Christmas and all that

Christmas Eve everyone here. Always do a big dinner roast ham sprouts etc followed by clootie dumpling. We all have our traditions and heaven help me if I miss one out. Had a lovely evening in front of the fire fortified with the Christmas spirit from a bottle. Bas had his usual Christmas Eve cold. I am getting suspicious as it has been thus for many many years. Grandchildren hung up their stockings, sent their letters up the chimney (always a nerve racking experience for me) put out the sherry, mince pie and carrot and off to bed to lie and listen for the sleigh bells which they always hear. As Bas was poorly I did the honours only to be told the dishwasher was on and no one could hear them. Three times in all I went out in the cold. Not a delicate tinkle more like Big Ben when I had finished. The spirit of Christmas was wearing thin, It was cold out there. All the adults went to bed including Bah humbug with his cold leaving me to do Santa's work. I was so engrossed I never heard Big Fairy Bas come back into the room, God knows why, to switch off the dining room Christmas lights.(We have a large lit tree in the hall and four on the window sills in the lounge and one in the dining room) Anyway I heard the thump looked round to see Bas on reaching for the plug had fallen in the corner behind a large pouffe and got jammed between that and the welsh dresser. He could not get up and to be honest I nearly left him there. Anyway between smothering my laughter in case Scrooge saw it I got him up and off he went to bed for the second time. I meantime had to switch off the other lights and on reaching behind the tv and over the table with Santa's sherry and mince pie and Rudolph's carrot I overbalanced and there I was stuck behind the tv. I had to get myself out. squashed the pie, broke the sherry glass and had sherry all down my front. Where the carrot went I will leave it to your imagination. Eventually got to bed and got up at 7.30am (not bad) to find that Santa had been and in his hurry to get back up the chimney dropped and broke the sherry glass and had stood on the mince pie. What a tale Alex made of it all and who was it who had frightened Santa? Incidentally I have now got the cold accompanied by a cough. Shall be a quiet New Year for us I think. Certainly stay up to see 2014 hopefully not from behind the welsh dresser or tv.  I wish you all a very Happy New Year.