64 days until Christmas

I know this because Amelia told me during her usual Sunday morning phone call. "I've ordered your turkey for you already" she said, live and exclusive from Sevenoaks. "I took Mrs Tolley and her son to see Giles yesterday and picked out a nice one. It's been marked up for you but has got a few more weeks fattening up to go yet". I've now got visions of a turkey running round a field with a name tag bearing my name round its scrawny neck. And there I was, happy to get a frozen one from Sainsburys.

The guest list for Christmas Day is compiling itself. Us three and Amelia of course, my dad and Aunt Daisy who "can't stomach going to Ivy's for Christmas again, the turkey still had its giblets in". Charlie is coming this year as her family are off on a "chance of a lifetime" cruise and Saskia too - a self confessed Christmas-detester but she does love my garlic and rosemary potatoes. Bea and family will be joining us on Boxing Day - she sent me an email on Friday telling me that her PA has started doing her Christmas shopping for her and I should let her know where I'm "up to on my Jo Malone collection. Or Molton Brown this year perhaps sweetie?". Matthew and Lydia will also be joining us - Matt because his mother is "not doing Christmas this year" and Lydia because the two of them come as a package at the moment. I'm hearing the clank of commitment, she's gone deaf.

Mac has started on his Christmas list thanks to the copious amount of flyers and catalogues that come with every newspaper and magazine at this time of year. He watches the adverts during "his" programmes intently and can now write the word "presents" with his e's round the right way. I've told him that Santa has a lot of presents to buy for lots of children and so he's not to expect everything that he wants. He fixed me with a pitying look (this was yesterday) and said "Daddy will give him some money to buy my presents". Ah, the innocence of childhood. Where has it gone?

So....just the 64 days then. More than enough time to buy the cards, make present lists, write the cards, decide what imaginative gift to buy my beloved, hand deliver some cards, plan the menu for both Christmas Day and Boxing Day, buy stamps for cards, find the decorations, buy wrapping paper, post the cards, bankrupt myself at Bluewater/The Glades/on t'internet buying presents, buy the tree, wrap the presents, make the cake, test the tree lights, buy presents for the dogs, make my own table decorations, break some baubles, do Mac's stocking, decorate the tree, separate the dogs from the tinsel, buy a range of batteries for the toys Mac finds under the tree, stud some oranges with cloves, decorate the house, buy and bake my famous Christmas ham........

Hm.....piece of cake. Which will need icing as well.