Happy new year to you all. I didn't post at all during 2022 even though we had a busy year with more trips and outings than usual due to Tim's 60th birthday in March. It's a bit of a joke that Tim's birthday celebrations lasted most of the year. It's a shame really as there was lots to share but I hope to post more often this year. We are well and are both almost retired now and enjoying a slower pace of life. How are you? I can fill you in with what we've been up to in another post but for now let's concentrate on the run up to Christmas 2022 and the actual day itself. Our Christmas started in early December when we visited our youngest son in London for a few days. We had a tour of The Globe and saw a rehearsal of 'The Fir Tree', hence the headphones so that our guide could whisper to us and not disturb the play. 
We also visited Tate Modern which was very close to The Globe. We booked to see a Cezanne exhibition, an artist I knew little about. I prefer to see one artist at a time rather than lots of different artists' work. The weather turned bitterly cold whilst we were there and came as quite a shock after our very mild autumn. When we visited, London was very busy, possibly due to no train strikes being on and also because so many people haven't visited London since the pandemic. The Friday was quieter than the Saturday when the train and underground were over crowded. On the Saturday we went to see Broken Spectre a video installation by Richard Mosse at 180 The Strand. It was an immersive and shocking experience to see the destruction of the environmental crimes in the remote areas of the Brazilian Amazon. I would recommend it though. Our mood was then lifted as we briskly walked to Carnaby Street to see the iconic festive lights installations. They did not disappoint.
On the Sunday we visited my brother in St. Albans before heading home. We also met their new rescue Staffy, Missy, who is an absolute angel.The next day I had to work and then in the evening we went to see the Luminate light trail at Shugborough Hall, Stafford. We were impressed by the way the estate had been transformed. And my first mulled wine of the season was most welcome!
I did a few more days work in December as well as volunteer with my school's nativity play, 'Bethlehem Bake-Off', which was a hoot. I also had lunch out with friends and cocktails and a Christmas meal out with Tim. We put our Christmas decorations up later than usual this year and have only just started taking them down today. Tomorrow we need to clean!
On December 19th I went to Attingham Park, a National Trust property near Shrewsbury with a friend from work. The mansion was filled with a fantastic and varied display of Christmas trees. Here are just a few photos from the mansion.
Our last trip out before Christmas was to a Christmas Jazz concert which was very jolly. We then had to knuckle down and finish wrapping, last minute shopping and prepping food for the big day. On Christmas Day we had a lovely day with our sons and my in-laws. I visited my Mum on Christmas Eve but sadly I couldn't take anyone with me due to Covid restrictions. 
Between Christmas and New Year we saw both our brothers and partners and had lots of left-overs, tv, games of chess and presents to occupy us. We were on our own for New Year and enjoyed pleasing ourselves for a few days. I hope Christmas was good for you this year and that 2023 is kind to you too. I always feel apprehensive at the the beginning of the year and so intend to take January slowly and be gentle to myself. However, whilst consistency is important I think I need to improve my current output of one blog post a year. 
