I wrote a post yesterday that didn’t make it to the actual internet, because it was a bit downbeat and this is nothing if not a positive blog.However, the action of writing down that Christmas wasn’t happening round here, though there would be 10 of us on The Day, shifted me into action.

All food ordered, some presents, no cards yet, tree bought. Deadline for forward preparations is close of play Thursday. Tomorrow, I will light both woodturners and the fire and I’ll get all the rooms ready – that is, not necessarily ready but ready to be ready. My big table is full of china, that I’ve labelled but not put away and the light box is still out. I have not used that room except as a workroom for months. Tomorrow it’ll be transformed. I may clean it too, because I notice the corners more than my cleaners and there is plenty else for them to do.

I went to have my hair cut today. Just a trim. I still love my unsuitably long hair. Allie had it pinned up while she was drying the lower levels. The colour was blonde with golden – frankly brassy – highlights under the bright hairdresser lights, against a silvery brown front. It looked incongruous, yet it was natural. My hair is brown at the back, but blonde at the bottom back, paler at the front, though only partly white. I don’t care, it doesn’t matter. It’s thick and healthy and that is just luck, nothing that I do.

Wink and I went to a local nursery for Christmas trees this afternoon. She bought a small one in a pot, which will transfer nicely to the garden and I bought a five foot Norway spruce, one of the last. I usually leave it later but it’s lucky I didn’t, as there were only five cut trees left, three of which were far too big for my house. In good heart, I bought cyclamen and an azalea to cheer my drawing room.

I overslept this morning and had to scurry around to get to my hairdresser appointment. Luckily, nothing in the diary until 4pm tomorrow.