Sunday 6th December

 So little to do, so much time to do it in

can rapidly turn into a frantic struggle to finish things in time!

I'm still dealing with endless emails regarding my father's state of health; every so often there's someone else who should have been told. You'd think I had a stock of carefully crafted phrases by now, but it isn't quite like that. It all depends on how well I know someone, or how well they know my father, and also whether the recipient is English or French or Dutch or whatever and how good I think their English is likely to be.

Anyway, the news today is - no change. Home day is still set for early this week; he said 'Tuesday' on the phone this afternoon.

We - that is me, off-springs 1 and 2, and Best Beloved telephoned from the South Coast where we met up this afternoon to hand over Christmas and Stocking presents (yes, I know they are grownups) and chocolate and mince pies (still warm, only just baked in time)

I'll swear that the sticky tape was still bonding to the paper; wrapping presents, baking mince pies and and getting ready to go out was all accomplished in 45 minutes.

The sea was slatey blue-grey, the sky was pearly blue-grey, the sun was bright... and the wind was Fresh! We didn't hang around long but it was worth the trip just to see them (Awww).

Today's Tea bag?

Mint, apple, pear, and nettle? No. One sip restored my vitality enough to take it back to the kitchen and find something else.

Poem? I've already blogged on it.

Advent ring?

Here you are - all ivory candles because hat is what I had. Some more were delivered yesterday - red, cream and ivory. Apparently there should be three purple ones, a pink one and a white one in the centre. I'll get my felt-tips out.

 

The mat looks strange because it is upside down to be used for marking out the shape of the new curtain rail - you can tell by the trays of bits and pieces and so on set out nearby that Work is in Progress.