Angel Jem's City Cottage

There are 74 days left until Christmas!! This came as a bit of a surprise to me when I looked it up today, as I don't feel anywhere near ready for Christmas. Also, is it my imagination, or have shops not got Christmas in as early as last year? I went looking for wrapping paper last week and couldn't see the sort I was after in Tesco, W H Smiths or Asda. In fact, Asda had no Christmas paper and shelves still full of Hallowe'en! That struck me as rather odd, because when it comes to Back To School the shelves are cleared and replaced by Halloween before school even starts. I think I was hoping for something similar with Christmas. So, in an effort to get Christmas juices flowing, I thought I'd share a few things I'm looking to do or get for Christmas. 1. Visit Salisbury Museum. They have the Terry Pratchett exhibition on, until January 13th and my two sons are keen to go. We live in Liverpool, and there's a long distance between the two places, so we...

I had a wild time. No. Well, I had a time. Time is my most precious resource. I say it again and again, but it's what I'd like most for Christmas, Birthday or any time when someone offers me a gift. I'd like time. I want a day that has at least 2 extra hours in it. An eight day week, and a year with two Decembers. I want a time-turner that works for revisiting moments I've loved, and a pause button for times I'm enjoying so much and don't want to end. I want a way to stop ageing so that everybody I love can stay at their favourite age for a long time. I want to be able to turn around and see the generations before, and talk to them so that they can tell me that time is irresistible, and the only thing to do it go with it. Time is a flood, time is a great tidal surge that is washing me away. Time is the great leveller, the great destroyer, the ultimate barrier to immortality. What I really need is to grasp hold of my time and to use it well. What I...