IN THREES

They say things come in threes - I do hope they're right. Just before Christmas our Sky box suddenly packed in. On Christmas Eve we developed leaks in the dormer ceilings of two bedrooms (one leak just missing the pile of Christmas presents by inches) and then on Boxing Day something started grating under the car, which rendered it useless until it was fixed today. That's three mishaps by my reckoning. Please don't let there be any more.

Oscar found it hard to decide whether his Christmas presents were inside the big boxes or if the boxes were the presents. He went out looking for Santa on Christmas Eve...

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

"In  15  years' time you won't show my girlfriend this will you?"

NEW MIXER

Ever since I did domestic science at school I've hankered after a Kenwood Chef. When my old electric hand mixer broke the other day I decided to enquire locally about the price of a Kenwood. Between £270 and £500 I was told. So I ruled it out. Later in the day I looked on Amazon - £120 with free postage and a liquidiser attachment thrown in.  I ordered it on Sunday and it was delivered on Monday morning. It's now sitting proudly on my kitchen worktop, giving me pleasure every time I look at it.  But where's the encouragement to buy locally........?

 

It's almost impossible to get a decent photo of Oscar these days - he runs from room to room like the wind.

He appreciates all his Christmas cards.

We went to The Lowry last week to see "A White Christmas" . Aled Jones and Ray Dotrice were in it and it made me feel very Christmassy - especially at the end when snow poured onto the audience for about five minutes. My husband was more concerned with studying the snow to work out what it was made from and if it might mark his jacket.

YORKSHIRE PUBS

It was very satisfying to see that my letter to Giles Coren was one of three published in yesterday's Times magazine. For years I've seen rave reviews about the Yorke Arms at Ramsgill and every time I've read them, I've silently (well, not always silently) seethed.  I paid a fortune for a less-than-mediocre meal for my husband's birthday and have been awaiting the opportunity to tell the world. Great stuff.

I was delighted to see Stacey voted off the X-Factor last night. At last justice has been done and I look forward to seeing Olly crowned as the X-Factor winner tonight.