It’s St Nikolaus today and I feel that already, December is running away with me.

The season began in style on the first day of the month at the Gloucestershire Federation of WI’s Christmas Concert in Cheltenham Town Hall. This year, entitled a Winter Celebration, it was a break from the norm - no GFWI choir and audience carols but instead a programme of music from a former GFWI member Misha Dawn, whose career has taken off wonderfully, leaving little time for WI meetings!

Also on the programme was a fine performance from another local artist, Kim Cypher and her band, known to many in the audience (except us!) It was a lovely, easy way to kick off a busy month with friends.

The following day, another regular event in my diary, my own WI Christmas lunch. We normally go to an hotel in Tetbury for this, but Christmas 2021 is a little different - we catered for ourselves this time. It was a fun occasion, the party poppers were popping and the jokes in the crackers as dreadful as ever. Love it!

I had been a little late in sorting out candles for Advent this year, thinking that I could just pick them up with my weekly shop. No joy there though, so I decided to order online instead. Next year though, please will someone remind me to check the diameter of the candle as well as the height!?

Actually, it doesn’t matter one bit - those four huge candles look pretty nice on the kitchen table and they arrived in time to get a few days of the first week before the second candle was lit yesterday.

Friday and Saturday were the Stuart Singers Christmas concerts, for which I look after the front of house whilst my Hero sings. It’s been more than two years since their last one and I think both audience and choir alike were delighted to be back, raising a phenomenal amount of money for the Stroud Food Bank and enjoying a great evening of music as well.

On Saturday morning we chose our Christmas Tree from the “forest” at Jolly Nice

and today, my Avening WI friends and I have been making wreaths together, with a bring and share lunch.

It was a lovely, friendly day filled with chatter and good humour. Everyone brought armfuls of greenery from their garden to share, together with other bits and pieces that resulted in the most marvellous collection of wreaths ever!

Possibly a little titivation required but for now, it’s the first bit of Christmas around here!

It being Nikolaus however, it was soon followed by bears dressing up for the season too.

I’m hoping that now that little flurry of activity has passed, I can use the next couple of days to crack on with our Christmas cards. The post lady brought quite a handful this morning and as I read them, I felt the urge to get on with ours.

I might even begin my Christmas Journal. It’s not as if I haven’t got plenty to put in it!