Happy Christmas

I wish I could have bottled last night. The sky was clear with a full moon and all the houses had some form of Christmas lights twinkling. DH and I walked across to the village hall where we could hear O Come All Ye Faithful drifting out on to the crisp air. I had to confess a lump filled my throat. Once inside we were greeted with mulled wine and a hymn sheet. For the next hour and a half we sang our hearts out with the young and the old. The hall was dominated by a large tree and the walls adorned with twigs and ribbons. Mince pies floated about brought by smiling faces. We were wall to wall singing people.

Being that this was Cornwall the hymn in most request was While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks but not the usual version the Lingham one. By the time we had lifted the rafters with that I knew Christmas was here. It's a shame we couldn't take all that warmth and tone and wander the village.

I am prepared this Christmas. Last night finished the preparations for me. Singing hymns put Christ right back into Christmas. It is so easy to forget what the season is about. The warmth of the community gathering to celebrate the Lord's birth and the community as a whole was wonderful.

Today my kids will moan as we go to mass - three daays of church! The tomorrow we will attend the crib service in the village church. Dh and I if still awake may attend midnight mass as it is only a stone's throw away. Some years I listen to the bells ring and haven't the energy to walk up the hill - maybe this year will be different. Then on Christmas morning we will head off to mass again. It is an effort but it is also a privilege. Christmas marks the birth of LOVE and we need to be thankful and celebrate it in our lives.

Wishing all of you a happy and blessed Christmas. Catch you all on Boxing Day.

So much news has happened in the last few days.....all of the good kind. Julia Williams (first time round Novel Racer Jane Henry) is launching her first book here . Go celebrate!!!

My dh has finally updated his web site with more photos! He's really the creative one in the family. His site is here http://www.fotofenwick.com/ .

On the home front I can report the tree is up, the lights are up, the pudding is made, the cake is made, the pressies are wrapped and I have just discovered I am not cooking Christmas dinner this year!!!!

Oh and while I was fighting my way through Asda for more Christmas lights I fell upon the books shelves and found a little pressie for moi - Michelle Styles' A Christmas Wedding Wager (it's part of a two book collection Christmas by Candlelight). I cursed Michelle as she kept me awake last night........my eyes finally gave in but I was only half way through. Now as I have done most of my tasks maybe today i can sit by the fire and read????

My big bonus of the week aside from having two more family members in the house is I'm having coffee with fellow Novel Racer Flowerpot on Friday!!!!

Romantic Novelist Association - Novel of the Year Long List and it includes the Novel Racers' own Rowan Colman

I can't say how excited I am that one of our Novel Racers is on the long list for Romantic Novelist Association Romantic Novel of the Year long list here! Rowan Coleman'sThe Baby Group is there!!!!!!

Also up there is the wonderful Kate Lace (aka Catherine Jones) for The Chalet Girl. She is pictured at the RNA Winter Party with her latest book Movie Girl.

I must find a way to convince my dh it is essential that I come back for the lunch in February!!!!

Now back to Christmas tasks but smiling!!!!!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Back in the UK again and it's cold........when I checked into the hotel it was 0 Celsius......quite a change from 27c I left in Dubai this morning!!!!

Tomorrow it's time for mince pies and carol concerts. I can't wait.

I promise to catch up with blogging and life in the next few days.......really I do promise!

The Party is Over

It was great but I am shattered. We had 52 acceptances and 45 came. The house looked fabulous and the food was good too.......

Now I can look to Christmas back in the UK :-)

The Desert is Busy but Still Beautiful

I am writing this post when I should be preparing! The number for tonight has grown to 51 not counting ourselves and kids! Oh, why didn't I get it catered - because it started out as a drinks party for twenty and that thanks to my mother's brilliant training I can do with my eyes closed. However for 50 ( I have done 60 before) I need eyes open and normally a day or two - but no. I was in the desert yesterday.

I love desert trips. I love the desert. The sensual shapes of the rolling dunes, the changing colours of the sands, the bag trees and the shrub bushes, even the odd roaming camel. Since we left three years ago the desert has become busy. I looked to one big dune last evening and watched the white land cruisers swarming over it like ants. As I saw the number of cars in our group join up I wondered if it was possible to get lost in the desert any more??? My heart sank - it had been a special treat even when going on a tourist trip like we did last night. The desert was empty but not any more.

My spirits lifted as we took to our big dune. I prayed as our skillful driver pushed us up over and down amazing grades. There is nothing like the feeling of the land cruisers hitting the top and then skidding in the decent at an angle - will you roll or won't you? Thank God we didn't.

The sunset was all the God intended it to be even if the other groups were lined up on the other hills like sentinels. The evening camp was fun and filled with light hearted banter of my dh's colleagues. It was their last hurrah as a company. Dh's old company signed the final paper and brought his new last night. A sadness of what could have been tinged the air with the fear of what the future may hold........

Well, my future holds a massive party tonight so I best get cracking!

Nits

One doesn't usually own up to this sort of things but I discovered on Wednesday just before dd's Christmas concert that she had nits. I quietly told the schoo.l nurse and we went forth into the evening concert with her hair tied back. It was late night so I couldn't treat before she went to bed. I let the little lie in and then began. Now having three kids I have been through nits before and let me say as she had been scratch I had been checking quickly most mornings. The girl was infested.

Two hours later she was debugged so I thought I had just better check myself. I have made it through 44 years of life and three kids with nits never having had them before........but I had nits. Another hour before I was debugged and my hair looked like something from hell. Highlighted hair does not go well with weird chemicals! i just don't advise it. i was supposed to be a fab Christmas party last night but no - my dead nits, fried hair and I stayed home.

Of course all of this debugging wasn't in the schedule for big party - numbers now up to 40! Not to panic I'm off to the desert this afternoon and evening for company do.......so who is having 40 people here tomorrow? Me? No, you must be joking!!!!

Another One Bites the Dust

Well the title could apply to two things - the Christmas letter is done and dusted soon to be winging its way around the world late. It is a huge relief. This was a year so full and with the current uncertainty in our lives - it was a hard letter to get right. However it is done - Yay.



Now the other thing that bit the dust was I heard back from the agent that requested more and as I suspected - it wasn't for them. So I still have one sub out there and will send out two more while I am in Cornwall for Christmas. To be honest I am so done with August Rock and just want to move on. I am desperate to write the new story in my head. I don't think I will make myself wait until I have finished the edit of A Cornish House. I really feel the need to move forward.



Speaking of that I rashly said to the dh we should have a Christmas drinks party to force us to finish the house! No I wasn't under the influence at the time I suggested it. He thought a great idea - well he would! So for my sins I am having thirty-five people for drinks on Friday evening! Is the house 'finished' you ask? Hell no. The cupboards are full but not in the right place however my sitting room looks beautiful. I am mad - certififably mad. I leave in a few days for the UK! Mad as a hatter!

Focus - Christmas Letter

Right, i am disconnecting myself from the Internet until I have written the da*n Christmas letter. So if you will excuse me will I threaten myself.......hopefully I will be back soon :-)