Yesterday we put up the Christmas decorations – not too much to it, in this house, just a tree, a wreath on the front door, a couple of little tiny trees and some baubles in a vase. Also put up the cards – I put three red ribbons on the lounge door, both sides, fastened on at the top with a flat-headed drawing pin. That way there are no holes in any walls. Then I stick the cards to the ribbons with sticky tape. They don’t fall over every time you open a door or walk past, they look pretty, and then after Christmas I get them down and read them all again.

The weather is very cold. We have 5” of snow and the temperature is not expected to rise above freezing for several more days. It’s currently -3°C, and it’s five past one – lunchtime – as I write. This morning when Vic went for his walk at about five am it was -10°C. That’s cold.

It’s warm and cosy inside though, and Vic is roasting lamb for lunch at the moment – it smells absolutely lovely. This afternoon I’m intending to make another 2 dozen mince pies and possibly, if my back is up to it, do the ironing. There’s a basketful!

I’ve phoned my mum, who’s 78 and lives 25 miles away, to check she’s ok and has all she needs,(yes she is and does) the ED, who lives 130 miles away, to see how the weather is in Southampton (bad) and my friend Sylvia, also in her seventies, to check she’s ok and has all she needs too (yes to both). YD is at boyfriend’s mum’s house. Getting off the drive in the car is a problem, but then they’re straight on to a main road, which should be gritted.

This week I have two appointments, one for the Calgel, and one for my haircut. Luckily the buses are running, so I’ll use them rather than try and drive in packed ice over snow. Too risky. I have some new red wellington boots which go with my red coat and some warm socks to wear with them, so I’ll look like Grandmother Christmas, I expect. Don’t do hats – I look like Freddie Davis (Irish accent, bowler hat, “and there’s more”) in a hat. See photo right.

And as for the Christmas food shopping, we’ll have to manage that somehow or other. Hopefully the temperature will have managed to rise above freezing point by then. Fingers crossed.