Festive Season and Christmas -Greetings. Better than maybe

Hi. It is going to be better than it might have been! I wish anyone who reads this a good holiday season - happy and peaceful if possible.

Things could be worse - my son was not sent to prison last Friday. This was hanging over us like the sword of Damocles. I do not have much time to write now, but may add more later. The court decided to keep Tom out of prison, but ordained that he must pay two compensation sums of £50 to the two public servants he slightly assaulted when he was drunk. The courts take a serious view of this behaviour - as these people were working at the local hospital. I've advanced the cash for this, but he has to pay me back. Then there was another unpaid fine; we have met his also. His bank account seems to have come under attack - the benefits office is claiming back £600 from him, from when he was in prison earlier in the year. Tom will also have to do a rehab in 2007.

I have a cold now - this makes things more difficult as I am supposed to be singing with the local church choir for their 9 lessons and carols - which is tomorrow. It will be a great event. I went to a big practice last night and my voice was just OK to do it. It may be worse today - I now cough a lot. I've been trying to clear our house out a bit - there were so many cardboard items - we took them to the recycling point by car. I ordered most of my Christmas shopping by post or on the internet this year, so it all came in cardboard packaging. I aim to be green, so don't just chuck it all in the garbage bin - the only stuff that goes in there is what we can't recycle.

Also we only have Charlie now, the neutered male of our two black cats (as Cleo his sister sadly died of her long incurable illness, cancer, last month). He is becoming a very friendly and affectionate house cat - he is still a little nervous of Tom, who walks about with heavy feet. But Tom is getting to know him more. He sits on D.'s lap a lot, but sometimes he climbs up on to me in the morning while I drink my tea! He has a lovely rumbling purr, and now miaows a little when I feed him. He did not do this when he had Cleo here. Also he likes to play with the toys around the cat play centre, where she used to scratch. He likes to throw the toy mice around - a month ago he caught a real one. We also had to get three lots of treatment for him at the vet's - the last 2 we claimed on his (new) insurance. Have not heard if we are being repaid yet, though.

That's all - I said I was busy. I am about to cook us a decent meal. Some nights I've been going out (not to parties mostly) so have not been able to cook real food. I have been to two Christmas dinners for "carers" - one in the evening was Thai food, very tasty and digestible.

Happy Holidays - or Christmas and New Year. Love & peace to all - Tigey