Making lists ...

... a very useful thing at this time of year!  Just as soon as you've completed one list there are more things to add ... so it's an excuse to create a new list!
The harder part is getting down to ticking off the items!
These next ten day will require a bit of careful planning ... I'm not sure that the blog will be too high on any of the lists ... or maybe it will help in reviewing what has been done.
Today, for example, the Christmas Turkey was ordered (and the spiced beef) ... and the Christmas Cake arrived!  Maybe the next thing to do for Christmas Day is to sit down and make a list of the items required for the dinner and then start getting them in!



Eliot had a treat from the butcher ... and he's buried it around the house a few times ... the first of those was in a pile of clean laundry just waiting to be ironed.  That pile is once again in the washing machine!

The object in question was a rather juicy large marrow bone!
It must taste much better after he's matured it for a while ... that's usually done outside in the garden ... and then it really makes a mess when reburied in the house.
Why do dogs do this?  And, do all dogs do it?
No doubt it will all be repeated when the shin bone goes his way as well.  At the moment it is at the early stages of a pot of soup!

This is just the weather for soup ... cold and frosty mornings, temperatures hardly rising to two or three degrees and then back to very cold nights.
Cold, frosty weather does give some good photographic moments ...

 These are unpredictable!

 You break the rules, point into the sun and see what happens.

 The frost was sparkling!

 But it was also cold!
 The Advent calendar helps keep the focus of these days on the gathering at the manger ... today a third sheep emerged from its cracker!

There's quite a flock of them now.

Tomorrow's list has been made... and ... when the news ends I'll be heading off to bed!
Meanwhile ... Eliot goes into his usual "tail spin"!

 A short prayer from today's reflection.
Almighty God, 
purify our hearts and minds,
that, when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as
judge and saviour
we may be ready to receive him,
who is our Lord and our God.