1) After I'd finished the washing up after dinner this evening I noticed I had left the plate I had eaten from on the dining table. Should have heeded my mother's advice: "don't go out empty handed".

2) I appear to have landed the role of chief cook and bottle washer for Christmas dinner. Cooking for nine people, so that should be interesting. In order to get my hand in I had a dummy-run on Saturday by cooking a roast dinner for four people. All went well; all food was eaten; nobody got food poisoning. I think I'll be fine for Christmas day. I'll enlist help when needed - I've already told CGF Sprog 3 that she will be so busy she won't have time to open presents.

3) My culinary success on Saturday was balanced by a bit of a cock-up on the catering front on Sunday. CGF and CGF Sprog 3 came to Smalltown for the carol service, and the plan was to have a bit of a bite to eat at my flat first. Thinking of what would be quick and easy I decided on pasta and pesto and bought a jar of pesto in the morning. I really should have checked the pasta jar first, as I didn't have any (well, not enough for three people; barely enough for one). And I had pretty much no other food in the cupboards - not that could conjure up a meal for three at short notice. We ended up with bread and cheese. Sometimes I'm a rubbish host.

4) The carol service was candle-lit. As we went into the church we were given three candles. If only we'd had one more person!

there was a video here but it's gone

5) no longer available

6) Saturday evening we watched what I think is one of the best adaptations of "A Christmas Carol" on the magic moving pictures machine. The Patrick Stewart version. We then couldn't decide which of the numerous seasonal offerings to watch next, so watched "Trainspotting" instead - which is to Christmas films what Harold Shipman was to healthcare. But it's a good film.

7) In one of those rare coincidence-type moments, in a music-related conversation I mentioned how I had heard part of an interview with the keyboard player from Yes. CGF said that she'd heard an interview with the person who arranged the piano arrangement on Cat Stevens' "Morning has Broken". I googled to see who this was. Well, how about that. It's one and the same person. We had each heard different parts of the same interview.

8) I found this song to add to my Christmas play list

10) Have a good Christmas. May you get some gifts that you wanted; some gifts that you didn't know you wanted; and some gifts that are better that those you wanted. Not just for Christmas but in life in general.