We stayed in...

and waited for the Xmas tree, which didn't come. Not that I wanted it this early, I would have left it outside. I just wanted to make sure I didn't get the last scraggy tree left in the back of the van, like last year, when they couldn't find us. Hey, we might even get the same tree- I did order one a foot taller than last year! Our very own scraggy tree. Funny, I've never managed to get them to stay alive before. It must be because they're grown in pots. And they tell you how much water to give them- quite a lot. I don't know where we're going to put it, anyway!

Well we didn't do much waiting around, though. We decided to shampoo the living room carpet, which took just about all day. Well, when you have a four year old boy trying to take up the carpet because he cant bear the smell any longer... Our poor old cat is a bit unreliable in winter - o dear. I explained that, much that I would love exposed floorboards, preferably in a warm walnut colour (o no, reading too many mags again), it would be too cold and drafty at this time of year, but we could clean it. Novel idea. First find the carpet. This took well over an hour, especially as Ally started panicking, thinking we were taking all the toys away forever, and frantically put them back on the floor, where they belong, as fast as possible. It took me about an hour to find all (4) of the bits of the Vax. I finally realised that the piece I was looking for actually doesn't exist, and I was just trying to make it more complicated than it really is. I always do this. Shows how often I do it. I think the last time must have been over a year ago because I was pregnant, and I had the help of my buddhist cleaner, who didn't remove spider's webs. (Come back, Jenny, your'e wonderful. If only I could still afford you...), and the living room had been used as a dining room, as we had no kitchen. Anyway, I was doing very well, when I noticed these dark marks appearing on the carpet. I must be doing something wrong. No, Ally was throwing pieces of artificial coal out of the defunct gas fire. I had taken the fireguard off as we can't use the fire, as the chimney is leeking fumes into the kitchen. Well, we have radiators. I have been reliably informed that the only thing to to do is have the chimney lined, and as I don't even particularly want a gas fire, and a real fire would require a diferent sort of lining, I can't really see the point. So no cosy fireside flames this Xmas. Sorry. Anyway the carpet looks lovely.