Annual Advent mail out

Finally yesterday, I knuckled down to the task of checking my email circulation list and sending out batches of our annual Christmas letter, written a fortnight ago, together with a greeting e-card, with photos of our joint 70th birthday on it. It's a job I've been putting off. Out of about eight addresses I only got a couple of bounce backs. Some of those on the list will also get a card in the mail. I bought a batch of cards in the St John's Charity Card pop-up shop back on December 1st, plus the necessary stamps, but I've not had the energy to 'test and finish' as they say in the Council. The excuse is that I've had some extra shopping and cooking to do as Clare's had a heavy cold this past week, but it's only an alibi for inertia. Something to day with low cloud and rain making me want to hibernate.

In the week I was asked to cover the eight o'clock at St Catherine's, which I gladly did, and then had breakfast with Clare before heading out to St German's for their Ministry Sunday Advent 3 Mass. After the service, I joined the group of half a dozen people who were decorating the Christmas tree before returning home and cooking lunch. I really enjoyed that. There were more decorations than could be fitted on the tree, but many were not in a fit state to be used, so some sorting was necessary as part of the process - a great group exercise!

In the latter part of the evening, I printed off the necessary address labels for the Christmas cards to be posted, and did as many as I could manage without further address checking. Although it was very late, I took a batch of forty two cards out to the post office box, just to get some exercise before bed. How much I have to push myself to exercise on these days when going outdoors is hardly pleasant. If I don't, my dodgy left knee cartiledge begins to play up, as muscle tone slackens. I really need to be walking several miles a day, and it's more a lack of mental energy than physical that hinders me, if I don't have much to do. Keeping active is more than ever vital. Slacking doesn't pay!