Advent Lunchbox

Last year, I thought it would be fun to put a little pressie in Andy's lunchbox for every day he had to work during advent. Andy loves Christmas, and I think he'd secretly like to spend the whole of December at home watching Christmas films, eating sausage rolls and cavorting in the snow making a snowman. Or a rainman, as is the case in Kent these last few weeks. But no Dustin Hoffman. (Stop it Denise, NOW, before you go off at a tangent you are likely to regret.)

So of course, this year, I wanted to repeat the exercise, because it bought much enjoyment last year. And actually, it is quite difficult to track down little interesting gifts that aren't wildly expensive. I've spent a considerable amount of time roaming and faffing around the home town seeking out little advent pressie gems. Not as much faffing as our so called house buyers have been doing, though. In fact, they have faffed so much they have faffed themselves off the planet, and we have removed the house from the market and are staying put. But that's another story for when I'm feeling less fragile about the whole debacle and start believing in God again.

Anyway, so far I have managed to place a little gift in Andy's lunch box every day of work in Advent this year, but this morning I was running out of loot, so had to go on another recce around town. But I've discovered that by going on mini-excursions, shops rotate their stock very quickly, and where you think you may have exhausted one outlet for ideas, if you go back three or four days later, you'll find something new has popped up. The only exception, I find, is BHS, but I'm boycotting them at the mo as I'm getting fed up with being asked if I want a BHS credit card every time I shop there, and then getting the shop assistant cold shoulder when I say 'No thank you.'

So today I picked up three more exciting doo-dahs - well, two exciting doo-dahs and one not so exciting doo-dah, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it?

And Christmas Eve calls for something more extravagant and personal, and I am working on this gift at home. Last year I wrote Andy a special Christmas Story called 'Nearly King Jimbo's Christmas Pudding,' which was well received, especially for someone who doesn't like Christmas pudding. This year, I am working on a gift of a similar ilk and whilst I don't want to spoil the surprise for Andy, it may well have something to do with chickens.

For various reasons, I came to dislike Christmas as I grew older. But since I met Andy, he has ignited in me the excitement for Christmas that I experienced as a child.

And for that special gift, I thank him with all my heart!