When the kids were little, we spent many hours poring over the "I Spy" books and the Christmas book was the very best. So here's a nativity scene in the spirit of I Spy. I scored the whole lot of the figures in a dusty box at an estate sale. Lots of extra sheep, two babies, two Marys and lots of wise men. Wish they were functional. Wise men are in demand, eh?

Deep into prep for the first festive holiday at home since 2004. We'd forgotten about the special kind of torture that is waiting for travellers coming on planes or snowy roads from very far away. Randy manifests a knot in his gut, and I get a pain in my chest that is my heart grinding its teeth or biting its nails. Everyone should be in the house tomorrow night, and then we'll celebrate.

A baker's dozen for dinner here on Sunday. Family from far and wide, and one grand-dog. The potatoes, the squash and the quiches are done and wrapped and resting in the very cold breezeway, our outdoor fridge. Such a bonus after years of boat fridge. Cases of beer and pop, just parked out there, keeping cold and keeping out of my fridge which is clogged with cheese, ham, mounds of vegetables ready for peeling and roasting and boiling, several pounds of butter and several bottles of champagne. There's a carrot cake in the oven - we'll be celebrating a couple of birthdays, Tom's 24th and Ian's 27th - and there's a box of clementines and rather a lot of chocolate and snazzy dog treats. My sister is doing the turkey - hurrah.

We warmed up the truck a few days ago and drove a few miles round the corner to the farm where I spent my childhood summers, and drove up into the woodlot and cut two trees - one for the living room and one for the deck for the chickadees. Cold day, brilliant sunshine and we tromped around until we found the perfect tree. It was brilliant all round.

Happy holidays to all of you who visit here, and I wish you all as happy a time as we're looking forward to here in Lake Annis. And the boat is still for sale, so make our holiday perfect, and make an offer. Right after the champagne on Christmas morning would be a good time to strike a deal.

We're having a rum by the woodstove and I'm catching up on friends' blogs, just to see what we're missing. This just in from Pat and Geoff on Beach House doing a bunch of major nasty work on the hard in Carriacou: http://lifeonbeachhouse.blogspot.com/2011/12/doin-hard-time.html

Randy did a whole mess of the same refit work before we left in 2005, in the relative comfort of the yard in Dartmouth, with all sorts of marine supply and parts close by. I feel for Pat and Geoff . They're probably going to the beach for Christmas, but I'm still happier to be here. Here, there'll be a tree, the family, gravy, pie, and no grinding of fiberglass. I'd much rather be scrubbing pots and pans!