Finally sitting down and having a catch up with you all. I won't tell you where I'm at with Nigel as it's weeks ago, end of term resolutely getting in the way. How is it that every year it's the end of November and "a bit soon" for stuff, then suddenly it's 3 days before Christmas and I'll never get everything done!
@Strawberryfield12, I went through years of making chutney every year because it seemed such a Christmas thing to do! Now I've embraced the fact that none of us like any chutney other than Branston. 
We finished off the apricot booze the other Sunday and I immediately put another load on, minus the star anise. Also quadrupled quantities as Nigel's recipe produced a couple of tiny glassfuls and some fat swollen boozy apricots, which I suppose I could have squished like a teabag to extract more booze....
@HollyandIvyandAllThingsYule, love your paperwhites. Mine are still 3 inch green shoots. Am pretending they are supposed to be like that in order to cheer up January. Hmmm.
@Plantsandpuddlesuits, I first bought my copy in December, but read it in the Christmas holidays. It adds to one of my favourite Christmasses of recent years, doing nothing much at all, but taking hot baths every afternoon with Nigel. In the nicest possible way! So sorry about your cancelled service. 
Hope you manage to find some solace in other things. I'm not religious at all but I do love church services at special times, and carols make me cry (in a good way) The Church itself fascinates me and I'm proud to have an ex student who I first met when he was 14 in quite an important role in the Vatican.
We are crossing fingers and toes that the Italian govt isn't going to shut us down over Christmas. They are holding fire until Thursday and as Friday is the 24th when all the most important celebrations both in homes and in churches and on the streets happen, I think we'll be OK. But am fully expecting some more restrictions immediately after Christmas. DD wants to go up north for 3 days with her friends who have already booked, but I told her I'm waiting till a couple of days beforehand to book as I'm not risking losing more travel money after the numerous cancelled flights etc over the last 20 months.
Anyway, school finished for me today, just kids' assembly tomorrow. Am making own almond paste after as couldn't get hold of any marzipan so bought a kilo of ground almonds (good! says Nige) from Amazon (bad! says Nige) Am also going back to homemade royal icing as have urge for peaks on my cake and not smooth fondant.
Solstice tomorrow- English Heritage are streaming sunrise at Stonehenge on their YT channel and hopefully sunset too. Will be sitting and watching like last year as nothing very much except the most incredible thing happens. So peaceful just watching the light and the birds flitting around the stones. Very comforting.