Christmas preparations

The countdown to Christmas has just begun. I really couldn't get into the right mind frame this year, but have realised there isn't that much time left, so I have started to get organised.

The food is pretty much sorted, the gammon, bacon, sausages and sausage meat are waiting in the freezer. Some will also provide a Christmas meat hamper as a present for one of my sister's and her family.
The turkeys will be done next Sunday. Sadly we will probably be doing them alone this year, as our daughter is away, one son is working and my husband's Uncle has only just come out of hospital and although he is determined to take part, standing for over an hour in a cold stable really isn't advisable. A shame as last year he kept us all entertained with his old tales and bad jokes! He also provided homemade cider, mince pies and sausage rolls once all the plucking had been done.
This week we will kill the Light Sussex cockerel, hopefully he will be good size as his destination is my parents Christmas table.

The veg will be from the garden, apart from the carrots which failed completely.
The Christmas puddings are made and the cake is being made for me as a swap for a turkey.
Just the last minute mince pies etc to do.

At the weekend we got the tree. For now it is standing outside in a bucket of water as we don't normally decorate until the weekend before Christmas. Each year we get the tree from Flete, choosing and cutting our own. It always feels like the start of the Christmas preparations. Also at the weekend our neighbours gave us a huge bunch of holly. Each year they cut it early to stop the birds eating all the berries.

Today I have started the Spring cleaning, shampooing the carpets and washing the paintwork. I blame my mother for this, she always cleaned the house from top to bottom before decorating and on the Christmas Eve had another cleaning blitz, often washing floors in the early hours of Christmas morning. I not quite that bad/good but I do like to go to bed on Christmas eve knowing everywhere is clean and tidy.

Presents are mostly sorted, or at least ordered. Much of my shopping this year has been online. I'm afraid few have been made and the cards which I still have to write have been bought rather than homemade..... maybe next year....

Most important to organise is collecting the ewes from their visit to the ram and making sure we have plenty of hay, straw and feed in.

Christmas for me will start when I see the first lambs born in the field opposite our house, usually a day or two before Christmas eve.