I’m sure everyone feels the same, but December seems to have gone by in a bit of a blur. There was a trip to Birmingham, where we got to see Ozzy the Bull and volunteer at a lovely little parkrun and the temperature hovered around -3. The snow came and went in about 24 hours, but I did manage a couple of wintry walks. I had a week in Haywards Heath for work but I did manage an early morning run. And I spent a lot of time looking at the sky – there have been some very strange cloud effects this month.

Then suddenly it was half-way through December and Christmas hadn’t really made much of an impression – although I was enjoying the daily updates from my Mum about the jam and tea flavours in her Bonne Maman advent calendar.

Time to add a bit of Christmas cheer and re-visit some Christmas traditions.

I’ve watched a couple of Christmas movies on “Christmas 24” – definitely my (I don’t feel guilty about it all) guilty pleasure.

There was a flying visit to the Christmas markets in Manchester – the trains worked in our favour for a change – and accidentally walked through the middle of a marriage proposal – oops!

And then a pre-Christmas visit to family in Clitheroe. We made it to parkrun – and I ran my fastest ever time around the hilliest of hilly courses. We reminisced about the time “Baby Jesus” (please say it in your best Lancashire accent) was stolen from the crib at the castle gates and then held for ransom. We fitted Christmas and Boxing Day breakfast, dinner and tea all in to a couple of meals (I’m still full). I wore my Percy Pig Christmas jumper. And then we made it home again – train treats helped!

I’ve had the almost compulsory disaster with my Christmas food shopping – onions coated in washing up liquid anyone?

There have a been a few Christmas running traditions too – decoration hunting, re-creating the Potters Trotters Christmas Tree route and going to Christmas Tree, and a Christmas fancy-dress parkrun too. My Christmas onesie got it’s annual outing – but fortunately, I avoided the camera (I think).

And now suddenly it is Christmas Eve and the countdown is almost over.

Some traditions may have been missing – no pre-Christmas visit to Cardiff this year to pose for Christmas cards, no family time at the Chocolate Café in Clitheroe – our usual Christmas Eve treat. And no profiteroles for breakfast (at least not yet). I’ve not made any Christmas cards or put up many decorations. We didn’t buy a Radio Times to do the prize crossword.

But the countdown is almost over. I’m finally feeling festive. Christmas Day is nearly here.

I hope everyone has a great one.

Happy Christmas.

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50 for 50 #17: 50 posts for my 50th birthday to be posted before I’m 51.