Home Alone for Xmas - you too?

Earlier in the year, I did have the thought that I might give Xmas a complete miss this year - it seemed so 'difficult' to get my head round it with all the restrictions.

But thanks to being a follower of Fly Lady - I found myself getting out my folder with my 'Holiday Control Journal' that I've been using for the past 6 years or so. It's a kind of event-planner which leads up to Thanksgiving, Xmas, or any other kind of big get-together occasion.

And, that in turn led me to think about how I wanted to spend my Xmas holidays - home alone (like millions of other people!)

I've done my cards, and presents - including a few little things for myself. And I've made a fragrant pomander (and might make more). I've got two non-food advent calendars which will bring me a lot of joy each day - one is a Mr Men mini-book calendar, and I'm going to video call my grandson every evening and read him the story for the day. The other one is Harry Potter Lego calendar. Lego is something I've secretly had a hankering for - and perhaps this will start me off - but I am after the characters/figures to use for Dungeons and Dragons (solo adventures) which is another game I'm trying to learn. So, nice playful things!

I downloaded a Xmas story ebook from the local library service, and have started listening to that while I knit. I have a 4-disc CD collection of Xmas sing-along songs from Sufjan Stevens which has some sweet 'extra's in the box (stickers, comic book, lyrics etc). I've fished out my Virago Book of Christmas stories by women through the ages which I read a bit of each year. I have the ebook The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper which I read as a December book-club on-line one year - it was very compelling. Also on the shelf I have a part-used Puzzler book of Christmas Puzzles (word-searches etc). I have a favourite DVD - Polar Express, and also have Frozen 2, and Narnia which are kind of snowy as well. (I'd quite like the Grinch who saved Xmas ............. might get it!). And on the BBC iPlayer there is a binge-able series of His Dark Materials - which is also very kind of wintery.

I am going to get an artificial Xmas tree when I get paid, and decorate my house and window.

And I just bought a ticket for an on-line stream of a super performance of Mowser (the tale of Tom Bowcock from Mousehole) - by a small theatre company who perform this each year - and it'll be streamed on Xmas Eve at 6pm.

I have a mulled cider kit in the cupboard from a Cornish producer who makes apple products from windfalls and apples that would otherwise go to waste.

Oh, there's also an on-line carol concert in aid of a local homeless charity that I support.

So - I just have the food to prepare really - and that's not hard for one person.

I have some winter-spice 'melts' to fragrance the home in December too - which I bought in a local craft shop.

All in all - it's starting to feel a bit like Xmas!

My sister and b-i-l, and my son and d-i-l have put up their trees and decorations already. My brother and I are holding out for December.



But thanks to my Fly Lady 'training' I'm not sitting here waiting for the day to arrive - I've planned what I want to do, what I want to eat, what decorations I'd like, what activities I'd enjoy - and I'm feeling good about it.