Monday 27 December 2010

Christmas Spirit and Olives


Christmas coupled with a Closing Down Sale makes life very busy.
My finger tips are sore after manic crystal pinning and I can barely zip up my vital fourth fleece which protects me from the arctic temperatures of our shop.
Fond memories of a nail salon in Bogotá come to mind and I push them away.
My hands currently resemble those of Santa’s great grandmother.
I’m not complaining. I love it when it’s busy like this.
When all the shop crew are together I feel happy.
There’s great banter and team work when Alfie is building lamps, Papa is throwing massive boxes down the stairs and Petra is laying out rows of crystal to pin. When Mum is going the extra mile by cleaning a half-price chandelier and I’m relishing the thought of a new space on the ceiling.
We’ve been working late to get our jobs done and on Thursday we reward ourselves with a bottle of wine and upgrade from a jar of Crespo olives to a superior pot of marinated ones.
It’s the little things in life, after all.
The little oily, herby things.
People believe we are closing now. Old customers bring us in chocolates and promise a drink that probably won't happen (but how nice anyway).
To make things a little more hectic, the Fiancé and I move north.
North of the river, that is.
I finally get the chance to be excited about having my own chandeliers.
Each time I come into the living room, I look up at the sparkly crystals and feel uplifted.
We get our first Christmas tree as soon as we move in and name it ‘Pepe the Great’.
We bring it home and find that its trunk is teeming with bugs.
The Fiancé grabs deodorant and a lighter, and the flames roar as he torches all the little beasties.
The smell is amazing. Pepe is less impressed.
Back at the shop, Christmas takes the form of a little bark crib in the window, complete with a mini fire that lights up.
Everyone wants to buy it.
“Sorry, I’m inheriting it,” I tell them.
What am I going to do after the shop?
The best I can!
As ever, at this time of year, I’m thinking it’s time for a revolution in my life.
Sometimes you get lost in the flow and you make excuses for not achieving your goals.
Lately I’ve been unable to get up early or squeeze writing time in at night.
I’ve been feeding my inner Spartan mince pies and half price sparkling wine and it’s all been very cosy.
The thing is, all the films on telly are insisting I spread the festive cheer and believe in Santa so his sleigh can take off.
I wouldn’t want to be a Bah! Humbug!
So...Ho ho ho, I think I’ll let the Christmas spirit bubble for the time being.
When January comes, a new story will begin.

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