I consider how many days of the year I live as if it were Christmas? Perhaps the last 364 days have been Christmas for me, which is why this December 25th didn’t seem ‘special’ like it use to?

In years past, I went to bed, having carefully placed a plate of biscuits and 9 carrots on the table in the hall (we had a wood burning stove, so Father Christmas couldn’t use the chimney) along with a small glass of something alcoholic – which no doubt would have taken the varnish off the floor tiles if spilt. Then, in eager anticipation, try to sleep, with thoughts of a bearded old man creeping around my bedroom in the dead of night.
The following morning (5.00am or earlier) I would leap from my bed and drag the overflowing stocking with me to my parents room, where I would proceed to carefully unwrap each and every present.
The day continued with Grandparents arriving and more presents for me!! I did have to wait until after lunch before unwrapping any more and like many others, the biggest and best present was left till last when I was made to think I had opened everything in sight.
As the years went by, Christmas became as much about giving presents as receiving them (I know what the Church likes us to think but I was young and that’s my excuse).

This year however, it was unbelievably normal, which is why I considered the above question, or whether in fact I am becoming Mr Scrooge or maybe the Grinch who I think the Queen based her attire on this year.

The immortal word was uttered today. I’m in no doubt she was referring to me. “FIT” and how I looked it. The only question mark is surrounding how the different generations define the word ‘fit’.

Since I last posted, a lot has changed, but most things appear to remain the same.

Road user beware, I am sharing your tarmac, having started driving again after a short break. If I can make one small request at this point: everyone is fallible, especially when driving. So please be aware of your own mistakes and the mistakes of others, and should they occur, please treat others as you would like to be treated (like that’s going to happen). Anyhow, it’s great to be receiving tuition from a qualified advanced driving instructor and not feel intimidated or pressured that I might not pass the test at the end of it – because I already have (the basic driver proficiency test that is. And issued with the pink photo card licence, displaying a picture which looks nothing like me). The decision to take an advanced driver test is a way off yet.

The other thing is Tai Chi. I can’t sing its praises just yet, having only had 1 lesson, where we were taught the first, and possibly the most difficult moves. It is however, already helping to stabilise my flighty nature and re-establish more grounding energies. With any system that utilises energies like Chi, Qi or Ki, the individual needs to be firmly grounded in order to channel any kind of earth or spiritual energies. It is a process of calming the mind and reconnecting it with the body and the present. This also seems necessary to achieve the desired placebo effect some readers might consider this to be – a perfectly reasonable view to take in my opinion.