NO "SAT" IN SATURDAY!

As my chic "Miss Haversham" look was starting to become the "Miss Tery Where I'll Put Everyone/Thing" look, I thought I'd better do a quick scoot around the house and do some sorting out. Next Friday there will 12+ of us in the house plus dog. I need enough food and drink in the house for them; plus enough for 5 plus cat on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and, HOPEFULLY, enough to see us through the New Year. First job I decided would have to be a clean out and defrost of the Beer Fridge. With the weather being mild I don't think putting beers, cokes etc out in the garden to get cold is going to work this year. Thank goodness most of us drink Red Wine; don't have to keep that cold. One hour later - a speed up job with the hair dryer I'm afraid - the fridge was SPARKLING and ice free. Thankfully as I had a new freezer this year - that didn't need doing too.

The next thing that needed tackling was the oven. Every year, before Christmas, Mick would always clean the oven for me - bless him. This year, as with last year, Mick's not been able to do this so the task is down to me. Over a quick cup of coffee I mused about this and made the executive decision that, as I hadn't done quite as much cooking this year, the oven could wait till after the New Year. Good thinking Ruth!!!!!

Now where to put all the wrapped presents? The majority of these won't leave the house until our visitors take them on Saturday. I decided to leave them on the appropriate beds and let the "soon to be recipients" work/sleep their way around them! More good thinking!!

The beds have all been made (thank goodness Rob and Phil are sleeping at Mandas - would be a severe bed shortage otherwise); the obligatory layer of snowdust left upon the odd surface of cupboards and shelves and - after much pushing and shoving - the copious boxes of Micks incontinence pads hidden under the beds.

The little back room (beer fridge, freezer, larder, general junk room) is now accessible WITHOUT climbing over the 4 cases of wine (more to come yet!), 24 toilet rolls, bookcase and clothes airer; I CAN EVEN SEE OUT OF THE WINDOW UP THERE!!!! No don't be silly.....I don't mean I've CLEANED the window; I just mean I've moved the 4 boxes of junk that were in front of it. During doing all this I did keep popping downstairs to check on Mick. A couple of times he was awake and I said "Don't worry if you hear lots of bangs and crashes coming from upstairs. It's just me sorting the bedrooms out before all the Christmas visitors." Every time he just went straight back to sleep - I reckon he was making sure I didn't mention the OVEN!

Now I can sit back with a happy heart and just bide my time until my food delivery comes on Thursday.

OH NO!...............JUST THOUGHT!......................WHERE AM I GOING TO PUT IT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!