Hello! Merry Christmas!! One week to go! Our tree started off pretty but now looks wonky and fondled and ragged. The angel is facing the window like she yearns for escape from this lunatic place.

Evidence of lunacy:


Further evidence of lunacy:

We are having another one of these??

Meanwhile, inside...such scenes as this:



and this!

So there you go. When are you coming with your paintbrushes?

Also, outside epic fence-making is going on, with Uncle Colin* at the helm. His latest suggestion - that we should have just got chain link and lined it with shade-cloth. I am not confidence inspired.

I won't launch into a homebody-whinge about the trails of mud, left particularly in clumps in front of the toilet every day. Or the comments from various builders, builder's helpers and feral uncle fence foremen about the noteworthy contents of my pantry (I cook, OK?), or how everyone would benefit from 'throw it out! throw it out!'. Because I am grinning and bearing it.

Love, Anna.
*names have been changed.