So, here it comes. The house is nearly ready. Progress is being made but we have an aperitivo with between 30 and 40 guests on Saturday evening so everything must be more super-clean and super-tidy than normal. Final cleaning is being done on Friday. The dogs go to the hairdresser on Saturday. Food has been ordered. Everything is in place (I hope).

But, the Tree is up

the house is lit

and the collection of Father Christmases have been put up.

Christmas cards and presents under the tree will be done on Saturday, just before the “party” and after certain places have been re-cleaned (obviously).

Still, I have to admit that F does a great job of doing everything. For me, I’ve cleaned the silver and done half the horses-head coat hooks (we never did them before and they look so nice clean – they’re brass or something). I might do the door furniture too (F did them as well as half the horse-head coat hooks – but I do a better job).

I told him last night that, as he knows, I truly hate cleaning but, for some reason, I enjoy cleaning silver or brass. I said it might be because of the obviously huge difference it makes, whereas normal cleaning doesn’t make any real difference to me – you can’t “see it”. His reply was that we would only buy silver furniture in future! He still makes me laugh.

p.s. The aperitivo is for a Christmas Toast and, also, to celebrate our big day last September – quite a few of the people coming don’t know we got married (although some do). We’re having a cake and everything