In Less Than Three Hours...

...I will shut the door to my flat behind me and walk the 10 or so minutes to where my parents live, to spend Christmas Eve there. 
I wrote a very similar post last year, one that contained a "First" in 2012, snowy pictures in the one for 2011, another snowy post in 2010, but none of the kind in 2009 (which was the year I started blogging, and my husband died less than two months before Christmas).

Sunset a few days ago, seen from my bedroom

Today was, pretty much like every day since last Saturday, a quiet day. The few things on my to-do list were done by early afternoon (ironing, wrapping Christmas presents, going to the gym, posting Christmas greetings for my local XING group which I organise), and I then sat down to read part of my weekly paper. I've also been in touch with one of my sisters-in-law in Yorkshire, to make sure I ring at a convenient time tomorrow, while my mother-in-law is there and we can have a little chat and I can thank her for all the presents (which I am, of course, not going to open until tomorrow morning).

This year, I enjoyed the four weeks leading up to Christmas very much. Actually, I always do, but it was much milder than usual, and so I did not suffer the cold so much. Seven times altogether I've been to our beautiful Christmas market, most of the time to eat and only a few times to actually buy something. Twice I've been to the "Living Advent Calendar" which is held in my part of town every year, and really liked it both times. With my Mum, I attended the informal Christmas party held by a group of people who write an intercultural literature blog together; that was a very interesting afternoon indeed, and I am definitely going to stay in touch with some of them.

Tonight, there will be our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of Frankfurters and spuds salad, followed by the exchanging of gifts. Maybe we'll even sing a song or two; I'd very much like that. The (real) candles on the tree will be lit, everyone will be dressed more less festively, and I hope each of the six people there besides myself will like what I chose for them as a present.

Tomorrow afternoon, RJ will join me for a few days, and we'll have dinner at my parents' again, this time with a slightly different (and larger) group of friends. I am looking forward to all of it, and more!

Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate, and a good evening to those who don't.

My parcels are ready, my heart and mind have been for much longer!