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2005-12-04 - 3:21 p.m. I've been having a Christmas themed weekend. This is the first time in my life that I'll be having my own Christmas - living in my own house, and not travelling home to see my parents for Christmas. We'll be spending the day with West's parents, and having a Christmas Eve thing at our house. I bought our Christmas tree yesterday - a small conifer in a pot - and decorated it with little silver balls and silver ribbon. I think, on reflection, that I might have overdone the silver ribbon - it looks a bit overwhelmed. The tree is sitting on a chair draped in a red sari, to raise it to a decent height, and the very kitsch stockings that I bought for West and I are draped over the chair. Christmas stockings are one of my favourite traditions. Today I settled down with a pile of cardboard, glitter, ribbon, scissors and glue and made a pile of cards, which have turned out quite minimalist this year - all white and silver. I've made a list of people whom I'd like to send cards to, and now I just have to write my annual letter that I send to distant relatives to go along with their card. According to the list, I was only going to give handmade presents this Christmas, but just didn't get around to making enough. I hauled the few that I had made out of the cupboard and wrapped them up, although I'm still undecided about a big pink wrap/throw that I don't like the feel of. It's not snuggly, which I was aiming for, but a little prickly and slippery. I can't really think of anyone I want to give it to - it might just stay here. I bought West a couple of very practical presents yesterday (socks and other similarly exciting things), and have wrapped them. Now I just have to work on a list of presents-to-give. I'm really excited about Christmas - I have lots of things I want to cook (including Mum's Christmas pudding icecream, which is something I look forward to every year - I only hope I can make it taste the same), and I love all the rituals of exchanging gifts and cards. And of course, my birthday is a mere week and a half away, which only adds to general feeling of anticipation for December. Work has been pretty exhaustingly busy for the last couple of weeks, hence the lack of updates. Not only has it been busy, with plenty of deadlines, but the atmosphere has been pretty tense, for a variety of reasons. People have been shouting at each other, having little temper tantrums, complaining endlessly - it felt volatile, and I stayed in my office with my head down and earphones in, and worked away. It's incredibly hot today, and apart from brief forays outside to collect dry washing and hang out fresh loads, I'm staying inside under the fans, making Christmas lists, and drinking enormous amounts of water. Note to self - eating salty food on a hot day is not a good idea. Don't do it again.
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