Well, that's Christmas over for another year. I hope you had a good one! I know Christmas can be difficult for a variety of reasons - not everyone can buy into the hype, some overspend and others still remain disappointed despite best intentions. But I am not a preacher. (I had a great few days over Christmas with close family - eating and laughing together is priceless) But for those who weren't impressed by Xmas, I recommend that next year you get a copy of A Child's Christmas in Wales, written by Dylan Thomas & illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. It's both funny and endearing - and isn't Christmas all about kids anyway?

Personally, I like the time between Christmas and Hogmanay. It's a busy time: this year's unfinished projects need to be completed, (last chance to put up my IKEA shelves that I bought in September) and the about-to-end-year needs to be reflected on and improvements determined for the new year. And, well, then there's Hogmanay waiting in the wings & the prospect of a right old shindig!!