Happy Christmas To One And All

Oh the weather outside is brightful

But the dvd fire is so delightful

And since we've no place (we need) to go

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow !!

Yes dear readers, it's Christmas Eve Eve and with pressies under the tree, tinsel on my flip flops and a gentle sorocco wafting across the palm fronds, things are well in hand for The Big Day on Saturday....or Sunday if you're in Australia !

Oh sure there is ALWAYS more to do like cleaning, baking and buying me even more pressies, but in general, we're in good shape here. There will be no turkey to buy, fresh or frozen. This is America remember, and generally speaking, turkeys can now run free and enjoy themselves until Thanksgiving next year.

In some yet to be determined store freezer chest, a fattened ham is lying in wait for us to adopt it. But remember, a ham isn't just for Christmas ! Mercifully, it will have no little face for us to look upon and so there will be more glaze than gaze to deal with.

This will be my 5th consecutive Christmas in Florida so I'm pretty used to the t-shirt and shorts regimen by now. Palm trees and sunshine may have been my recent Christmas backdrop but unlike everyone in the UK, there are plenty of natives here who have never experienced snow. While it's lovely to not have to wrap up like Nanook of the North and trample across snow, sludge and frozen homeless people every time one leaves the house, I do miss those countryside scenes where the unbroken layers of snow blanket the fields as far as the eye can see and the occasional group of long dead, but still picturesque, horses stand by ice covered fences to complete the Christmas card setting.

Where is Thomas Kinkade when you want THAT scene immortalised in paint.....and light ?

So what do we have here to get me in the Crimo mood ? Well with only blue skies, palm trees and sunshine to look at out the window, I'm putting a heavy load on television, dvds and our memories. I've already watched The Snowman and I'm sure It's A Wonderful World will be along shortly. I actually forked out $7.50 at Wallyworld the other day and bought one of those dvds which 'play' a roaring log fire on your telle and has carols as its soundtrack. They now produce different dvds with artistes like Celine Dion, Andy Williams and if you're really unlucky, Kenny G being responsible for the soundtracks. I think if I was ever given the one with Kenny G, I'd be throwing it onto a real log fire faster than you could say 'please kick the chair away !'

I have a gloriously decorated tree to look at in the living room and it already has an impressive assortment of brightly packaged pressies under it. I'm happy to announce that this assortment has been spreading like a BP oil slick over the last few days and by Saturday, we may have to be tossing the smaller ones aside to get to the 'good stuff'. Survival of the biggest and all that. Take no prisoners.

So it's not a bad substitute for a proper winter experience and it's much less messy. No dripping wellies by the door; no gently steaming hats and coats in the porch; no tracks across the carpet by those who decided to ignore the 'no shoes please' sign under the door wreath.

Instead we have all doors and windows wide open and right now Nat King Cole (without his Merry Old Men) is belting out another classic Christmas tune and the dvd log fire is blazing away festively on the Vizio 47" LCD HDTV, providing an impression of heat and warmth that we really don't need.

Admittedly it's not for everyone. Having experienced both, I know which one I prefer and that's why, health and pension willing, I hope to keep coming back to Florida every Christmas. Here in Sebring with its population of around 10,000, two or three cars in a line is a traffic jam and you can park for free outside every store. People smile and wave and wish you Happy Holidays (thereby managing to upset nobody and everybody at the same time) and don't look like burka wearing terrorists when out shopping.

It's different but I love it.

In case I don't post again before Christmas is over, I hope you all have a wonderful time wherever you may be.

Now where's that dvd remote - I fancy a different log fire effect and want to fan the flames by switching to widescreen ?!?

P.S...........