Denial

I'm having a moment. Or quite a few moments if my nails are anything to go by.

I'm ignoring the fact that I've got presents to wrap, cards to write, "interesting" decorations to make with my pride and joy as well as homemade presents (I've bulk bought icing sugar and peppermint flavouring and everyone is going to be getting a jar of peppermint fondants). I'm not thinking about the fact that it's time to put up decorations and worrying about last second class post dates and whether or not I'll still fit into the dress I'm planning to wear for our work "do".

I'm not even bothered that Bea has bought, wrapped, decorated and placed all of her presents under her already decorated tree. I am a little concerned, however, that she's planning on joining us for Christmas dinner because, having informed Flavia and the rest of her staff (housekeeper, cleaner, son of housekeeper) that the best part of SE15, SE21 and SE22 will be descending on her house on Boxing Day, they all promptly requested Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. And she agreed.

But that's a little worry compared with the slightly larger worry about what to get David for Christmas and hiding Mac's presents (we've gone for the loft this year but David is decidely wobbly on the ladder and I don't do heights) and preventing the dogs from going mental every time they pass my car boot for that is where I've hidden their presents.

Plus, I've got more people than I had last year and I was forced to ring my mother-in-law and ask her to ask Giles to reserve me another bird. She rang back after twenty minutes to inform me that "they've" scrapped the two pre-ordered fowl and have gone for one bigger bird and one smaller one. I then made the mistake of telling her the guest list for Christmas dinner: she sniffed imperiously and asked if we'd be eating in shifts. She rang back after just five minutes and asked me if it was "too much trouble" for me to have her, Jack and Ginny for dinner. I inhaled sharply, sensing my chance, but wimped out and assured her it wouldn't be a problem. She's agreed to help out "with everything, just like last year" which means that I'll be redundant in my own kitchen and reduced to third washer upper from the left.

On the other side of the coin Lydia was so relieved when I told her that Matt had already invited them to our Christmas lunch that she offered to come over early and help out - "I could do the gravy or something". This should be interesting to watch: Amelia's Christmas gravy is legendary and fiercely guarded.

Still. I reckon I've got a few more days of Denial ahead of me. Plenty of time to eat some of these and re-read this whilst thinking of mulled wine and Christmas carols.

Oh, and to ask you all........what - or who - would you like to find in your Christmas stocking this year?