<p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables /> <w:SnapToGridInCell /> <w:WrapTextWithPunct /> <w:UseAsianBreakRules /> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> <object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui> </object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Now that we have little Annie in the family we&rsquo;re reliving the intoxicating rush of adrenaline fuelled anticipation engendered by the recollection of our own dim and distant childhoods.<span>&nbsp; </span>Well perhaps not to the point of creeping down the stairs and peering through the door to catch a glimpse of Ma struggling with wrapping paper and sellotape, but there is definitely an air of suppressed excitement between Nearest and Dearest and me when we discuss this years festive plans.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">&nbsp;</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">This is slightly ironic considering our own off-spring, from quite an early age christened their Pa &ldquo;Scrooge,&rdquo; not so much for meanness, that I&rsquo;m glad to say, isn&rsquo;t one of his faults, but for his oft voiced opinion that Christmas was definitely &ldquo;humbug!&rdquo;<span>&nbsp; </span>(Or words to that effect!).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">To be fair, I can see his point.<span>&nbsp; </span>After the age of about eight, Christmas for one reason or another tends to lose its magic and with four small children bouncing off the walls from around August onwards due to the advertising hype thrown at them from the small screen, the Christmas spirit tends to be something you get from a bottle, hopefully to blot out the whole ghastly business!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I hate to say this, but our most memorable Christmas&rsquo; have been so for all the wrong reasons and began three months after typing the knot.<span>&nbsp; </span>We&rsquo;d just finished major renovations to our first matrimonial home and everything was brand new and polished to within an inch of its life including a cut glass set of sherry glasses and matching decanter.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Why N &amp; D had to take it into his head to start hovering minuscule specs of dust from the carpet I can&rsquo;t imagine, but the result was he backed into a small table displaying the crystal and smashed the lot, except for one glass which amazingly, 37 years later I still have!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">From then on it was down hill all the way!<span>&nbsp; </span>When Darling Daughter arrived on the scene she became an instant family celebrity being the first new arrival in the family for decades.<span>&nbsp; </span>It seemed as if every granny, aunty, sister and cousin wanted us at their festive bash and we, being proud parents were only too eager to show off how clever we were to have produced such a beautiful child!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately, being novices, we didn&rsquo;t realise that hawking a child who had only just started sleeping through the night around to so many different venues would have such a devastating effect on her sleep pattern!<span>&nbsp; </span>It was Easter before either of us dispensed with the match sticks!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Once the boys came along the very thought of Christmas caused my stomach to flip and sweat bead my brow!<span>&nbsp; </span>I shudder at the memory of N &amp; D struggling long past midnight to build up complicated toys which we thought were ready assembled as the boxes were so enormous and then two hours later bellowing &hellip; &ldquo;Get back to bed!<span>&nbsp; </span>Santa&rsquo;s not #@#*! been yet!&rdquo;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Well of course he had as was evidenced by the laser sword fight scything the landing with blades of garish green light and the glittery foil from a million chocolate coins littering the stairs!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Then there was the time when N &amp; D was taken out for a Christmas lunch by a grateful, but near alcoholic client who plied him with so much food and drink that when he finally staggered back three hours later, he was in no state for more turkey and tinsel at my Ma and Pa&rsquo;s pre-Christmas bash!<span>&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>What was more, one of the boys poked him in the eye during a rough and tumble which caused it to close and swell up for most of the festive break!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Not best pleased by all this, I reaped revenge the following year when amidst the usual pandemonium of Christmas Eve last minute preparations, I noticed a stack of cards destined for local villagers lying forgotten on the dresser.<span>&nbsp; </span>As this should have been N &amp; D&rsquo;s responsibility to get them to their destinations, I erupted!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Still covered in flour from endless mincepies and with tinsel and bits of sticky tape in my hair I flung my pinny at N &amp; D, grabbed my coat and Christmas cards and leapt on my bike to deliver the lot myself!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Now you might think this was cutting my nose off to spite my face, but you would be wrong! <span>&nbsp;</span>I had a great time!<span>&nbsp; </span>I delivered each card personally and being Christmas Eve I was offered sherry, a drop of red, (mulled at two houses) and even a tot of Captain Morgan&rsquo;s as well as endless chocolates and mince-pies! <span>&nbsp;</span>I confess I didn&rsquo;t refuse any of it!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">My last visit was to a friend who lived outside the village at the top of a steep hill.<span>&nbsp; </span>To this day I don&rsquo;t know how I managed to get up it and I can&rsquo;t remember what I had or did when I got there.<span>&nbsp; </span>What I do remember is the settling silence of a bitingly cold winter&rsquo;s afternoon and the sinking of a firey sunset whose crimson fingers, splashing across frost seared snow seemed to hold back the curtain of night as I made my way home in the failing light.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">&nbsp;</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Hmm &hellip; perhaps Christmas hasn&rsquo;t lost its magic after all!</span></p>