smelling clothes (unfortunate accident with large container of giant olives at salad bar) and raced hotfoot to the Family Carol Service with SDs 2 and 3. Christmas is properly begun.

I may retreat to the peace of my study at some point tomorrow and leave a brief thought or two here. But I'll definitely be back with an account and photos of the famous Mersea Boxing Day Swim, in which - subject to the levels of maternal objection to such foolishness which I can muster on the day - my Boy will be taking part.

My warmest seasonal wishes to everyone who's kind enough to visit Musings. I hope your day is peaceful, happy and fulfilling.