We would appear to be ready.
This is the first 'quiet' moment I've had in the last week. Not even sure why now its all passed in such a blur, but I do remember wantng to blog about how great it felt earlier on to be 'proper cold' at last. Walked in to work a couple of times during the week really just to experience those memories of years ago when the cold was enough to bite yoour fingers and the pavements and roads were slippery underfoot. Happy times - and it seems that even here, in lukewarm, grey Hampshire it can still sometimes be wintery.
Beautiful, beautiful light on the river, particularly Thursday morning.
No sign of the seal though that's become such a celebrity since he was first seen a week ago,
Unusual wildlife for the Itchen of coourse, but apparently a ot of people have manged to see the young male Grey Seal either early in the morning or around 4pm. I've had three goes and missed him every time.
Probably too late now...

Everyone is downstairs now chilling out in the calm before The Party tomorrow. As is my want, I have almost certainly overspent on food (£200 in Tesco this morning!) and the garage is full to bursting! been shopping locally too this afternoon and picked up a couple of presents for Tx at last, as well as armfuls of mistletoe. Local holly cut from cards and some tinsel and candles completes the decorations. Picked up four DVDs in the library (for the price of two...) which will be one in one room during the afternoon, and Tx has cleared out everything in the loft here so we have toys out in here. Other room for the little ones with things moved up from the lounge. All set to go.
No idea who or how many people are coming - but that's the fun of it.
As usual enjoyed the annual walk around the parish on the way back delivering Christmas cards. Slow start coming in this year but an amazing 23 from postie this morning!!!

More of a surprise though are the CDs that have arrived in three packages.
Another copy of the ICA gig from Mandreas a fortnight or so ago I suppose, and this morning a big surprise - a recording of the LUminaire (T-shirt) gig! Most excellent, and I had no idea one existed, so I am looking forward to hearing all those rarities too - at least third hand.
In between, I've had a package including the first two albums in the Sandpaper series from Neuphonius (entitled 'Red' and 'Black') as well as Peter Ulrich's (Dead can Dance) "Pathways and Dawns" from 1999 and Low's "The Curtain Hits the Cast".
Ulrich's album contains the sublime song Life Among the Black Sheep (from Orphee) which first introduced me to his voice, but other than an equally brilliant opener (Taquharu's Leaving) I found it uninspiring on first listen.
DCD are like that though. I have maybe five or six of their albums, and apart from "Spleen and Ideal" I 'm not sure I really get any of them. Need a bit more work I think. Certainly the best of didnt really grab me when I first heard that...

Haven't heard the Low album yet (or even heard of them).

"Low are a trio from Duluth, Minn., specializing in an even quieter brand of despondency. Its sound is composed of equal parts air and vibe. You don't so much listen to Low's songs as osmotically absorb them. The stately pacing gives much of the material a hymnal quality, and percussionist Mimi Parker's vocals beautifully counterpoint the gnarly mumble of her husband, guitarist Alan Sparhawk." ©rolling stone

Send to be by the very lovely Church Puddle in return for the Current 93 album, and I have enormous respect for his dark and bitter taste :-)

I'll catch up more later. Working tonight, once we've had a walk round the "pippy-ites" that's now part of our annual preparations.