Christmas has disappeared

and I cannot find it!

There are all sorts of "Happy Holidays" and "Season's Greetings" and more around but the word Christmas is nowhere to be seen. It seems that Christmas has gone out of Christmas altogether.

There are Santa Clauses and "elves on shelves" and much talk about presents and food and how much it is all costing. I am being told not to spend too much and not to eat too much and to buy this and not buy that. Ooh and don't get scammed Cat! (I will do my best on the last one. I also had a "discussion" with Amazon this morning about their persistent insistence that I need to enter some "Prime" program - I don't need to do that.)

I have done very little about Christmas this year. This is not because I am a scrooge. I have no children for whom to decorate the house. I sent very few cards and they may not even reach the recipients because someone else ended up posting them for me and didn't put the extra postage on. (If you are reading this and they ask you for the extra postage some time in the coming week please don't pay it. I will email you the clan missive instead.)

No. All this has more to do with the fact that Middle Cat is only just home from an extended stay in hospital. Two elderly friends are still in hospital. One has no family and the other has family currently on the other side of the world. I have my paws crossed the airlines don't let them down and they do get here for Christmas Day. There are also elderly friends who need visiting with the Christmas baking - to be done today if nothing else gets in the way. 

It is just that none of this feels in the least like Christmas. One house in the street does have a wreath up - but they have gone off on holiday and have someone else looking after their dog. No, we don't even the usual decorations. Today perhaps? I also need to do something about little gifts for the people who have helped me. I did buy those earlier but they need to be wrapped and I have no wrapping paper. Sigh...I may resort to tissue paper and "curly" ribbon.

So it is with relief that I can look at the "activity packs" all lined up on the sofa. I need to put names on but they are there. Perhaps I have managed to do something but somehow.... Why can't we have Merry Christmas?