When did Christmas creep up on me?

When did Christmas creep up on me? Where did it come from? What happened to October and November? Why are the years getting shorter? What do you mean, it's next Thursday??

Shock / grump / horror / moan etc etc :)

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Christmas. In many ways, the lead-up is even better than the actual event for me. I love the glitter of tinsel everywhere - surely the tackiest and most splendid decoration for Christmas ever invented? - and the songs being played every darned place you go, and the dressed-up shop windows, and the long list of TV specials to watch, and shop assistants wearing santa hats, and pubs and restaurants so full of christmas office celebrations you can't get in the door ... LOL. And the Christmas period for me is a time to meet friends and family, or just relax from work and enjoy the outrageous bling :).

(and watch out for news of a prize giveaway at the end of this post, in true Christmas spirit *g*)

But there's one odd thing I've found about this holiday season. I don't seem to be able to keep hold of the days! On any given day, I can't easily remember the date and - even worse - the day of the week. I've double-booked things, then forgotten other commitments. This week, I turned up for my hairdressing appointment on the wrong day - luckily early rather than late *g* but I still had to make the journey twice.

It's something about the lack of routine and the excess of holiday spirit, I think. But maybe also because the calendar year is rolling to a close and we're all encouraged to sprint forward into the next. Or maybe I'm just stressed trying to remember whether I've got a present for everyone in my (relatively small!) family, or stocked up on enough food for when the shops are shut - which of course nowadays is only about 4 hours on the actual Christmas Day *rolls eyes*.

I left full-time work this year and started writing from home. And yes, I can't believe I ever fitted work in at all, there's so much else to do LOL. I'm enjoying it tremendously, though I'm not making enough money yet to keep financially afloat, so who knows what 2015 will bring. But I discovered early on that, without my office routine, I quickly lost track of the differentiation of days. So I've bought myself a small box calendar that sits by my PC and tells me at any time what the day and date is - that's assuming I remember to update it, that is :).

And now I must stop blogging and rush off to drape tinsel and lights on the bare Christmas tree in the living room. You know it's Christmas on Thursday, don't you? :)

Happy Christmas to everyone, whatever and wherever your celebrations may be.

Clare London
Writing ... Man to Man
www.clarelondon.com

Fancy some Christmas MM romantic goodness? Find all my titles HERE.

PRIZE! If you've bravely read to the end of my post, and make a comment with your email address, you'll be entered in a draw for a FREE download of any of my Christmas short stories. I'll announce the winner on New Year's Eve :).