Life gets in the way.

I last posted here in May - yes May! That's five months ago. Which is very remiss of me. What can I say - I have no excuse - other than life is like that sometimes. The months pass by, things tend to happen, and before we know it - Christmas is almost upon us. Just like now.

So where are we now? About eight weeks to go? I've already started on the buying of gifts and today we even bought some Christmas goodies from Lidl, which I will stash in the cupboard and forget they are there. Or - and this is the much more likely scenario - we will eat them all before the big day and then have to buy more. We always do this. We should live and learn, but we never do. And I think this is what the supermarkets rely on. People buying early. Getting ahead. And in the end spending much, more money! In fact, here's a little something I bought earlier this week at a special Christmas event in Clitheroe. Oh dear.

This semester at work always passes quickly. September is mad, mad, mad because of the new students and then happily - because we always tend to holiday in October - when I return to work the rush has passed. Believe me, October is the best time to go abroad. The weather is still hot - yes, really - and the resorts are fairly empty. The sea is still lovely and warm and the beaches deserted. Who could ask for more? Trouble is we are now getting to be regulars in Minorca.  We are starting to see the same people year after year who greet us like old friends. But that's another story for another blog.  This year in the hotel was particularly interesting, and I promise to tell you all about it another time. Needless, to say, I was privy to several conversations, and gleaned enough information to write a very large book. But just to tickle your fancy, here's a photo of the very last sunset I took the night before we left Minorca. Oh, how I wish we were still there ...

But it's always the same. Like everyone else, I imagine, my diary starts to fill up with things I have on between now and the big day. This year we also have a relative's big birthday coming up so we are off to London in November. November is also the month when my youngest son was born so we have that celebration too. Then there's friends to see, and places to go, work's parties etc, so in the end there is hardly a weekend left that we don't have something to do! I've just counted up and there are seven weekends left before the BIG weekend that is Christmas, and already four of those weekends are booked. That leaves three - yes three. And no doubt before long there'll be barely a space. How do we cope?

But we do.  We always do. The madness that is Christmas builds up to such an extent that by the time Christmas Day arrives and we all get together with our nearest and dearest, the frenzy is forgotten. We take a breath. We relax. We count our blessings which, of course, is the most important thing of all.

Until next time

Kim xxx