All I want for Christmas....

WHEN icicles hang by the wall,

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,

And Tom bears logs into the hall,

And milk comes frozen home in pail,

When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul,

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

To-whit!

To-who!—a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

When all aloud the wind doe blow,

And coughing drowns the parson's saw,

And birds sit brooding in the snow,

And Marian's nose looks red and raw,

When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

To-whit!

To-who!—a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

I love these words by the incomparable William Shakespeare.They illustrate the ancient history of our country. They evoke memories of my grandfather, who could recite them by heart. And they remind me that we, in this pampered & privileged 21st century, have quite a nice life.

I need reminding of this...because the Christmas that Paul & I thought we were going to have, and had been planning for months, has been cancelled due to our great British weather!

Right now, we should be on a plane, 37,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. Jetting towards dear and special friends for a week of Christmas joy, food, laughter, fun. Instead we are still at home, with no Christmas tree and knowing all too well what we are missing!

The snow arrived on Saturday. Lots and lots of it. And the UK does not do extremes of weather, as the world knows. Everything grinds to a halt. Roads become lethal ice rinks. Trains are halted. And aeroplanes are grounded....for days and days. Our flight was cancelled yesterday. But I count our blessings that we, at least, knew this well in advance and could make alternative plans. Hundreds of people are stuck in limbo, sleeping on the terminal floors with no hope of departure. I'm watching the BBC news now...dreadful pictures of passengers in makeshift marquees, being supplied with hot soup by the Salvation Army. Terrible!

Because of the snow, we can't even make the short journey to my parents home, up in the hills. So we'll have a different Christmas. Me, Paul & Alice...all together, warm & cosy. Lots of food, champagne, sleep, DVDs. And we have a Christmas Eve showing of 'It's a Wonderful Life' booked at a local cinema.

Not all bad news by any means. Much to be thankful for. These are the Christmas lights in our town

On Saturday evening, we held a little cocktail party for our neighbours. Those who had been stranded by the extreme weather crunched their way through the snow to us. I made a big pan of Mulled Wine, Paul relayed plates piled with food out of the kitchen. We talked and laughed with people we only ever say a quick hello to the rest of the year. It was a special evening.

I wish you everything good for your Christmas and holiday celebrations. Friends, family, food and happiness. I'll be with my beloved husband and our darling dog, and I'll enjoy every minute. But a piece of our hearts will be across the Atlantic, enjoying the Christmas that might have been, with the friends that mean so much to us. We'll raise a glass to them, and to everyone we love who can't be with us.

Merry Christmas everyone! xoxo