End of the Festive Season!

Today I put all the Christmas decorations away. Funny how this job was left for me to do alone, although just as well because my OCD kicks in big time and I like to have everything separated and organised in separate zip-lock bags. Our Christmas Tree was fake (not like the sweet smelling real tree we had every year when I was growing up), and after spending much time fluffing it out before decorating, the opposite must happen to get that thing back in its skinny box.  I didn’t think to shut the shutters so I am imagining I provided a funny spectacle for anyone in the building across the road who may have been looking into our apartment at that time.  The tree comes in three sections, and after taking the tree apart, the branches have to be squished back to lie as vertical as possible to the middle staff… thus facilitating it going back in the box.  I used the string I have in the kitchen for tying roast meats.  I sat on each section, straddled the tree, tied the string around, pulled tight, and then used my knee to hold  where it was tied as I secured it with a double knot.  I was exhausted once I’d finished.  I taped up the box with packing tape so it won’t spring open during it’s hibernation in the ‘cantina’ during the year.  I then had to vacuum all the fake needles that were casualties of this ‘end of season’ ritual.

I was thinking, that I was a bit slow in getting into the Christmas spirit this year, and yet and seems only yesterday that I put the tree up, and now it’s all over again for another year.

Annabella & Joseph returned to school today, and so now the house is strangely quiet since they went back to their father’s house.  I take a couple of days to digest their absence which is why I didn’t write much in the last two days.  I wasn’t really in the mood, and I didn’t cook anything interesting enough to share either.

Now 2016 has definitely begun, and I must get busy to organise myself work-wise. Positive thoughts and positive actions will be my motto this year.  I must keep myself busy and not wallow in the past as this only brings me down. The year has started off well though, and I’ll be busy over the next two days catering for a friend’s party. I’m doing the desserts.  Alberto and I were already invited as guests to this party and the chef cancelled a week before the event!!!  WHO does that?  So, there will be another chef handling the savoury side, and I’ll be making four desserts.  Three will be finger food, and one will be served in mini individual cups.

Next week I’ve invited a guest to my blog who will share some healthy recipes to approach 2016!  She will explain how we can eat well, without sacrificing all things sweet!