Well, I have been spurred into action by Fat Mum Slim. My mind meanders all the time and I need an outlet to process these meanderings. Today seems as good a day as any to start so here I am.
Last week I turned 63. Next week my darling husband Peter is whisking me away to a mystery destination for three days to celebrate the occasion.
He has not always been good at 'surprises'. That is something that I can claim I have taught him in the 12 years we have been together. When I first met Peter in March 2001, he did not celebrate any occasion particularly well. His family rarely celebrated birthdays in a big way and certainly not anniversaries or even Christmas, except with copious amounts of food (must have something to do with the Italian background!).
I love making a fuss, springing surprises and generally making the most of any occasions that I can dream up, even if it means I have to plan my own birthday parties!
Right from the beginning of our relationship we celebrated Lunarversaries - we've just passed our 500th! We did that every month until we got married in May 2003. From then on, we celebrated our relationship twice a year, in March for when we met and May for when we married.
Birthdays are always celebrated with some ceremony, some kind of celebration and  Christmas!!!
I love Christmas. I come from a home which was full of little traditions surrounding the celebration of Christmas. My home growing up was a religious one so there was always church on Christmas Morning. Before church we had Christmas pillowslips full of stuff (mostly stuff we needed as the incoming wages allowed). After church, we sat around our Christmas Tree and my father would read the story of the Birth of Christ from one of the Gospels, then we would sing some Christian Christmas Carols (no Santa in those days) then he would distribute the gifts. Mum would prepare a feast, which included the most amazing home-made Christmas pudding. It was one of the rare occasions there was alcohol in our teetotal house. Several weeks before, she would send my Dad to the Bottle Shop to get the required Brandy!
As I have grown up and acquired my own family, I have instilled traditions in Christmas that have survived through the years even though both my children are both adults. One tradition they will never give up is their Christmas Stockings. When they were very small, I made them patchwork stockings that survive to this day. They have puffy gold fabric paint names on them! As each new family member joins our crew, a new individualised stocking is added. However, tradition prevails and to have your stocking filled, you must be with me to celebrate Christmas! Now there's an incentive!
I love celebrations!