Christmas Eve

And here we are again, Christmas Eve. The tree is lit, the presents are wrapped (with the exception of the book that arrived for small daughter from Amazon today, just in time!), the house is clean (well, the important bits, anyway), the food is organised, the Christmas Day diplomatic negotiations undertaken and resolved. I have managed to skewer myself in several places on my fingers cleaning the pot that my kitchen cacti live in, despite wearing a glove for the operation - the cactus in question has several million very tiny hair-like prickles that break off and stay in the skin, so my fingers feel like they have prickly heat...

Small daughter is currently playing with our beautiful white porcelain and gold nativity set, which she is very fond of. She is being very careful and gentle. The "stable" is ready and the shepherd, two sheep and ox are there. Mary, Joseph and the donkey "arrived" this morning - the three kings are still journeying around the living room and will probably arrive at the stable on St Stephen's Day as we tend to put our Christmas decorations away at Epiphany when they are supposed to arrive!

Tonight, we go to Wellington Cathedral for the Midnight Mass - they're singing Charpentier's Messe de Minuit which I don't think I've ever heard before. Looking forward to it. The Cathedral Choir is in very fine voice at present: I went to their Nine Lessons and Carols last Sunday evening (which was also recorded for tv on Christmas Day) and it was spine-tinglingly good. I'm hoping to get a copy of their latest CD soon.

The wind is also beginning to drop and the sun has come out - the first time we've seen it in a couple of weeks. The forecast is actually quite good for Christmas Day (I'll believe it when I see it - we haven't had good weather on Christmas Day for years!).

And that feeling that Christmas Eve always has, that still anticipation and excitement is beginning to show. I can feel it in myself. The Christ-child is coming: let us adore him!